The 2022 Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) has come to an end on the 23rd of May but its spirit remains. Viet Nam defeated Thailand with a score of 1-0 to claim the gold medal in the men’s football tournament. That night, football fans from all over the country came together to celebrate the victory, making a remarkable event referred to as “đi bão”.

What is the meaning of “đi bão”

It means “to rage a storm”. But it’s a storm of happiness. People will bring a national flag and grab anything that can make noise such as drums, speakers, pots, pans, etc, then come down the main streets, joining the crowd to celebrate when the home team wins the championship in a big football tournament. Nobody knows when this tradition began but overall, football fans in Viet Nam enjoy it. It’s a phenomenal activity as no other sport in Viet Nam can bring people together on such a large scale like this.

“Đi bão” is a fun and big activity in Viet Nam football, but it also has some downsides. Since people are all gathering on the main streets, if you’re in a hurry and have to come across there, you would likely get stuck in traffic. In addition, the crowd brings along the noise, and “đi bão” typically starts in the evening, and ends at midnight. It can cause discomfort to old people and babies as it makes them harder to sleep. Moreover, with such many people, it’s a tasty meal for pickpockets. But victory is shared happiness so people don’t complain about these issues much. They would just be more careful, go the other way around and let the fans continue the celebration.

How to “đi bão” in Viet Nam

You just need to have the spirit and remember the phrase “Việt Nam vô địch” (Viet Nam is the champion) as people will call it out loudly. If you don’t have a flag then don’t worry, there will be stations on the streets giving you flags for free. A tip is that following person who brings flags, you will find the crowd. Shouting out, drinking, and chatting all about football with strangers have never been so easy.

Of course, it’s not always a sunny day. When the team doesn’t claim the championship, there will also be small and kinda sad storms. They’re the storms of appreciation for the relentless effort of the team and the spiritual support from the fans to them. Whether it’s winning or losing, Viet Nam football fans do positively cherish the result by “đi bão”.