Tet Holiday is the most important holiday of a year of Vietnamese people. In New Year Days, employees, students, and students are entitled to 7-10 days off. Most businesses, schools are closed.
Check out this article to know what Vietnamese people usually do on this holiday!
Stage 1: Before New Year’s Eve
To prepare for Tet, I usually clean the house, throw away the things that are no longer used. After that, I will buy ornamental plants and fresh flowers to decorate the house. The trees and flowers that symbolize Tet are cherry blossom, apricot blossom, or kumquat trees.
On the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month, each kitchen god (Ông Táo ) returns to the Jade Emperor, the King of Heaven. According to the Vietnamese point of view, Ông Táo is the god who oversees the household’s affairs, bringing the peace for owner.
Also during this time, my family also prepares dishes for Tet such as bánh chưng (Savory sticky rice cake), bánh tét (Cylindrical glutinous rice cake), nem rán (Fried spring roll)…
Finally, the year-end party on the 30th day of the lunar calendar. This is the last meal of the year, so everyone prepares a lot of delicious food and invites guests over.
Stage 2: After New Year’s Eve
At New Year’s Eve (0 o’clock on the 30th day of the 12th lunar month), Vietnamese people joyfully welcome the new year. Some people perform ritual offerings to the ancestors on New Year’s Eve, some go to see fireworks, some go to pagodas to pray for luck.
From the first day of the year, I start going around and greet my relatives and friends with the best wishes. In the following days, I went on a trip with my family. This is a rare opportunity for my family to go on a long trip together.
At the end of the holiday, I will arrange my things back to normal. People will return to work and daily life. The festivals also end, those who go to work far away will leave their homeland to the place where they work.
I have just written briefly about Vietnamese Tet activities. If you have any questions, please comment below!
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