How to throw a simple last-minute Lunar New Year party
Let me be the first to tell you, Chuc mung nam moi! You should know by now that means “Happy new year in Vietnamese.Today is lunar new year, and this time, it’s the year of the monkey. Monkeys are known to be intelligent and sly, both very true of my monkey cousin who is a litigation lawyer in New York. Hehe!Ever since college, once I had my own space, I’ve loved entertaining. From summer barbecues at the college apartment pool to the luau at my first house after college to our currently annual Friendsgiving potluck, I’ve thrown a party or two in my day.I wish I could say I was hosting a lunar new year’s party this week, but alas, I’m not. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t throw your own.Lunar new year, much like its western counterpart, is a festive occasion—maybe even more so, because in Vietnam, the streets are filled with lion dances and firecrackers, and then the country shuts down for a whole week.You can adopt that festive attitude and host your own lunar new year’s party. Here’s how.
The Traditions
Red is THE color. Red is supposed to bring good fortune, so incorporate as much red into your party as possible. Gold too, because gold represents wealth, and wealth equates to fortune. Wear red, ask your guests to wear red, hang red lanterns from the ceiling, use red napkins.You may have also heard of red envelope money, or li xi in Vietnamese. It’s good luck to give others money in red envelopes for new year, especially children. You can use red envelopes designed specifically for Tet as party favors—stuff them with a gift card or candy.Fireworks and lion dances are part of tradition, too, but unless you are living somewhere in which the former is legal and/or you know a lion dance troupe or are in one yourself, you might omit these to make it easier on yourself. No one wants to start off the new year with burnt hair nor a hernia.
The Games
Gambling is part of the Vietnamese culture. You can bust out the poker table or, if you prefer something more whimsical, try playing bau cua ca cop, which translates to “gourd crab fish tiger.” The beauty in this game is how easy it is to play—think of it as a much simpler version of craps, so easy that even the kids can play (which they often do with their li xi).All you need are three dice with each side bearing a picture of a gourd, crab, fish, tiger, rooster, and prawn (or at least five different animals and a gourd) and a large paper sheet with six circles reflecting the same. Someone takes on the role of the house, and players place bets on any of the six circles. Whenever it turns up on the dice, the player wins money. For example, I place $2 on the gourd. If one die turns up a gourd, it’s a wash. If two dice turn up two gourds, I get double my bet. If all three gourds show up, I win $6. You can find the board and dice online.
The Food
The most important aspect of any party, especially a Tet party, is the food. Serve the traditional New Year’s cake called banh Tet (which is tubular) or banh chung (which is more cubic). I tried making these with Alvin from MasterChef season 2 (hence our photo above), but if you did the same, it would no longer be a simple lunar new year’s party.I admit, the savory cake may taste strange on the western palate, so you should think about serving additional foods. Fried spring rolls are always a hit, as they’re both yummy and resemble gold bullion—make your own following my cha gio recipe or get them catered. Stir-fried noodles (for longevity) and various fruits and nuts are also traditional, but you can just about serve anything, so long as it’s plentiful.Since I’m second generation American and no longer live in the same city as most of the grown-ups in my family (yes, my cousins and I still consider ourselves the kids), Tet is not such a big ordeal anymore. I will probably spend it eating banh Tet/chung and emailing my dad to chug mung nam moi.Do you celebrate lunar new year? What are some of the traditions in your family? Or will you be celebrating it for the first time this year?Happy monkeying around!