Chinese New Year and Tet

Did you know that according to the 2016 census taken by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 0.2% residents of the Yass Valley speak Mandarin at home and 0.1% speak Vietnamese?

We are quickly approaching both the 2021 Chinese New Year and the Vietnamese Tet Nguyen Dan (Tet for short). Both celebrations commence on February 12th, and while Chinese New Year will last until February 26th, Tet only lasts until the 16th February.

With such variations in Chinese culture and ethnic groups around the world, there are many ways to say “happy new year”. In Mandarin, the greetings are:

• Gong Xi Fa Cai: Pronounced “gong zee fah tsai”. “Gong xi” means “congratulations” and is also a way to wish one joy. “Fa cai” is to become prosperous. In essence, you are wishing joy and prosperity in the new year.
• Xin Nian Kuai Le: Pronounced “sheen neean kwai luh”. “Kuai le” means “happy” or “joyous”, and “xin nian” means “new year”. Xin nian kuai le is a great way to say happy new year in Mandarin to friends without referencing money.

Cantonese is the language primarily spoken by the people of Hong Kong. The Cantonese “happy new year” greeting differs slightly from the Mandarin version, even though both are actually written the same way.

• Gong Hey Fat Choy: In Cantonese, gong hey fat choy is the equivalent of gong xi fa cai in Mandarin, simply meaning “congratulations and prosperity”.

In Vietnamese, Happy New Year is written like this Chúc mừng năm mới, which is pronounced “Chuc mung nam moi”.

In both Chinese and Vietnamese cultures, the lunar new year is a time to express respect and remembrance for their ancestors as well as welcoming the New Year big meals shared with family members.

2021 is a Year of the Ox according to both Chinese and Vietnamese traditions. The Ox is a valued animal, because of its role in agriculture, and positive characteristics, such as being hardworking, honest, kind, and temperate are attributed to it. People born in the Year of the Ox are said to share these characteristics.

The Yass Phoenix wishes all our Chinese and Vietnamese friends and neighbours Gong Xi Fa Cai/ Gong Hey Fat Choy and Chuc Mung Nam Moi!

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