Love For a Traditional Tet Holiday Sparked Among Students Via Culture Week And Tet Fair

Besides taking part in many exciting activities of the Tet Fair, Vinsers gained deeper insights into various Tet-related topics during the Culture Week via Vietnamese Studies and Global Citizenship Education (GCED) lessons and worked together to create a vivid picture of the unique traditional Tet holiday of Vietnam.

Vibrant Culture Week prior to Tet Fair 2020

Before the kick-off of Tet Fair 2020, Vinsers across the system took pleasure in exploring the Vietnamese traditional Tet holiday and the New Year celebrations of other countries. They were able to learn more about Tet and the long-held custom of ancestor worship thanks to the incorporation of experience-based projects into different subjects like Vietnamese Studies, Art, Math, Science, ESL, GCED, CLISE (Character and Life Skills), etc.

Vinsers from Vinschool Green Bay Primary school were attempting to make Tet e-cards for their family in an ICT lesson.

In addition to acquiring further understanding of the special Tet culture of Vietnam, Vinsers had an opportunity to put what they learned into practice via a series of events prior to the Tet Fair such as making Chung cakes, decorating classrooms, creating handmade products, arranging the five-fruit tray, writing calligraphy, drawing pictures of New Year celebrations around the world, and extending wishes to their elders and teachers.

The Vietnamese Studies lesson “New Year in a borderless world” excited Vinsers from Vinschool Metropolis Primary school as they could share unique Tet culture of Vietnam with foreign friends.

“The activities in the Culture Week this year are closely related to the subjects that students learn at school. Activities such as parents and teachers making video clips about the Vietnamese traditional Tet holiday and the New Year celebrations of foreign countries, help broaden students’ minds and improve their skills. More importantly, they understand the value of traditional culture and develop a sense of national pride, internationalism and innovative thinking. Through making a wish tree and composing poetry, students can express their love for the people around them and learn more about the richness of the Vietnamese language, thus seeing their appreciation for their mother tongue grow deeper. That’s how the knowledge of Vietnamese Language and the new subject of CLISE is put into life”, shared Teacher Do Thi Lan Huong.

The traditional Tet holiday coming to life at the Tet Fair 2020

Despite being in the same system, each campus had its own Tet Fair topic and activities, adding different colors to the unique spring picture of Vinschool. The Tet atmosphere was clearly felt in every campus, in the eyes and smiles of all Vinsers and teachers. Besides its great educational value, the Tet Fair enabled Vinsers to showcase their talent and proactiveness through a variety of student-led activities.

The Ao dai collection “Spring blossoms” was entirely designed by Vinsers from Vinschool Times City High school. 10 types of blossoms steeped in the breath of spring looked gorgeous on white Ao dais.   

Through the calligraphy contest, Vinsers could demonstrate their talent in composing couplets and writing calligraphy. The little calligraphy masters in the traditional Ao dais partly revived the vibrant atmosphere in historical examination venues and honored the studious spirit of Vietnamese people.

The Tet Fair also strengthened the bonds between Vinsers and their parents. Together they took part in lively competitions such as Wrap the Chung Cake, Ring the Golden Bell, Artistic Floral Arrangement, etc. Folk games also captured the attention of a large number of Vinsers. Watching their children play such games with excitement, parents felt touched by memories of the good old days.

To deepen family bonds, the Tet Fair engaged parents and children in the Chung cake wrapping competition, evoking past memories of family members gathering and making Chung cakes on the days prior to Tet.

The “Harmony wrestling competition”, a new element of the Tet Fair 2020, helped Vinsers learn about the determination, resilience and sportsmanship of Vietnamese forefathers.

Mr. Hoang Long Trong, teacher at Vinschool Central Park Secondary school, proudly shared “Tet Fair is an opportunity for Vinsers to explore the fine cultural traditions of Vietnam and other countries. They will see the cultural diversity and learn to respect cultural differences”.

Tet is quite different now, yet its traditional values still remain and continue being passed down to younger generations. The Vinschool Tet Fair has been connecting Tet in the past and at present and opens up a happy, meaningful year for every Vinser.