 |
|
Aled (second from left) and his friends at the Au Co Street Christmas market in Hanoi on December 2, 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Nguyen |
While celebrating his first Christmas abroad, Aled initially thought he wouldn’t be able to fully enjoy the holiday season in Vietnam. He lamented that there was no “Christmas atmosphere” in Hanoi, even though December had arrived.
In his home country, he said, the streets were already full of revelers enjoying the Christmas colors and decoration on public display.
But he felt “at home” when he arrived at a Christmas market on rue Au Co in the capital. He enjoyed Christmas music concerts, holiday food and drinks, and the opportunity to purchase Christmas gifts at local stores.
“When you’re away from home, it’s nice to have a way to celebrate Christmas,” Aled said. “In our country, Christmas is a very big holiday and it is nice to celebrate it in Vietnam.”
Anna, a 27-year-old friend of Aled, also complimented the atmosphere of the fair.
“I came here two years ago and the event was smaller than this one,” she recalls. “It’s nice to see how it’s developing.”
Settling in Vietnam nine years ago, Louis, originally from France, took his wife, sisters-in-law and children to the winter market.
He explained that because it is not an officially recognized public holiday, Christmas celebrations are different here than in Europe.
 |
|
Louis and his family (left) and his sisters-in-law’s families visit a Christmas fair on Au Co Street in Hanoi, December 2, 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Nguyen |
Still, he said that when he passed the market, he felt holiday feelings familiar from home. He also met several colleagues celebrating Christmas in France, he said.
As a French father raising a family in Vietnam, Louis also believes that this event in the heart of northern Vietnam is a good way to show his children the meaning of special winter holidays.
Irish market organizer Gary Devitt, 39, said this year’s event was the sixth edition.
About 20 stalls have participated in previous years, but Devitt said that figure has now doubled, with 40 stalls showcasing produce, food, souvenirs and gifts this year.
Devitt said that as a “big Christmas fan”, his initial motivation was to bring some of the “Christmas spirit” to Vietnam.
“I moved to Hanoi almost seven years ago, when there was no Christmas here,” he said. “So I wanted to bring a bit of the Christmas cheer from Ireland to Vietnam.”
 |
|
Gary Devitt (in black t-shirt) takes a photo with his wife and a man in a Santa costume. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Nguyen |
As he began planning the event, Devitt realized that typically only local Vietnamese attended Vietnamese events, while Western events only attracted Western attendees. So, he did not hesitate to create a space for foreigners living in Vietnam to celebrate Christmas together in person.
Devitt begins preparing for the show in August each year. It normally takes him and his wife three months to “organize the event.”
The market has averaged between 2,000 and 2,500 guests in recent years, he said. But he estimates that the number of visitors will be higher this year.
This year is the third time that homemade sauce seller Igor Pescarolo, a 44-year-old Italian, and his partner Le Thi Thao, 37, have settled here for Christmas.
Pescarolo moved to Vietnam seven years ago. Attending the Christmas market is not the only way he sells his products, but he still flies from his home in the historic town of Hoi An in central Vietnam to participate in the event.
He says he likes to immerse himself in the festive atmosphere that the fair offers.
This year’s Christmas spirit also attracted Vietnamese visitors.
Vu Thu Linh, 34, a resident of Cau Giay district, said she had already taken her two sons to shopping malls and hotels to enjoy the Christmas atmosphere. But this year, she wanted to introduce them to the overall atmosphere of the Christmas market.
“The fair offers children a large venue with lots of space to walk around, a variety of shops, a large food hall and the opportunity to talk to Santa,” she said.
“I will definitely come back in the future.”
