Tet Holiday: Vietnamese New Year

Tet (Lunar New Year), the biggest and most sacred in Vietnamese traditional festival, is celebrated throughout the country in 3 days. Tet is an occasion for people to show respects to their ancestors and origins, wishing for a new year full of good luck and happiness.

Tet is also a time for visits from family and friends. The first visitor to a home is very important. If the first visitor is prestigious, or happy then the family will have good fortune that year. Usually this visitor is a relative, but sometimes the family will invite a special guest that they feel will bring them good luck. The first day of Tet is reserved for visiting family and relatives. The second day is set aside for special guests and close friends to visit, and the third day is for teachers and business associates to make a visit. Negative talk, and arguments are taboo.

The Vietnamese believe that their deceased ancestors will visit the family for the holiday. Alters are decorated in the homes with incense, flowers, and photographs of deceased relatives. The third day is also a day to visit the graves of deceased relatives. The graves are decorated with incense, flowers, and candles. Many Buddhists go to their favorite Pagoda to pray for a good year. The Catholics go to a pre-midnight mass.

Not only is Tet the beginning of a New Year, it is also everyone's birthday. In Vietnam, a baby turns one on Tet no matter when he/she was born that year. Children say they were born in the year of the symbol of the lunar calendar for that year. On the first morning of Tet, adults congratulate children on becoming a year older by presenting them with red envelopes that contain "Lucky Money," or li xi. These envelopes are given to the children by parents, siblings, relatives and close friends.

Food plays a major role in the Tet celebration. Tet is a time of excess, one does not enjoy Tet, one "eats" Tet. The first day a feast of boiled male virgin chicken, sticky rice, a special soup made with clear vermicelli and bamboo shoots, boiled pork, and 3 or 5 duck eggs is offered to ancestors who have returned to their homes. Sticky rice and salt are also offered in the streets to any hungry ghosts who might be wandering in the neighborhood. A traditional food is Banh Chung, a square cake made with rice beans and pork.

If you are lucky enough to visit Vietnam during Tet holidays, you will be rewarded with the unforgettable taste of Banh chung which is served with Dua hanh (pickled onion), Che kho (soft green-lentil cake) and Che com (a kind of dessert made with sugar and grilled spring rice). People also have many interesting traditional customs such as enjoying spring trips, beginning a New Year writing, welcoming the first guest after New Year Eve to their house and congratulating each other.

• Place: Nationwide
• Object of worship: Paying respects to Vietnamese’s ancestors, origins.
• Major activities: family gathering, enjoying spring trips and congratulating each other.
• Time for organizing the festival up to 2011
  • 14 - 17 February 2010
  • 02 - 05 February 2011

Recommended Tours during Tet Holiday in Vietnam:  Vietnamese New Year 2010