Christmas is in December. It is a season with many traditions. People think about family, friends, and giving. Most families put up a tree, hang decorations, and give gifts. Christmas Eve is December 24th. It is the night before Christmas. It is a great time to sing carols. Will you remember to put out milk and cookies for Santa?

Christmas Day is December 25th. Wake up early. Then you can run to open the presents under the tree. There is going to be a lot of food to eat today! It is a time to spend with family and people you love.

When do people celebrate Christmas?

Lunar New Year, or Tet, is Vietnam's main holiday. It is the most important occasion in the year which falls sometimes between 19^th january and 20^th February on the Western calendar. Tet marks the beginning of spring and the start of a new year.

Tet’s preparations and celebrations nowadays are shorter than those in the past. Streets are decorated with coloured lights and red banners. Shops are full of goods. People are busy buying gifts, cleaning and decorating their houses and cooking traditional foods.

Houses are often decorated with plants and flowers at this time. Peach blossom is traditional at Tet in the North while apricot blossom is traditional in the South. The kumquat tree with its ripe deep orange fruits is popular throughout the country. One of Tet’s most special foods is Banh Chung, which is made from sticky rice, green beans and fatty pork. Mut, which is candied fruits such as sugared apples, plums or tomatoes, is also popular.

* Một số từ mới:

- mark (v): đánh dấu

- preparation (n): sự chuẩn bị

- ripe deep orange fruits: quả chín vàng rộm

- plum (n): quả mận

What is another name of Tet?

Tet is the ___________ festival in Vietnam.

What do Vietnamese people often do before Tet?  

as they are wishing longevity (5) ______ their grandparents and parents.

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In our country, Vietnamese New Year (Tet holiday) is according to "lunar calendar", not "solar calendar". "Vietnamese New Year" is a very important holiday for Vietnamese people. Everyone will (1) _____ a break during the Vietnamese New Year. It is a time for rest and refreshment. Most of the business, stores, even the schools close (2) _________ a time.

On the "New Year's Eve", each family will have "reunion dinner" with their family members. After the dinner, elders (parents, uncles, aunts, grandparents...etc) will give the "red envelope" (3) ________ the kids. There is "lucky money in the red envelopes.

We set off the "fireworks" and "firecrackers" during the Tet holiday. We also will hang the "Spring Couplet" on our doors. Some of the people are play "dragon dance" or "lion dance" to (4) __________ the Vietnamese New Year. Tet is the (5) ____________ festival in Vietnam.

Everyone will ______ a break during the Vietnamese New Year.

Read the passage carefully and choose the correct answer.

Every country has its own tradition when New Year comes. In Japan, at midnight on December 31, all temples in the country ring their bell 108 times. They believe that the ringing bells can remove their bad actions from the previous year.

In Thai Lan, the New Year is in April. It’s the hottest time of the year. People often throw water over the people. They believe that this activity will bring a lot of rain and wash away the bad things.

In Viet Nam, people clean and decorate their houses before Tet. They would like their houses to look more beautiful. The first footer is very important. They believe that the first footer on the first New Year Day decides the family’s luck for the whole year.

Một số từ vựng:

- tradition (n): truyền thống

- ring the bell: rung chuông

- wash away: rửa sạch, cuốn trôi

- luck (n): điều may mắn

People in Japan believe that 108 times of ringing bell can remove their _______ from the previous year.