Large quantities of food are bought for the holidays. According to tradition, the who goes out on the first day of Tet with old clothes admits to the basest form of poverty. It is very difficult to get tailoring done just before the holidays. All preparatory activities for Tet come to an abrupt end at noon the day before the holiday. As if it were Friday, Christmas Eve, everyone hurries home to start three days of feasting, celebration and general merriment.
Most people get time off from work, with pay.
Many receive cash bonuses. Those required to work are paid more than their normal salaries. Tet ceremonies begin the afternoon before the new year when the family welcomes back the good Spirit of the Hearth from his visit with the Jade Emperor. The same afternoon a special ceremony is held during which deceased relatives are invited to join the festivities. At midnight firecrackers herald the new year and chase away evil spirits.