Happy women's day 8 March!

Happy women's day to me and all women in Vietnam!

8 March is the international women's day, but I think this event was originated from the former Soviet and eastern European socialist countries, then celebrated in Vietnam. Many westerners and also Japanese I talked to, do not know this day. In Vietnam, we sometimes joke "364 days are for Vietnamese men, so today 8 March, Vietnamese women will rule". In fact, there is one more women's day in Vietnam, on 20 October, when Uncle Hồ sent a letter to Vietnamese women many years ago. Thus women in Vietnam have a couple of women's days (8 March and 20 October). Don't be surprised if you see flowers sold everywhere, and both men and women carry flowers with them on motorbikes. Men bring flowers to present to women at their offices, schools and houses. Women bring home the flowers that they have been presented by their male colleagues. On this day, most of the men will do house work or invite us to have a meal with them. All the best treatment is given to women on this day.

The photos in my blog are flowers sold on Hanoi streets, or presented at my office, or placed at the entrance gate to our office building. It's a great atmosphere here when we see flowers everywhere and everyone looks so happy. However, flowers are more expensive to buy on this day. There are many street vendors, who carry flowers from villages by bicycles and sell them in Hanoi. It's cheaper to buy these flowers than at the shops.

Today I was presented flowers and invited to have lunch by all the Vietnamese men in my office. Later on at dinner time, my father will cook a seafood hot pot to celebrate this women's day (for me, my mother and sister) and at the same time, it's also our nephew's 2nd birthday party.

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