OVs in the Netherlands and Cambodia celebrate traditional Lunar New Year

Young Vietnamese expatriates in the Netherlands recently gathered to learn how to make Chung (square glutinous rice) cake – the soul of Tet (Lunar New Year) - as the biggest traditional holiday of Vietnam is around the corner.

Making the food on the occasion of the traditional New Year has gradually become a habit, an activity of many young overseas Vietnamese to help them have a better understanding about their roots, recall old memories in the homeland, and feel the warmth of Tet atmosphere.

All the ingredients for the cake such as glutinous rice, green beans, pork, pepper, and fish sauce have been imported from Vietnam.

The event was jointly organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in the Netherlands and the Vietnamese Language Studies in La Haye.

The Vietnamese Consulate General in Preah Sihanouk province held a programme on January 11 to bring a warm Tet atmosphere to the Vietnamese community living and working in the Cambodian southwestern provinces of Preah Sihanouk, Kampot, Kep, Koh Kong, Kampong Speu, and Takeo.

Tet, or the Lunar New Year, is the biggest festival in a year of Vietnamese people and will take place from January 21-25 this year (the last day of the last lunar month to the fourth day of the first lunar month).

In his opening remarks, Consul General Lai Xuan Chien extended New Year greetings to the community, wishing them a lot of happiness, peace and prosperity in the year ahead.

According to the diplomat, despite many difficulties and challenges in a challenging 2022, the Vietnamese community in southwestern localities of Cambodia always maintains solidarity and mutual support, thus gradually stabilising their life after the COVID-19 pandemic.

He highly valued the executive board of the Khmer-Vietnam Association’s chapters in areas that the consulate is in charge of, and thanked donors and Vietnamese agencies and businesses in Cambodia for their assistance for the community’s activities in recent times. 

Tran Van Nam, Chairman of the Khmer-Vietnam Association’s chapter in Preah Sihanouk, thanked the office, organisations, localities, and sponsors in the homeland for their timely support to the Vietnamese community, affirming that this is a great source of encouragement to help overseas Vietnamese in the locality overcome difficulties caused by the pandemic.