Vietnam
Tristan Calixto B1
Agriculture
Abundant local fruits include watermelon, papaya, bananas, and citrus fruits.
Rice is the most important crop.
Vietnam's farmers grow cocoa, followed by corn, cassava, and sweet potato, in that order.
Eating Customs
- The Vietnamese eat three times a day; they use chopsticks and rice bowls for most meals.
- They hold the rice bowl in the hand; it is considered lazy to eat from a rice bowl on the table.
- Spoons are used for soup.
- Dishes of food are placed in the center of the table or bamboo mat.
Holiday Celebrations
The most important hoilday is the Lunar New Year (Tet nguyen dan) in late January or early February. On this day, everyone in Vietnam celebrates her birthday and considers themself one year older. For about a week, the Vietnamese spend their time feasting.
- New Year's Day (1 Jan.)
- Liberation Day (30 Apr., commemorating the 1975 defeat of South Vietnam
- Labor Day (1 May)
- National Day (2 Sept., the day Ho Chi Minh declared independence).