Tết

**Tết** ([tet˧˥]), short for **Tết Nguyên Đán**, **Spring Festival,** **Lunar New Year**, **or** **Vietnamese Lunar New Year** is the most important celebration in Vietnamese culture. The colloquial term "Tết" is a shortened form of ***Tết Nguyên Đán***, with Sino-Vietnamese origins meaning "Festival of the First Morning of the First Day". Tết celebrates the arrival of spring based on the Vietnamese calendar, which usually has the date falling in January or February in the Gregorian calendar.

*Tết Nguyên Đán* (Spring Festival or Lunar New Year), is not to be confused with *Tết Trung Thu* (or Mid-Autumn festival), which is also known as *Children's Festival* in Vietnam. *Tết* itself only means festival, but is often nominally used for "Lunar New Year Festival" in Vietnamese, as it is often seen as the most important festival amongst the Vietnamese diaspora, with *Children's Festival* often regarded as the second most important.

Vietnamese people celebrate the Lunar New Year annually, which is based on a lunisolar calendar (calculating both the motions of Earth around the Sun and of the Moon around Earth). Tết is generally celebrated on the same day as Lunar New Year (also called Spring Festival), except when the two-hour time difference between Vietnam and Korea results in the new moon occurring on different days. It takes place from the first day of the first month of the Vietnamese calendar (around late January or early February) until at least the third day. Many Vietnamese and Hoa prepare for Tết by cooking special holiday food and cleaning the house. These foods include *bánh tét*, *bánh chưng*, *bánh dày*, *canh khổ qua*, *thịt kho hột vịt*, dried young bamboo soup (*canh măng*), *giò*, and xôi (sticky rice). Many customs and traditions are practiced during Tết, such as visiting a person's house on the first day of the new year (*xông nhà*), ancestor worship, wishing New Year's greetings, giving lucky money to children and elderly people, opening a shop, visiting relatives, friends and neighbors.

Tết Nguyên Đán is also an occasion for pilgrims and family reunions. They start forgetting about trouble of the past year and hoping for a better and happier upcoming year. This festival can also be referred to as *Hội xuân* in vernacular Vietnamese, (festival - lễ hội, spring - mùa xuân).

# Customs

Vietnamese people usually return to their families during Tết. Some return to worship at the family altar or visit graves of their ancestors in their homeland. They also clear up graves of their families as a sign of respect. Although Tết is a national holiday among all Vietnamese, each region and religion has its own customs.

Tết can be divided into three periods, known as *Tất Niên* (penultimate New Year's Eve), *Giao Thừa* (New Year's Eve), and *Tân Niên* (the New Year), representing the preparation before Tết, the eve of Tết, and the days of and following Tết, respectively.

### **The New Year in Tet**

The first day of Tết is reserved for the nuclear family. Children receive red envelopes containing money from their elders. This tradition is called *mừng tuổi* (happy new age) in the North region and *lì xì* in the South region. Usually, children wear their new clothes and give their elders the traditional Tết greetings before receiving money. Since the Vietnamese believe that the first visitor who a family receives in the year determines their fortune for the entire year, people never enter any house on the first day without being invited first. The action of being the first person to enter a house at Tết is called *xông đất*, *xông nhà*, or *đạp đất*, which is one of the most important rituals during Tết. According to Vietnamese tradition, if good things come to a family on the first day of the lunar New Year, the entire following year will also be full of blessings. Usually, a person of good temper, morality, and success will be a lucky sign for the host family and be first invited into his house. However, just to be safe, the owner of the house will leave the house a few minutes before midnight and come back just as the clock strikes midnight to prevent anyone else entering the house first who might potentially bring any unfortunate events in the new year, to the household.

Sweeping during Tết is taboo, or *xui* (unlucky), since it symbolizes sweeping the luck away; that is why they clean before the new year. It is also taboo for anyone who experienced a recent loss of a family member to visit anyone else during Tết.

