By: Azalea Flores Bayne Vietnam By: Azalea Flores Bayne

Doing well in school honors the family name. Culture/Life Vietnamese life is mainly directed to be by ancestor worship. Whereas kids learn at a young age they owe everything to their parents and ancestors. Doing well in school honors the family name. Marriage and family are very important sometimes the parents even arrange marriage.

Culture/Life Usually the man is well the man of the house and is in charge of the family’s well being. Most of the time the oldest children have to take care of the youngest. Discipline is used commonly as a parent and spanking is common once the children are past young age.

Cuisine/Food ……yum From what I have seen the food is mainly of noodles, rice, and meats, specifically fish. Like cuttlefish steamed with ginger the cuttlefish provides sweetness while the ginger adds a pungent taste to outlast the other. Or Banh Khuc which is a rice ball filled mostly of green bean paste and pork.

Cuisine/Food Vietnamese food is not known for spiciness or sweetness it balances the ingredients out perfectly. The reason for so much fish in meals is simple. People just like it Vietnam is on the South China Sea

Traditions Traditions can be said differently but I will tell you a story: Once upon a time there lived a very beautiful and charming princess, named Chuc-Nu she was one of the many daughters of the King of Heaven. Chuc-Nu was a very hard working lady and she was often seen sitting on the shore of The Silver River to sew clothes for her younger sisters. One day a young man herded his buffalos to the river. His name was Nguu-Lang. He was very handsome. He fell in love with the princess at first sight, and she loved him, too. The King of Heaven, fully aware of their love, consented for his daughter to marry Nguu- Lang. But the couple had to promise to continue their work after their marriage.

Tradition/Story They enjoyed being married so much they forgot the promise. The King became furious and ordered them to separate. Each of them would live on one side of the river and could only look at each other from across the river. The king allowed them to meat only once a year in the seventh month of the year. This month is called “The Month of The Sudden and Short Showers”. When the met each other, they usually cry for joy. They cry even more bitterly when it’s time for separation.

Tradition/Story This is why it rains at the beginning of the seventh lunar month in Vietnam. If you happen to be in the countryside during this month, you do not expect to find any ravens. They are believed to have flown to the sky to help carry the bridge across for the reunion of Chuc-Nu and Nguu-Lang. And if you look at the sky on clear nights, you may see the Silver River which looks like a long milky white strip. Therefore, it is called “Ngan Ha” (the Milky Way).

Why Story? I thought It would be wonderful to tell a story as a tradition. And the Title is The Legend Of The Milky Way By: Tran Van Dien. It’s a wonderful story that was born in Vietnam, I wanted to share it.

Websites http://www.vietnam-culture.com/articles- 87-6/Family-life.aspx http://www.vietnam-culture.com/ Story from: http://www.vietspring.org/legend/nguulan g.html