New Year's Eve (Tet)

By Joy


Tet nguyen Dan (Tet holiday) is the most important and popular holiday and festival in Viet Nam. Tết is celebrated on the same day as Chinese New Year . There are a lot of customs practiced during Tết. Tết starts when the first day of spring and the festival is often called Hội xuân (spring festival).


Before the Tet holiday, almost Vietnamese repairs for shopping, decorating the home, cooking traditional Tết food. Parents buy new clothes for themselves and their children so that the children can wear during Tet. Vietnamese families buy of five fruits on their altar called "Ngũ Quả", including Coconut, Papaya, Mango and Pineapple, Custard-apple. Each fruit has different meaning which are mentioned a lucky and sweet year.



Traditionally, each family has cây nêu (New year tree) consisting of a bamboo pole 5 to 6 meters long. The top of the tree is usually decorated. At Tết every house is usually decorated by hoa mai – Ochna integerrima or hoa đào – peach flower.


Traditional foods are Bánh chưng and bánh dầy which are made from sticky rice with meat or bean fillings wrapped in banana leaves and cooking them overnight.


The first day of Tết (the day for family), all the members in family get together. Children receive a red envelope with money inside from their elders. This tradition is called mừng tuổi or lì xì (happy new age) and the children give their elders the traditional Tết greetings before receiving the red envelope. Vietnamese think that if good things come to the family on the first day of Tet, it is a lucky year and conversely if the bad things come to, it is a unlucky year. the second day of Tết is usually reserved for friends, third day is for teachers.


Conclusion, Tết holiday is a tradition holiday in Vietnam, this is a time for family, friends. And laso good time for travel.