During subsequent days, people visit relatives and friends. Traditionally but not strictly, the second day of Tết is usually reserved for friends, while the third day is for teachers, who command respect in Vietnam. Local Buddhist temples are popular spots because people like to give donations and get their fortunes told during Tết. Children are free to spend their new money on toys or on gambling games such as *bầu cua cá cọp*, which can be found in the streets. Prosperous families can pay for dragon dancers to perform at their house. Also, public performances are given for everyone to watch.

### **Traditional celebrations**

These celebrations can last from a day up to the entire week, and the New Year is filled with people in the streets trying to make as much noise as possible using firecrackers, drums, bells, gongs, and anything they can think of to ward off evil spirits. This parade will also include different masks and dancers hidden under the guise of what is known as the *Mua Lan* or Lion Dancing. The *Lan* is an animal between a lion and a dragon and is the symbol of strength in the Vietnamese culture that is used to scare away evil spirits. After the parade, families, and friends come together to have a feast of traditional Vietnamese dishes and share the happiness and joy of the New Year with one another. This is also the time when the elders will hand out red envelopes with money to the children for good luck in exchange for Tết greetings.

It is also a tradition to pay off your debts before the Lunar New Year for some Vietnamese families.

### **Decorations**

Traditionally, each family displays *cây nêu*, an artificial New Year tree consisting of a bamboo pole 5–6 m (16–20 ft) long. The top end is usually decorated with many objects, depending on the locality, including good luck charms, origami fish, cactus branches, etc.

At Tết, every house is usually decorated by Yellow Apricot blossoms (*hoa mai*) in the central and southern parts of Vietnam, peach blossoms (*hoa đào*) in the northern part of Vietnam, or St. John's wort (*hoa ban*) in the mountain areas. In the north, some people (especially the elite in the past) also decorate their house with plum blossoms (also called *hoa mơ* in Vietnamese but referring to a totally different species from mickey-mouse blossoms). In the north or central, the kumquat tree is a popular decoration for the living room during Tết. Its many fruits symbolize the fertility and fruitfulness for which the family hopes in the coming year.

Vietnamese people also decorate their homes with bonsai and flowers such as chrysanthemums (*hoa cúc*), marigolds (*vạn thọ*) symbolizing longevity, cockscombs (*mào gà*) in southern Vietnam, and paperwhites (*thủy tiên*) and pansies (*hoa lan*) in northern Vietnam. In the past, there was a tradition where people tried to make their paperwhites bloom on the day of the observance.

They also hung up Dong Ho paintings and *thư pháp* calligraphy pictures.

# Greetings

The traditional greetings are "*Chúc Mừng Năm Mới*" (祝𢜏𢆥𡤓, Happy New Year) and "*Cung Chúc Tân Xuân*", (恭祝新春, gracious wishes of the new spring). People also wish each other prosperity and luck. Common wishes for Tết include the following:

* *Sống lâu trăm tuổi* (long life of 100 years|長命百歲): used by children for elders. Traditionally, everyone is one year older on Tết, so children would wish their grandparents health and longevity in exchange for *mừng tuổi* or *lì xì*.
* *An khang thịnh vượng* (安康興旺, security, good health, and prosperity)
* *Vạn sự như ý* (萬事如意, may things go according to your will)
* *Sức khỏe dồi dào* (身強力壯,Plenty of health)
* *Làm ăn tấn tới*: Be successful at works
* *Tiền vô như nước* (財源廣進,may money flow in like water): used informally
* *Cung hỉ phát tài* (恭喜發財, Congratulations and be prosperous)
* *Năm mới thắng lợi mới*: New year, new triumphs (often heard in political speech)
* *Chúc hay ăn chóng lớn*: Eat more, grow rapidly (for children)
* *Năm mới thăng quan tiến chức*: I wish that you will get promoted in the new year
* *Năm mới toàn gia bình an*: I wish that the new year will bring health and peace to your family

