Tet Holiday, also known as Lunar New Year, is the biggest and the most important holiday in Vietnam. Since Tet Holiday is approaching, Vietnamese, as well as other Asia region countries, are now bustlingly preparing for this special occasion.

In Vietnam, a country with full of traditions and culture, there are thousands of customs and taboos to welcome this national holiday. Let’s take a look to discover it now:

Kitchen Gods Farewell Ceremony

 Each year, although the celebration of Tet Holiday starts on the last day (30 or 31st) of December, according to lunar calendar, its preparation may commence from the 23rd of December (23 thang Chap) with the Kitchen Gods (Ong Tao) Farewell Ceremony.

Local and foreigner bring fishes to release at the lake as part of the tradition to worship the Kitchen God

New Year’s Eve Offerings

New Year Eve in Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi

New Year’s Eve (Giao Thua) is considered as a sacred moment. According to Vietnamese’s belief, Giao Thua is when all of the old things are given back to the past, and new things come with joy and happiness.

And New Year Eve at Ho Chi Minh city

That is the reason why Vietnamese people are willing to forget all past problems and quarrels to start a new year after celebrating this moment.

Lucky money (Tien li xi)

Red lucky pockets are given to children as a token of luck and best wishes

The first day of Tet is reserved for the nuclear family. Children wear new clothes and expect to receive “lucky money” (Li xi in Vietnamese) from the elders.

First-guest in New Year

Vietnamese people believe that the first person to enter the house can determine their fortune for the whole year. Therefore, they don’t enter any house in the early morming on the first day unless they are invited. This tradition is called xong dat or xong nha.