Vietnam Customs
16 Comments
Tet Holiday – Everything about Vietnamese New Year 2021
Tet holiday – Vietnamese Lunar New Year or simply Tet Vietnam is the most significant festival in Vietnam. As a result of being calculated by the lunar calendar, Tet festival […]
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Call to Wandering Souls
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16 Comments
at 8:22 am
Vietnamese New Year is such wonderful with Tet holiday. See you one day. Love from England!
at 4:32 am
To the Vietnamese people, Vietnam New Year or Tet holiday is the most important festival around the year. The Tet festival often takes place from late January to early February depending on the cycle of the Lunar Calendar. The three days of January of the Lunar Calendar are the most significant days but people in Vietnam often spend nearly half of a month to celebrate the festival.
Traditionally, the purpose of the Tet holiday is that Vietnamese people would like to thank Gods for bringing the Spring full of blossoming flowers and trees and say goodbye to the cold winter. Tet holiday is a spiritual opportunity for living people to invite deceased ancestors to join family gatherings. This is also an occasion for members of the family to reunite after a long year of working far from home. Whatever they do and wherever people are, they quickly find ways to return their hometowns and meet their loved ones.
Before Tet holiday, people clean their houses and decorate them beautifully with kumquat trees, peach blossoms, or apricot blossoms. The streets are also festooned with lightening lanterns and red banner “Chuc Mung Nam Moi” or “Happy Vietnam New Year”. They try to clean and dush-wash everything because the cleaning is believed to erase and sweep away all the dust and bad things that accumulate in the old year. Additionally, everyone has their hair cut, buy new clothes, and bring gifts to their relatives, friends, and supervisors. They spend lots of money to buy all the best things to ensure that they will have a prosperous year. Another vital thing is that all the debts should be paid off or else they will bring bad lucks to the whole new year.
Tat Nien – or the meal in New Year’s Eve is the meal to finish the entire year. There are lots of well-prepared dishes and everyone happily enjoys the meal while talking about good memories and nice things. They have many traditional foods such as Chung Cake (Sticky rice cake), Day cake, pickled onion, pork, beef, sweets, dried fruits, and seeds. After that, people may go out to watch fireworks displayed in the public area or simply stay at home and watch Tao Quan (a very famous TV show in Vietnam that is only broadcasted on the 30th of Lunar December).
During Vietnam New Year, the first guest coming to the house plays an important role because they are believed to hold in their hand all the lucks of the family. Then people visit their grandparents and relatives. The second day is for friends and colleagues and the third day is especially for teachers. In those days, children are given lucky money inside the red envelopes as the red and lucky money are considered good things and may keep children away from the evils. People also go to the pagodas and pray so that they could have a year of prosperity, happiness, and health.
Tet holiday nowadays is still being well preserved. Vietnamese New Year is not only for relaxation and family gatherings but also a chance for Vietnamese people developing their cultural and national identity.
at 4:37 am
Hi there,
I consider going to Hanoi in early February and I just read that Tet holiday 2019 falls on February 5. Does the holiday affect tours, restaurants, tourist attractions, etc? Would it be advisable to get to Vietnam before or after Tet holiday?
Thanks.
at 4:38 am
Hi Santiago
It is true to say that travel during the actual days of Vietnam New Year is quite difficult. The accommodation might be plentiful and some restaurants will be closed according to the holiday break. However, I think you should come here in Tet holiday to really appreciate the excitement amongst the locals and the unique atmosphere in Vietnam. I’m sure that you don’t want to miss it, just remember to book your tour or accommodation as soon as possible to ensure your stay.
BR,
at 4:39 am
Hi,
I’m going to Vietnam in late January for about 2 weeks. How many days are in Tet ? I really want to enjoy Tet holiday atmosphere once in my Vietnam vacation.
Many thanks,
at 4:40 am
Hi Nilmar,
Vietnamese Tet (Vietnam New Year) is considered as the biggest and longest holiday in Vietnam, which may last up to seven to ten days. Vietnamese New Year in 2019 will last from 4 February ( New Year’s Eve) to 10 February. Hope you will have a great time in Vietnam and enjoy the Tet atmosphere to the most.
Regards,
at 7:20 pm
We will be in Ho chi Ming City Feb.7th and have a ride set up from airport directly to an apartment we rented on back beach in Vung Tau through Feb. 11th. Do you have any ideas on what we should try and see during Tet? Also will and when will the banks be open in Vung Tau darning these times? Thank You.
at 1:49 am
Hi, Mike
I recommend you should experience a colorful and exciting Tet holiday in Ho Chi Minh City or a traditional but interesting Vietnamese Lunar New Year at Mekong Delta.
Vung Tau beach is also a wonderful destination for you to enjoy this festival.
Banks and other state-run offices will come back to work at February 11th, 2019.
Regards,
at 3:17 am
I will definitely go there someday and meet the woman that I love… So I think this is the best time to have vacation there!
at 9:33 pm
Who is the Author of this site and the date it was published so I can cite my MLA source?
at 1:47 am
Hi Joe,
The author of this blog is me, Harry Hoang. It was published on 08/09/2018.
Regards,
at 8:24 am
What an amazing article about Vietnam new year, hope we can work together in future
at 4:02 pm
What is the difference between the beings ong cong and ong tao of Vietnam New Year please
at 9:08 am
Ong Cong is the God of the land where the house is built while Ong Tao is the God of the Kitchen.
at 7:29 am
I was invited to share in this year’s celebration. What type of gift should I bring my host?
at 8:19 am
Hi Christa,
You can prepare a gift basket including wine, some types of soft cakes, biscuits, candies…which can easily found in groceries.
You should prepare some red envelopes and money inside as the lucky money for children and adults of the host family.