# Food

In the Vietnamese language, to celebrate Tết is to *ăn Tết*, literally meaning "eat Tết", showing the importance of food in its celebration. Some of the food is also eaten year-round, while other dishes are only eaten during Tết. Also, some of the food is vegetarian since it is believed to be good luck to eat vegetarian on Tết. Some traditional foods on Tết include the following:

* *Bánh chưng* and *bánh tét*: essentially tightly packed sticky rice with meat or bean fillings wrapped in *dong* (*Phrynium placentarium*) leaves. When these leaves are unavailable, banana leaves can be used as a substitute. One difference between them is their shape. *Bánh chưng* is the square-shaped one to represent the Earth, while *bánh tét* is cylindrical to represent the moon. Also, *bánh chưng* is more popular in the northern parts of Vietnam, so as *bánh tét* is more popular in the south. Preparation can take days. After moulding them into their respective shapes (the square shape is achieved using a wooden frame), they are boiled for several hours to cook. The story of their origins and their connection with Tết is often recounted to children while cooking them overnight.
* *Hạt dưa*: roasted watermelon seeds, also eaten during Tết
* *Dưa hành*: pickled onion and pickled cabbage
* *Củ kiệu*: pickled small leeks
* *Mứt*: These dried candied fruits are rarely eaten at any time besides Tết.
* *Kẹo dừa*: coconut candy
* *Kẹo mè xửng*: peanut brittle with sesame seeds or peanuts
* *Cầu sung dừa Đủ xoài*: In southern Vietnam, popular fruits used for offerings at the family altar in fruit arranging art are the custard-apple/sugar-apple/soursop (*mãng cầu*), coconut (*dừa*), goolar fig (*sung*), papaya (*đu đủ*), and mango (*xoài*), since they sound like "*cầu sung vừa đủ xài*" ([We] pray for enough [money/resources/funds/goods/etc.] to use) in the southern dialect of Vietnamese.
* *Thịt kho nước dừa* Meaning "meat stewed in coconut juice", it is a traditional dish of pork belly and medium boiled eggs stewed in a broth-like sauce made overnight of young coconut juice and *nuoc mam*. It is often eaten with pickled bean sprouts and chives, and white rice.
* *Xôi gấc*: a red sticky rice made from gac fruit, typically paired with chả lụa (the most common type of sausage in Vietnamese cuisine, made of pork and traditionally wrapped in banana leaves).

# Games and entertainment

People enjoy traditional games during Tết, including *bầu cua cá cọp*, *cờ tướng*, *ném còn*, *chọi trâu*, and *đá gà*. They also participate in some competitions presenting their knowledge, strength, and aestheticism, such as the bird competition and *ngâm thơ* competition.

Fireworks displays have also become a traditional part of a Tết celebration in Vietnam. During New Year's Eve, fireworks displays at major cities, such as Hà Nội, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang, are broadcast through multiple national and local TV channels, accompanied by New Year wishes of the incumbent president. In 2017 only, fireworks displays were prohibited due to political and financial reasons. In 2021, due to COVID-19 epidemic, most provinces and cities cancelled the fireworks displays; instead, the displays were only held in Hà Nội and several provinces with public gatherings prohibited. In Australia, Canada & the United States, there are fireworks displays at many of its festivals, although in 2021 they were either held virtually or cancelled.

*Gặp nhau cuối năm* (*Year-end Gathering*) is a national favorite comedy show broadcast the night before New Year's Eve.

# See also

* List of Buddhist festivals
* Celebrations of Lunar New Year in other parts of Asia:
	+ Chinese New Year *(Spring Festival)*
	+ Korean New Year *(Seollal)*
	+ Japanese New Year *(Shōgatsu)*
	+ Mongolian New Year *(Tsagaan Sar)*
	+ Tibetan New Year *(Losar)*
* Similar Asian Lunisolar New Year celebrations that occur in April:
	+ Burmese New Year *(Thingyan)*
	+ Cambodian New Year *(Chaul Chnam Thmey)*
	+ Lao New Year *(Pii Mai)*
	+ Sri Lankan New Year *(Aluth Avuruddu)*
	+ Thai New Year *(Songkran)*