Tet (Tết Nguyên Đán – Lunar New Year) is the most important holiday in Vietnamese culture. It marks the beginning of a new year with hopes for the best—peace, luck, and success.
Beyond the celebration of a new year, Tết is also a time for family reunions, where people return home to catch up after a long year apart. This holiday holds immense cultural significance, and many customs and traditions have been passed down for generations, becoming cherished aspects of Vietnamese New Year culture. These practices symbolize wishes for a prosperous, peaceful year ahead.
Worshipping the Kitchen Gods
On the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, families hold a ceremony for Ông Công, Ông Táo (the Kitchen Gods), believed to report household affairs to the Jade Emperor. People clean the kitchen, prepare offerings, and present paper clothes, hats, and goldfish (either real or symbolic paper versions) for the Kitchen Gods to ride to heaven.
The Kitchen Gods represent the warmth and happiness of family life. This tradition reflects a desire for harmony and prosperity in the coming year. After the ritual, real goldfish are often released into rivers as an act of compassion and renewal.
Visiting Ancestral Graves
From the 23rd to the 30th of the twelfth lunar month, families visit and clean ancestral graves, bringing incense and offerings to invite their ancestors home for Tết. This tradition demonstrates filial piety and gratitude, embodying the Vietnamese ethos of “drinking water, remember its source.”
Cleaning the House
As Tết approaches, families thoroughly clean their homes, discarding old, unused items and buying new ones. This symbolizes clearing away bad luck and welcoming good fortune and new opportunities in the year ahead.
Making Bánh Chưng and Bánh Tét
No Vietnamese New Year is complete without bánh chưng (square sticky rice cakes) and bánh tét (cylindrical sticky rice cakes). These cakes, made from rice, represent the agricultural roots of Vietnamese culture. Families gather to prepare and cook them in the days leading up to Tết, fostering togetherness and reminiscing about the past year while hoping for a prosperous new one.
Displaying Flowers
Flowers are essential during Tết, symbolizing luck and beauty. In the North, peach blossoms and kumquat trees are popular, representing happiness and prosperity. In the South, yellow apricot blossoms symbolize nobility and growth. Despite regional differences, the vibrant colors of these flowers bring joy and optimism for the new year.
Raising a Cây Nêu
The cây nêu is a tall bamboo pole adorned with symbolic items like paper charms and lanterns. It is erected from the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month until the 7th day of the Lunar New Year to ward off evil spirits and guide ancestors home.
Shopping at Tết Markets
Chợ Tết (New Year markets) are bustling and lively, offering everything from holiday necessities to festive treats. These markets are not only for shopping but also for enjoying the atmosphere of Tết preparation, where families and children experience the festive spirit.
Preparing the Mâm Ngũ Quả
The mâm ngũ quả (five-fruit tray) is an essential offering on ancestor altars during Tết. The types of fruits vary by region, but the arrangement always symbolizes wishes for peace, luck, prosperity, and happiness in the new year.
Worshipping Ancestors
On New Year’s Eve, families prepare offerings on their ancestor altars to invite their forebears to celebrate Tết with them. This act reflects the Vietnamese values of filial piety and gratitude, reminding descendants to honor their roots.
New Year’s Eve Celebration
The transition between the old and new year is a sacred moment when people let go of past misfortunes and welcome new blessings. Families often hold outdoor ceremonies to mark this pivotal time.
Picking Buds for Good Fortune
At the stroke of midnight or early the next morning, people traditionally “pick buds” from trees or branches, symbolizing the gathering of luck and prosperity for the year ahead.
First Visitor of the New Year (Xông Đất)
The first visitor to a household in the new year is considered crucial for setting the tone of the year. Families often choose someone with a compatible zodiac sign and a positive reputation to ensure good fortune.
Auspicious First Steps (Xuất Hành)
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, people choose specific directions and times for their first outing, seeking to attract good luck and avoid misfortune throughout the year.
New Year Greetings and Lì Xì
Exchanging New Year’s greetings and red envelopes (lì xì) is a cherished custom. Younger family members wish elders health and happiness, receiving red envelopes containing money as tokens of luck. The amount is symbolic, representing blessings rather than material wealth.
Visiting Pagodas
Visiting pagodas during Tết is a spiritual tradition where people pray for peace, prosperity, and happiness in the new year. This practice also allows individuals to reflect and start afresh with a calm mind.
Asking for Calligraphy
In early spring, people request calligraphy from scholars to bring blessings into their homes. Each word carries profound meaning, symbolizing aspirations for a harmonious, successful, and joyous year ahead.
Tết Nguyên Đán is a time of renewal and celebration, deeply rooted in Vietnamese traditions. These customs, passed down through generations, remain an indispensable part of Vietnamese culture, embodying the values of family, gratitude, and hope for the future.
