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A Big Family Affair in 2024

The winter scenario for this room was co-curated with Hannah Vu from the Museum’s Community Authors group.

As the Nguyễns host this year’s Christmas, family members gather amidst lively chatter and the aromas of freshly prepared food.

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What's happening

This year it is the Nguyễns’ turn to host the Christmas party. Aunties, uncles, grandparents and distant cousins have travelled from across the country.

Yesterday, Hoa secured vegetables, meat, fish, vermicelli noodles and lemongrass from Dalston market. There is loud chatter as the adults take over the kitchen to chop the pork belly, pluck mint leaves, fry, and mix nước chấm.

In the living room, the teenage cousins gossip and the kids are lost in video games. The music flips between Paris by Night, Ariana Grande’s Christmas album, and Last Christmas by Wham!

Tiết is unscrewing a door to create a makeshift dining table. Food will be ready soon.

Winter Past

Discover the homes and traditions of winters past, present and future.

On view until Sunday 12 January.

Lunar New Year at Museum of the Home

14 January to February 2025

Discover the 2024 British Vietnamese home, where the Nguyen family is cleaning the house, preparing the shrine and redecorating the rooms from Christmas to Lunar New Year.

You're invited to dive deeper into the stories and traditions found during this season at our Museum Late in January, Housewarming: A Terraced House in 2024, and February Half Term Family Day celebrating Lunar New Year. Read about last year's Family Celebration to get an idea of what to expect!

Read more

Visit our new Terraced House in 2024 as the Nguyen family prepares their home to celebrate both Christmas and 'Tet' - Vietnamese Lunar New Year. This season is about connection and togetherness.

For Christmas, expect the smells of dầu or VaporRub wafting, flashes of pink and blue tinsel, special festive plates on the kitchen table for hot pot, and an artificial Christmas tree with DIY decorations.

For Lunar New Year, the money tree is decorated with red paper lanterns while the ancestral shrine is cleaned and prepared with offerings (fruits and food). There will be moon cakes and 'li xi' (red envelopes) with money, and astrology readings.

We have collaborated with community author Hannah Vu who draws on her lived experience as a British Vietnamese person to bring our kitchen, living room and herb garden to life this winter.