In traditional Vietnamese culture, Tết Nguyên Đán marks the coming of spring and the arrival of the New Year, literally translating to the “Feast of the First Morning of the First Day.”
Banh Chung © Annapustynnikova | Dreamstime
The New Year is determined by the Vietnamese lunar calendar, but preparations for the holiday start weeks in advance. In the spirit of renewal, people spend the last days of the month cleaning their houses and buying new clothes for children as relatives return home and an extensive holiday feast is prepared. Past grievances are forgiven and families work to pay off the last of their debts to start the New Year with a clean slate.
Relatives often take turns watching the fire through the night, all under the gaze of Tao Quan, the three Kitchen Guardians who on the 23rd day of the Vietnamese December, report back to the Jade Emperor about all the household’s activities in the past year. Some of the traditional holiday delicacies include banh chung (rice cakes wrapped in banana leaves) and gio cha (Vietnamese sausage), in addition to ripe kumquats, peaches and oranges, whose blossoming trees are purchased and decorated for the family’s home. The streets of Vietnam burst into color in these weeks leading up to the holiday, particularly the Tết Flower Market on Nguyen Hue in Hanoi.
© Fisfra | Dreamstime
The festivities start immediately after ringing in the New Year. It is believed the first person to visit a home will determine the fortune of the family’s coming year, so it is customary for people to never enter a house without an invitation. Any type of cleaning is also taboo on the first day of Tết, symbolizing the wiping away of good luck. Families beat on drums and gongs light up firecrackers to call for the return of the three Kitchen Guardians as elders hand red envelopes of money to their grandchildren. The kids, who are wearing their new clothes for a fresh start to the lunar New Year, often spend their money on toys, donations to local temples and even traditional gambling games like bau cua ca cop (Gourd, Crab, Fish, Tiger), a dice game enjoyed by adults and children alike.
The festivities continue for the next couple days, with the second day of the New Year reserved for friends, and the third for teachers, who are highly respected in Vietnam. Public performances like lion and dragon dances can be seen in the streets. This year’s Tết Nguyên Đán falls on Feb. 8, with celebrations taking place in Vietnamese communities around the world.
Thien Hau Pagoda, Ho Chi Minh City © Huynh Thu | Dreamstime
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