The literal translation of this version is “A Peaceful Happy Christmas” which feels just right for today and for times past.
Note: There’s actually more than one way to share a Christmas greeting in Vietnam, though I don’t recall learning any of them while we resided in Saigon.
As Christmas approached in 1974, my family and I—halfway through our “Vietnam tour”—were beginning to realize that we were not in Kansas anymore.
In late November my mother wrote home about the rumors of a North Vietnamese offensive against the South in December. She quipped:
I told Jim that it is good that we will be in Thailand so that they do not have to evacuate us and we can just stay there. But, don’t worry, if anything comes up we would most likely know in advance and be flown out. But, it sure does make one wonder at times. It’s a very strange situation.
A page from my childhood scrapbook. We had quite a good time in Thailand, away from the tensions rising in Saigon.
I queried some other “Saigon Kids” (Facebook Group) about Christmas memories and got these two gems in response:
One I remember vividly. I was seven years old living with my family in Saigon in 1970. I was a huge Dallas Cowboys fan and had circled the full uniform and helmet in our Sears and Roebuck wish book for Christmas. That Christmas morning I awoke to find that Santa had brought me a St Louis Cardinals football uniform. I was devastated and didn’t know why Santa had done that.
My sweet mom had accidentally checked the wrong box on the order form and of course, she couldn’t return it.
His post garnered a reply from his sibling, Tracy Miller:
As your sister, I can order a cowboy uniform for you and help heal this deep pain from your past.
We lived in Saigon 1968-71. That first Christmas we decorated a potted rubber plant for our Christmas tree.
Not the actual tree. Image generated by Google Gemini AI.
Christmas Eve morning, four Aussie soldiers came to the door with a REAL Douglas Fir and gifts for my sister and I. I’ve no idea how that happened but it was pretty magical!
Surprisingly, my research brought me to this photo on The Saigoneer, which shows what appears to be an Aussie soldier purchasing a Christmas tree. There was no caption information. Susan, you’ll have to let me know if it looks familiar!
Last but not least, enjoy this video featuring today’s sights and sounds of “Christmas in Saigon.” While there was great fear in the late 20th century that a communist government would create a Grinch-like society, in the long run, Santa—or at least the dazzle of commercialism—has won out.
Whether you embrace Christmas or another type of holiday at this time of year or at any other, I wish you ways to find peace—now and always. ✧
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If you’re interested in reading the full story of my family’s time in Vietnam in 1974-75, peruse my posts or visit my Stories of Vietnam playlist on YouTube to read and hear excerpts. Or purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.org (benefits local bookstores).
