Christmas in Vietnam!

So even though Vietnam is predominantly a Buddhist country people were getting into the Christmas spirit. Most hotels, restaurants, banks, and stores (especially malls) had decorations outside and Christmas music blaring at all hours. I couldn't believe it. Here are some photos of Saigon at Christmas time.

This is in District 7.

Outside a mall. People love to pose next to the displays.

This Santa was super sketch.

Look, its almost like a white Christmas!

This is in a mall. Please note the kid's outfit.

Yay Christmas 2011!

Even a rotary got decorated.

Winter Wonderland.

I absolutely loved seeing all of the kids in their Santa outfits. SO CUTE!

Oh la la. So beautiful!

Look at the Christmas scene! SO FUNNY. Okay, what is even better
about this photo though is the bikers in it. I had walked by them a minute
before and they were looking at a map. How cool is that, they are road
biking around Vietnam (maybe even Southeast Asia). I was pretty pleased
when I realized that two of the hot biker dudes made it into my photo. I
didn't plan that, I swear. It was a Christmas Miracle!

There were even poinsettias!

On Christmas Eve Mymy and I went into District 1 to look at all the Christmas decorations. It was quite the experience. There were so many people. It took us so long to get home because we had to try and avoid all the crowds, which was impossible. Motorbikes couldn't even move because all the foot traffic.

Asian Santa Claus

Notre Dame all lit up. So beautiful

So. Many. People.

Fake trees with decorations

Real trees with decorations.

I know I have already posted about the little kids in their Santa
outfits, but what was even cuter was seeing them on motorbikes.

Christmas day was fun. I woke up and had that feeling that today something special was going to happen. Then I remembered it was Christmas. I think that I have never slept so well on Christmas Eve since I didn't have the anticipation of waking up, opening presents and then noshing on delicious holiday food all day. mmm pie. My homestay family got me a really pretty headband, which was so sweet of them! Mymy came into my room and said, Merry Christmas Emma! It was funny because the

I am Emma James and I approve Christmas in Vietnam. That
is what I really should have said.

day before a lot of my Vietnamese friends texted me saying Merry Christmas. I told Mymy about it and she said that was because people never really know if you are supposed to celebrate Christmas on the 24th or the 25th. So then I tried to explain the point of Christmas Eve to her, but realized I didn't really know. I have concluded that it is just an excuse to begin the celebration early. Anyway, Christmas night we went to District 7, the fanciest district in the whole city. We walked around and took more pictures and then I was attacked by a camera crew who wanted to interview me about my thoughts on their event... Christmas in Vietnam. I had only just gotten there and didn't really know what "event" they were talking about but they said it didn't matter that I just needed to talk about my Christmas experience in Vietnam as a foreigner. I asked them what if I was Jewish... they didn't understand (hi Sophie. Happy 6th day of Hanukkah). So I went and told them it was really nice and then they made me say that "More Americans should come celebrate Christmas in Vietnam" or something like that.
My Christmas concluded with me playing Santa Claus and giving Mymy and Moomoo their holiday stockings. This was their first Christmas ever so I wanted to do something special for them. I tried to make it like the stockings I always have– an orange in the toe, pencils, pens, and notebooks. I opted on leaving out the underwear and socks, that just would have been awkward.

Yay!

Moomoo was very excited for her gifts.

All in all it was a wonderful Christmas– definitely not the traditional celebrations or traditions but that is a-okay. There is always next year.