FCA CENTRAL FLORIDA

While in Vietnam, we learned a lot about Thoi Noi (First Birthday
Celebration). We celebrated this for Trenton's first birthday,
Jan. 3, 1999. It was a neat way to add culture/heritage and tradition to our
celebration.

The first birthday for any Vietnamese child is the most important
one. This event celebrates the child's survival during his first year, which
can be risky. During the Thoi Noi celebration, parents put several
objects in front of their child (calculator, pen, money, tools....) whichever
object the child chooses first, is believed to foretell the future career of the
child. Later on, everyone at the party gives the child serious gifts, in many
ways, these are the child's first real assets. At the party people gather
together to thank the ancestors and share the happiness with the parents.
Meals are offered to ancestors first and then to relatives and friends.

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