Vietnamese residents in Germany are very busy preparing for their celebrations of the traditional Lunar New Year (Tet) Festival during the weekend.

There are more than 125,000 Vietnamese working and studying in Germany. Many have significantly contributed to the homeland.

For two decades since German reunification, most Vietnamese residents have stabilised their lives, and second and third generation Vietnamese are managing to preserve their traditional culture while adapting to a new lifestyle in their country of residence.

They have established groups and associations in the hope of creating closer links between Vietnamese living abroad and their fellows back home.

Many German cities boast a wide range of community-based activities launched by the Vietnam Veteran Association chapters, Buddhist organizations and businesses.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Germany and the Vietnamese association are responsible for organising Tet holiday celebrations every year.

Traditional Vietnamese dishes and fruits are nicely laid on trays of different sizes on this occasion.

Square cakes of Banh Chung (made from sticky rice, pork and green beans), onion pickles, and confectionary and other specialties can be bought from the Dong Xuan Trade Centre (Marzahn market).

A huge volume of Tet goods has been brought there thanks to the opening of direct air flights from Hanoi and HCM City to Frankfurt am Main. There are two common kinds of Banh Chung—one made in Germany and the other in Vietnam.

"The Peasant Peter” poultry shop in Berlin is renowned for the quality of chickens. Customers often have to queue in a long line for the best ones from Vietnam.

All Vietnamese residents are looking forward to Lunar New Year’s Eve at  6PM (Berlin time) with best wishes for luck, prosperity and happiness.

Source: VOV