Archive for 'Culture'
Vu Lan & Ghost Festivals Posted by Kandle Dart on Aug 23, 2021
Originating from China, the Lễ Vu lan and Cô hồn (Vulan and Ghost festivals) are always on the full moon of the seventh lunar month (July 15) of the year. This year, it falls on Sunday August 22 in the Gregorian calendar. Lễ Vu lan is one of the major Buddhist holidays. Lễ cúng cô…
Double Seventh Day Festival Posted by Kandle Dart on Aug 16, 2021
Looking at the lunar calendar, July 7th falls on Saturday, August 14th in the Gregorian calendar. In Vietnam, this date is called Thất Tịch, which literally means evening of sevens. It is known as the “Asian Valentine Day”. The origin of Lễ Thất Tịch (Double Sevens Festival) is from China, the Qixi festival. Similarly, the…
The Chocolate World Posted by Kandle Dart on Aug 2, 2021
It would be hard for me to believe if you said you have never had a piece of chocolate or a hot chocolate drink in your entire life. Chocolate is a very addictive treat and has a large pool of dedicated fans around the world, especially in western countries. Chocolate pairs well with wine. Chocolate…
English-Borrowed Words in Vietnamese Language Posted by Kandle Dart on Jul 27, 2021
Just like any other language, Vietnamese vocabulary includes many borrowed words from different countries that have influenced Vietnamese culture throughout its history. The majority of the borrowed words are from Chinese, French, and English. It’s easy to understand why there are so many Chinese, French, and English borrowed words in the Vietnamese vocabulary. Looking at…
The Dog Says Woof! Woof! Posted by Kandle Dart on Jul 19, 2021
Last week, I wrote a blog about cats. It’s not fair for dog lovers if I don’t give equal attention to dogs. Thus, this post is dedicated to the word “dog”. Like cats, dogs also are one of the twelve animals of the Vietnamese zodiac. DOG WORDS Con chó (The dog) Gâu gâu! (Woof woof!) Giống…
The Cat Says Meow! Posted by Kandle Dart on Jul 12, 2021
Meow! This post is dedicated to the word “cat”. It’s all about “cat” in the Vietnamese culture, language, belief, and its metaphoric use. Whether you are a cat lover or not, you may find that cats play a significant role in our human history, dating back thousands of years. In Vietnamese culture, the cat is one…
Summertime Posted by Kandle Dart on Jul 5, 2021
Father’s Day is usually marked as the start of Summer in the United States. However, the celebration of July 4th, Independence Day, is the real kick off for all summer activities. The end of summertime is usually marked by the celebration of Labor Day in early September. Officially, the summer of 2021 started on June…