Introduce

1. Every Vietnamese New Year starts a new animal's zodiac year. There are 12
Vietnamese zodiac animals. In order, the 12 animals are Rat, Ox, Tiger, Cat, Dragon,
Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. 2023 is a year of the Cat.
2. Tet is the biggest traditional festival in Vietnam. This is an opportunity for people
to enjoy a happy and relaxing period of time with their family and friends. There are
some differences between Tet in the North and the South of Vietnam. In the rest time
of Tet, people can go to pagodas to pray for good things, peace, and health. Tet is an
important occasion for families and friends to be together after a year of hard work,
and it can motivate people to try harder in the next year.

Phong tục tập quán

1. Cúng ông Công, ông Táo
According to the tradition of our people from ancient times, on the 23rd of the lunar
calendar on the 23rd day of the lunar calendar, Mr. Tao went to heaven to report
everything in the house of the owner to the Jade Emperor. Therefore, in these days,
families in Vietnam will clean the kitchen, buy goldfish to worship and see Mr. Cong
and Mr. Tao back to heaven.
Nowadays, the image of Kitchen Gods riding carps is so familiar that they even
appear in many dramas and TV shows during Tet.

2. Bánh chưng bánh dày

The banh chung is a traditional dish dating back to King Hung’s time and this is also
an indispensable culinary culture in the Tet days of the Vietnamese people until today.
Families often pack banh chung from the 27th, 28th and 29th of Lunar New Year,
which is also a meaningful gift for our relatives and friends on this occasion.
The strength of the community is clearly shown through the way the cake is made. All
family members make and boil the cake in a bustling and cozy atmosphere of the last
days of the year.

3. Mâm ngũ quả

The five fruits tray that we still use on ancestor altars is an indispensable custom in
the Lunar New Year of Vietnamese people to pray for a new year with peace, luck,
peace, wealth and happiness.

Depending on the culture of each region along with the characteristics of climate,
products and personal notions, people choose different fruits to display five fruits tray.

The five fruits of the North Vietnam usually have 5 main fruits: Banana, pomelo,
peach, pink and tangerine.
The Central Vietnam, the five fruits tray of each house is different, whatever it is, as
long as it is fresh. Common fruits can be mentioned as: dragon fruit, banana,
watermelon, custard apple, pineapple, fig, orange, tangerine …

The Southern people show the five fruits tray according to the desire “Just enough to
spend” the desire for a new year full and prosperous, corresponding to 5 types of
fruits with specific taste according to the specific characteristics of the weather as
well as climate such as: Soursop, fig, coconut, papaya, mango.
4. Mừng tuổi
 Li xi or mung tuoi can be understood as lucky money. On Tet holiday, adults will
give children money in a red envelope. The envelopes is usually in red color
because according to Asian’s beliefs, red signifies great luck.
 The significance of lucky money is that it symbolizes good wishes of givers for
their loved ones in the new year, not quantity inside.
 Get lucky money with both hands and do not instantly look inside.

5. Going to the temple at the beginning of the year

A typical cultural feature of Vietnamese people is that the custom of going to the
temple during the first days of the new year is a beauty of spiritual culture in every
Vietnamese life. Incense to worship the temple at the beginning of the year is not only
to pray for a new year of luck and happiness, but also to express your mind and
respect to the Buddha and ancestors. 

6. Đón giao thừa (Pick up the new year)

New Year’s Eve is a time of transferring meaning and holiness between the new year
and the old year, which is an important time when heaven and earth intersect. The
ritual offering ceremony on the 30th night is also called the exorcism ceremony which
takes place at the last minute of the year with the meaning of removing all the bad
things of the old year to welcome the good of a coming year. New Year’s Eve
offering ceremony is done outside.

7. Cúng tất niên (Offer all year)

On Tet holiday, families in Vietnam often make incense tray and invite gods and
family to celebrate Tet with their family on the afternoon of December 30, at the same
time to finish an old year and prepare to welcome the new year.