Most people associate the word Tet with the military offensive of the communist North Vietnamese against US and South Vietnamese forces during the Vietnam War in the 1960’s. Tet, in fact, is the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, and is short for Tet Nguyen Dan, and is held between late January and early February. Also known as the Spring Festival, is the most important of the Vietnamese holidays, which the Vietnamese celebrate like it was Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, and New Year all rolled in one event. Indeed, as the time between harvest and sowing, it is one of the few rest periods that many families can enjoy, and so they take every advantage to rejoice with relatives and friends.

The Vietnamese prepare weeks before the actual holiday by cleaning up the house, paying off debts, and polishing the silverware. One traditional practice during Tet is the distribution of red envelopes filled with “lucky” money, with the red envelopes symbolizing wealth and fortune. Old members of families would commonly give out these envelopes to younger relatives, along with sage advice and words of encouragements in their studies.

In the last day of the old year, households usually plant a bamboo stalk in the courtyard, which is then decorated with bells, red streamers, and flowers. These are not as much for decorative purposes as it is used to ward off evil spirits. Another practice is making offers to ancestors, held on the first day of Tet before noon time. The head of the household will offer food, wine, cakes, fruits, and incense in front of the family shrine and invite the spirits of their ancestors to join in the celebration with the existing family. All throughout the first day, families will visit those friends and relatives closest to them. The second and third days are for visiting in-laws and friends who are not so close. On the fourth day of the new year, the spirits return to heaven and things return to the way they were.

A popular Vietnamese delicacy served during time is Banh Chung or sticky rice cake. Made from glutinous rice, pork meat, and green bean, each wrapped in a special leaf called dong, Banh Chung is among the necessary food presented before the ancestors of every family. The preparation of this rice cake is a time-consuming process, with the rice and beans needed to be soaked in water for a day, and the pork meat covered in pepper for several hours. While rural villages still make homemade Banh Chung, city folks usually prefer to buy the ready-made variety as it is more convenient. A fashionable fruit in season during Tet is the watermelon, especially considered lucky due its red color. Specialty stalls will pop out across Vietnamese cities selling delicacies and gifts meant for the holiday. One such treat is mut, or sugar-coated fruits, which people will buy as presents for friends. Other common gifts for sale are miniature orange trees and hoa doa, or miniature peach trees.

Tet may not be the best time to visit Vietnam as many shops are closed since their owners are busy visiting friends and families during the three days of the holiday. If you do decide to push through with your visit, try getting invited to a home of a Vietnamese during Tet. It may be easy, as it is a common belief that the first visitor that passes through the door of a house during Tet will set the tone for the rest of the year. So put on your best smile and try to look prosperous, because your gracious hosts may see it as a welcome omen for the new year. Be prepared to dine on traditional dishes such as beef, hard-boiled eggs, pickled onions, Banh Chung, and watermelon. To enhance your fortune-bringing status, greet the family with “Chuc mung nam moi” (Happy New Year).

If you don’t get invited to a family gatheirng, there are many activities you can attend instead in Ho Chi Minh City as Tet draws closer, such as Banh Chung cooking contests, a Spring Flower Festival at Tao Dan Park, and musical as well as lion dances performances. Firecrackers are notably absent during the festivities as the authorities have banned them since 1995. Instead, gongs and drums are played to scare off evil spirits.

Posted in Events, Vietnam

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