When in America, do as the Americans do. Though, if you dare to be different, you may be pleasantly surprised. Standing out on our own is a small population of people who honor Tet, the Vietnamese New Year. This year I acknowledged that I am one among the few.  

As the biggest holiday in the Vietnamese culture, Tet's full name is Tet Nguyen Dan or Feast of the First Morning. The exact date varies from year to year because it is based upon the lunar calendar. 

This year, the year of the rat, Tet fell on February 8. This week-long celebration causes the entire economy to shut down till the end of its remembrance. 

We live in a society that runs, so much, on the bell of the New York Stock Exchange that we cannot even imagine an entire nation halting all business to celebrate one holiday. 

If we don't change, we don't grow. If we don't grow, we are not really living. Gail Sheehy, American author and writer.Recently, I met a man who is planning to vacation in Hanoi, Vietnam within a month.  Not realizing that Tet had started on February 8, he attempted to book a flight into Vietnam this past weekend, but only, confusingly, received the answering machine. 

Tet is seriously observed in Vietnam to the point that fireworks were banned as a result of the volume at which they were shot off and their danger. Still, illicit fireworks are smuggled in for Tet and, in accordance with this tradition, my Tet celebration ended with sparklers and several big bangs. 

Another major part of Tet's festivities is the delicious food. Traditional Vietnamese food was prepared by my native hands to expose my American friends and family to another cultural.

Next to fireworks and food, the traditional visiting of family members is very important.  Similar to the American New Year, the idea of having good luck is significant. Certain presents are exchanged because of their superstitious belief of bringing good luck.

Once you have prepped your house, which includes cleaning and food plans, it is bad luck to clean your house or kill an animal during Tet. Cleaning your house during Tet is like releasing good luck. For instance, if you sweep your house, it is thought that you are sweeping out good luck. The idea of not killing animals originated in Buddhism's causality, which is a part of the area's beliefs system.

Tet is a time of peace and good will.  People are dressed in their best attire, debts are paid and differences among families are resolved in accordance with Tet. Everyone is in good humor, not only because Tet brings another year, but everyone celebrates their birthday. 

In Vietnamese culture, individual birthdays are not recognized. I hadn't realized this until I looked further into the celebration of Tet. Who can say they have two birthdays, but me?  

Although I am 100 percent Vietnamese, this was my first year experiencing Tet.  For better or worse, I have been Americanized completely. Everything Vietnamese has become foreign to me, but getting back in tune with my roots opened my eyes. 

Embracing another culture gives you an opportunity to find out more about the world and, more importantly, more about you. To avoid the narrow-minded typecast that many people fall helplessly into because of their ignorance, try something radically different.

"If we don't change, we don't grow. If we don't grow, we are not really living," Gail Sheehy, American author and writer, said.