Tết or Vietnamese New Year

Tết Nguyen Dan, commonly known as Tết, is the most important and popular festival in Vietnam. It is important to emphasize that the Vietnamese Lunar New Year is NOT the same as the Chinese Lunar New Year. Although both countries use the lunar calendar, the Vietnamese have different customs and traditions from China in how they celebrate these significant dates. According to current historical documentation, the Vietnamese people were already celebrating Tết festivals in the 11th century by painting themselves, drinking rice wine, welcoming guests into their homes, and eating the traditional chung cake. During both the Ly and Le Thanh Tong dynasties, the festival was a very important event.

Tết, the Vietnamese New Year

Tết is the Vietnamese New Year celebration, which marks the arrival of spring based on the lunar calendar, which is why the festival is also called Hôi Xuân (spring festival). The Tết celebration lasts from the first day of the lunar calendar month until at least the third, although celebrations usually extend for a whole week, in late January or early February. In 2019, Tết is on February 5, the Year of the Pig according to the Chinese zodiac. During these dates, Vietnamese people dedicate themselves to rest, cleaning their homes, spending time in temples or at home with family and friends, forgetting the problems of the previous year, and wishing each other a new year full of happiness. People believe that what they do and how they behave during these dates will determine their destiny for the entire year, therefore they always try to smile and behave as well as they can in the hope of a better year. Preparations for Tết begin one or two weeks before the date itself.

Tết Dates

A 100% Family Celebration

Vietnamese people usually return to their families during Tết to spend time together, worship at the family altar, and visit the graves of their ancestors in their homeland. Although Tết is a national holiday for all Vietnamese people, each region of the country has its own slightly different customs.

Few Services Operating

Given that all Vietnamese people return to their families during this week, it is very difficult to find open shops, hotels, and restaurants, so unless you have already booked accommodation, we do not recommend traveling during these dates: there are few services, and those available will charge exorbitant prices. Guides you find available will also ask for double or even triple the money compared to any other time of the year.

The Periods of Tết

Tết in the three Vietnamese regions can be divided into three periods, known as Tất Niên (Before New Year’s Eve), Giao Thừa (New Year’s Eve), and Tân Niên (The New Year), which represent the preparation before Tết, Tết Eve, and the days of Tết and following, respectively.

Before New Year’s Eve: Tất Niên

This period begins one to two weeks before the Tết celebration itself. The general atmosphere that can be experienced in Vietnam during these days is the hustle and bustle of shopping, decorating the house, preparing traditional Tết dishes, and waiting for children and relatives to return home. In the days leading up to Tết, the streets and markets are full of people.

Shopping and Preparations

It is common for parents to buy new clothes for their children to wear upon their return home and during the days following Tết. Since all shops will be closed during Tết, these are the days when Vietnamese people are busiest with their shopping for family meals, home decorations, and clothes. It would be like Western Christmas shopping before Christmas Day.

Preparation of Traditional Dishes

In the days leading up to Tết, every Vietnamese family cooks traditional foods for the occasion, such as bánh chưng and bánh dầy. The preparation of these dishes is very complex, and family members take turns watching the fire overnight, sharing stories about past Tết celebrations and catching up on the previous year’s events. One of the most popular traditional foods during Tết is Mut (candied fruits), which is not served with meals but as a snack to welcome guests visiting the home.

The New Year:

The first day of Tết is reserved for the immediate family. Children dress in new clothes and greet elders with the traditional Tết greeting to receive lucky money in a red envelope in return. People also wish each other prosperity and good fortune. Since Vietnamese people believe that the first visitor a family receives on the first day of the year determines their fortune for that entire year, a person who conveys good humor, morality, and success will be the symbol of luck for the host family, and that person will be the first to be invited into the house. This special activity is called xông đất or xông nhà and is one of the most important rituals during Tết. Being invited into a home is considered a great honor as it means that a family holds that person in high regard.

Taboos and Superstitions

During Tết, there are several superstitions and unwritten rules that Vietnamese people observe to avoid warding off the positivity that this time of year conveys. For example, sweeping during Tết is a taboo as it symbolizes sweeping away good luck. It is also taboo for anyone who has recently experienced the loss of a family member to visit anyone else during Tết.

After the New Year

During the following days, people visit relatives and friends. Traditionally—though not strictly—the second day of Tết is usually reserved for friends, while the third day is for teachers, who are highly respected in Vietnam. Local temples are very busy places during these days as people like to make offerings and have their fortune read for the new year ahead.

Tết Decorations

Vietnamese families typically buy fruit trees such as peach trees, kumquats, and orange trees. Also, flowers are widely used to decorate homes, mostly chrysanthemums or orchids. Red and yellow colors are highly visible during these dates.