CHAPTER 26 – NEW YEAR’S EVE
Situation: Matthew is preparing for a party to celebrate New Year’s Eve. While discussing the party with Phuong, a friend visiting from Vietnam, Matthew realizes that his party will be Phuong’s first time celebrating the American New Year.
Matthew: This party is going to be the best ever! I am so glad you came to visit in time to celebrate the New Year with me, Phuong.
Phuong: Thank you for inviting me. I get to celebrate two New Years this year then. My parents asked me to come back home to celebrate the Vietnamese New Year with them, but that is not until February 7th.
Matthew: Oh, that is right! You and I celebrate New Years at different times! Although the date of the Vietnamese New Year depends on when the new moon rises, Americans celebrate the New Year precisely on January 1st, regardless of whatever phase the moon is currently in.
Phuong: Why are you having the party tonight? Why not wait until tomorrow?
Matthew: Well, don’t you stay up the night before waiting for New Years to start? I remember you telling me awhile ago that you would stay up the night, waiting to set off fireworks with your friends when midnight finally arrives.
Phuong: Yes, we do stay up the night before. It is called Dem Giao Thua.
Matthew: Exactly! So your Dem Giao Thua celebration is exactly like my New Year’s Eve party. Although the party will not be as big as the one in New York, we will still be counting down to midnight.
Phuong: How do you know about a party in New York if you live in California? Were you invited to the party?
Matthew: No, I was not invited to the party exactly. I know about the celebration in New York because it is broadcasted on TV every year. And, everyone is welcome to attend; it is not an exclusive party like the one I am throwing tonight.
Phuong: This party is shown on television? What is so special about it?
Matthew: Well, it is quite a big celebration. Everyone gathers at a traffic intersection in New York called Times Square to watch various musical artists perform as they wait for midnight to come. But everyone’s attention is mainly focused on the Ball.
Phuong: The ball?
Matthew: Yes, there is a very tall pole that stands upright on top of a building overlooking Times Square and at the very last minute before midnight, a large ball slowly slides down the pole. The Ball is made of crystal and electric lights and signifies the New Year. When the Ball reaches the bottom of the pole precisely at midnight, everyone celebrates the arrival of the New Year.
Phuong: Wow, that all sounds so exciting! I wish I could see the Ball drop. Perhaps I should have gone to New York instead of coming to California to visit you.
Matthew: Well!
Phuong: I am just teasing you, Matthew. I would rather celebrate this New Year with you than a bunch of strangers in New York.
Matthew: Well, I am glad to celebrate New Year with you too, Phuong. And if you really want to see the Ball drop, it is always televised remember? I was planning on turning the TV on before the countdown begins. We can all count down the last minute of this year and watch the Ball drop together.
Phuong: Awesome! Your New Year customs are so fascinating. I am glad to be here at the right time.
Questions/Answers Practice
Q: What is the significance of Tet?
A: Tet marks the beginning of Spring, and it is the most important holiday in Viet Nam.
Q: How do people celebrate this special holiday? A: Tet is a long holiday. People take at least three days to celebrate it.
Q: What do they usually do to get ready for Tet? A: They always cook special foods and thoroughly clean their houses.
| Q: Are markets very busy at this time? | A: Markets are full of people because everybody is busy shopping for gifts, for foods, and for their children’s new clothing. |
| Q: Do people sweep their houses during Tet? | A: No, because sweeping during Tết is like sweeping away money and luck. |
| Q: How do they decorate their houses? | A: People always decorate their houses with flowers. There are flower markets everywhere. |
| Q: What do they do during the three days? | A: They do ancestral worshipping, go to church or temple, and visit relatives and friends. |
| Q: What happen to the children? | A: They wear their new clothes and receive lucky money from their parents and people. |
| Q: What are some of the most enjoyable things people do on New Year’s Eve? | A: Staying up on New Year’s Eve to do ancestral worshipping, and lighting firecrackers to welcome the New Year are some of the most enjoyable things. |
| Q: How do you like Tet? | A: Tet is my favorite holiday. I get to enjoy good foods, spend quality time with my family and friends, and most of all no school. |
3) Comprehension test
- Why does Phuong get to celebrate two New Years this year?
- What is the difference between an American and a Vietnamese New Year?
- Why do Phuong and her friends stay up the night before New Year?
- In which ways are the New Year’s Eves in America and in Vietnam alike?
- What is the most special event on New Year’s Eve in America?
- What do people in New York do to celebrate the arrival of the New Year?
- What does it mean when the Ball reaches the bottom of the pole?
- What do people do when the Ball reaches the bottom of the pole?
- How can they watch the party in New York without being there?
4) Discussion
- Describe the activities on New Year’s Eve and on New Year Day in your country.
- What are your favorite traditions on these days? Why?
- How do you feel about New Year now that you are no longer a child?
GRAMMAR REVIEW
PUNCTUATIONS
Dashes (–)
- Use dashes to insert a comment. .
My parents -like all parents- want me to be home on New Year Day.
I clearly remember the day–who would not–that President Kennedy was assassinated
- Use dashes to give clarification to the terms used.
The preparation for New Year Day—new clothing, traditional foods, house-cleaning—is very time-consuming.
The weather–wind, temperature, and rain–is extremely harsh in Alaska during the winter. The winners–James, Helen, and Lucy–were very studious during the school year.
Hyphens (-)
- Use hyphens to join elements in compound words. .
Brother-in-law
Vice-president
- Use hyphens in most compound modifiers placed before nouns.
A right-handed person
The fresh-cut flowers
- Use hyphens to write numbers from 21 to 99.
Twenty-one
One hundred eighty-four
- Use hyphens when numbers are used to depict a person or thing.
Four-year degree
Sixteen-year-old teenager
Italics
Use italics for names of books, poems, articles, work of art, movies, musical productions, ships, aircrafts and trains. .
I saw Gone with the Wind yesterday.
He went on the Queen Mary ship in Long Beach.
Questions/Answers Practice
| Q: How do you feel about holidays? | A: All holidays—Independence Day, Thanksgiving, New Year—are my favorite days. |
| Q: What do you do on these holidays? | A: Either relax—reading a book, sleeping late, eat out—or cook a big feast for my family and friends. |
| Q: What else would you want to do on these holidays? | A: I would want to travel—who would not—if I have enough money. |
| Q: Who will take care of your pets while you are away? | A: My sister-in-law will probably take care of them for me. |
| Q: When was the last time you had a long vacation? | A: It was during the summer of last year.I went away for a total of twenty-one days. |
| Q: Who did you go with? | A: I went with my fifteen-year-old daughter. |
| Q: Where exactly did you go? | A: I went to Long Beach to see the Queen Mary ship. |
| Q: What did you do while you were away? | A: Among other things, I finished reading War and Peace, the famous classical novel of all times. |