Tet

Hope Amy doesn't mind
I think it is TOO cute!!

A huge celebration has begun throughout Vietnam. It's the new year, the biggest event of the year. Traditionally it's a time for friends, families and loved ones to come together. It is also a time to pay respects to ancestors. Many people celebrate the occasion with a family meal before heading to parades and fireworks displays, which take place in most major towns and cities. Firecrackers are also common. It is believed the loud bangs scare off evil forces from the coming year.

Officially, Tet lasts for three days; however, in practice it is closer to a week or two! I read somewhere that the celebrating was to start last weekend and last through this coming week!

2009 is the Year of the Water Buffalo/Ox. Our son was born in the Year of the Rat. Those born in Rat years tend to be leaders, pioneers, and conquerors. They are charming, passionate, charismatic, practical and hardworking.

My hope was that we would have our DNA sample by Tet so that we didn't need anything else from the Vietnamese before this holiday. The work would be by an American lab and our Embassy. This is the case for others in our agency, as many have begun to get their results back from the US lab. Our Embassy is closed in Hanoi through in observance of the holiday.

Tet should work to our advantage though since many Vietnamese have time off for the holidays and traditionally travel home to be with family. Hopefully this means that our birthmother will be able to go to the orphanage and fix the paperwork error. I PRAY.