Xmas cheer

Hey guys!

So, one of the lovely things about putting stuff up on the internet is that it stays there forever. As someone who writes a lot of things on the internet, this means that by necessity I occasionally write something that makes me seem a bit foolish.

Luckily, this time my transgression was relatively small. At the end of this post, I anti-Grinched (anti-Scrooged?) about the lack of Christmas cheer and general festivities in Ben Tre.

As I hope to demonstrate in this post, that wasn't quite the case.


Last Sunday I got back home from a stellar VN Hat feeling pretty damn exhausted. Mentally I was drained from traveling, physically I was spent from two days of ultimate, and emotionally I was absolutely done after the feelings-packed ETA conference and the high of the tournament.

So I got back home, stumbling through cramped legs to shower and throw my disgusting clothes into the laundry in a half-conscious stupor. I collapsed in my bed, and right before I passed out I realized I had exactly one day to plan a Christmas party. Uh-oh.

Luckily I could call upon a handful of trusted assistants, namely the redoubtable Mrs. Chau Anh and Ms. Y. Both had helped me with the Halloween party, so I know I could count on them.

Christmas preparations began the morning of the 24^th. After class, Co Chau Anh came to my room with colored construction paper, string and brightly colored tinsel. I had already planned on us making Christmas ornaments to hang on the Christmas tree. I suddenly realized that we could do something else, namely making paper snowflakes.

This was perfect—it was a Christmas themed craft that no one in Ben Tre had ever done before. Simple, creative, fun, and definitely Christmas themed. There was only one problem. I had no idea how to make a paper snowflake. 

To the internet!

Thanks to the help of Google and some assorted crafts website, along with about ten minutes of practice, I soon found myself if not a master than at least a proficient snowflake maker.

In the afternoon my helpers began to trickle in. Just as for Halloween, I had asked for some student volunteers to come in and help me make decorations. As usual, they stole the show.

I showed them how to make paper snowflakes and they immediately began making absolutely beautiful snowflakes.

Hard at work

Some of the few they had made

After making snowflakes I showed them some printouts I had made of reindeer, snowmen, Santa Claus and Christmas trees. They immediately began replicating these designs beautifully, cutting out and making some amazing ornaments. 

Making ornaments

A finished Christmas tree!

They all had a lot of fun as they worked, joking in Vietnamese and laughing at each other’s spectacular/horrible designs. After a few hours I had enough ornaments to decorate at least six Christmas trees. As usual, my little helpers outdid themselves.

My Christmas helpers!

That evening was Christmas Eve, and so I went to church. I had planned to go with Co Trang, but then Co Trang’s son got sick. Then I planned to go with my student Kim, but we ended up going to different churches. So, I ended up wandering over to the Ben Tre church by myself.

The church is a huge and spectacular building, easily holding two hundred people. Of course, since this was a Vietnamese event, there were probably three hundred people in the church, to say nothing of the hundreds who were crowded around outside.

Inside the church

Vietnamese mass was an interesting experience for me. I was there without a translator, and I knew no one at the church.  A student from Ben Tre College was sitting behind me and we talked for a little bit, but otherwise I just had time to reflect and pray by myself. Mass was also entertaining because I have been going to Vietnamese mass off and on for my entire life. After going to so many masses I memorized several Vietnamese prayers, although I have no idea what any of them mean. So I was barely able to communicate with the person next to me, but when the congregation started saying certain prayers I was able to join in seamlessly. It was kind of a weird experience.

The creche inside the church

With the priest of Ben Tre's church

After mass the student introduced me to the priest, who was very friendly and very nice to me. I said my goodbyes and went out to wander around the Christmas festivities. 

This ties into my earlier point, about Vietnamese Christmas being a bigger deal than it seems. When you ask a random person from Ben Tre if they celebrate Christmas, their answer is generally “No.” If they are Christian, they will say that they go to church to celebrate. This combines to form the general impression that no one really celebrates Christmas in Vietnam.

But the thing is, many people are very interested in Christmas, even if they don’t actually celebrate it. So, at the church there was a big gathering of people watching the service and watching a Christmas performance outside the church. The streets were incredibly crowded, which basically never happens in Ben Tre. People were taking pictures of the crèche and the various Christmas lights. In the main park there were big pictures of Santa that people were posing next to, and vendors selling ice cream and Christmas decorations. 

So in short, there were a lot of people taking pictures, buying things, and celebrating a fun night out, even if they were a little unclear on the main concept of Christmas.

You know, kind of like Christmas in America. I felt right at home.

Christmas lights everywhere!

Christmas balloons for sale

Santa and Christmas themed decorations

Taking a picture with Santa

I bought a Christmas balloon. It was gigantic. I was very happy.

On Christmas I woke up to my phone blowing up with “Merry Christmas” texts from students, teachers and fellow Fulbrighters. Thus energized, I went out to teach my class and prepare for the Christmas party.

In the evening we had our Christmas celebration. This one was much smaller than the Halloween party, only 30 students and several teachers. We started out by decorating the Christmas tree. 

Hanging the ornaments

Even the teachers got involved!

All of these ornaments were hand-made by students

Then we sang a few songs—Jingle Bells, We Wish You a Merry Christmas, and Santa Claus is Coming to Town—all of which sounded wonderful and beautiful.

Finally we did Secret Santa, with each student bringing a gift. Unfortunately, many students and teachers who were supposed to show up didn’t do so, so Secret Santa had to be modified. Instead, students brought their presents up to the front of the room and I distributed them. It wasn’t exactly what I had planned, but the students still really enjoyed it.

Then afterwards, lots of picture taking!

Posing with the tree

After English Club I headed home to skype with family and friends back in Boston. It was really nice to talk to them, and to feel like I was part of their Christmas morning. It was hard as well—I saw so many little things that I associate with Christmas, like snow, a roaring fire, opening presents in your pyjamas—and it definitely made me miss home more than I have missed it in the past five months. But even though I didn’t have that classic New England Christmas, I had a very enjoyable Christmas. And, well, sometimes new and different can be a very good thing.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Jefferson

Merry Christmas!