The biggest and most important festival in Vietnam, Tet best epitomizes the country’s cultural identity. It is celebrated on the first day of the first month in the Lunar Calendar, and though it is officially a three-day celebration, the entire festivity including the colorful preparations could last up to a week. In 2014, Tet will be celebrated on January 31 up to February 4.

Meaning of Tet

Tet marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring, as well as of a new year in the lunar calendar. It is the time believed to be when the cycle of the universe ends to give way for the beginning of a new one. Thus, for the Vietnamese, this special day will determine their path for the next twelve months.

It is also the occasion for the Vietnamese to pay respect to their ancestors as well as reassuring their religious beliefs.

Tet Customs and Practices

Every New Year is seen as an opportunity to begin anew and try to attain more success than the previous year. To rid of all the bad luck from last year, people spend days cleaning their homes, polishing utensils, redecorating and even go through lengths of repainting their house. Homes are then adorned with kumquat trees, peach blossoms and colorful flowers. Everyone in the family shop for new clothes and shoes to wear on the first days of New Year. Remaining debts are repaid while all differences between friends and families are reconciled. Gift-giving is also a popular practice during the holiday. Giving away red enveloped filled with lucky money, symbolizing luck and wealth, is a practice maintained over the generations.

Food During Tet

There also certain types of food that are popular during Tet season. One of the most traditional foods for the holiday which every family table must have is the Banh Chung or sticky rice cake. It is also placed on the ancestors’ altars during the entire holiday.

Like the Banh hung but different in shape, the Banh day or dua hanh are similarly as popular along with Gio Cha (Vietnamese ham/sausage), Xoi (Sticky rice) and Thit ga (boiled or steamed chicken). Mut Tet (candied fruits) should also be ready to be served to guests who come by during the holiday.

Visiting for Tet

With such special meaning attached to the celebration, Vietnamese who are away always try to make it home for Tet. But with the popularity of the celebration, more and more tourists flock to Vietnam to experience the holiday.

Coming to Vietnam during Tet will be a bit different than traveling on regular days. Even the largest cities, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, will be quiet and most shops will be closed. Far from the normal chaotic scene visitors expect to witness.

Instead, streets will be replaced with colors from flowers used to adorn the sidewalk and the many street decors that are being put up. One of the main boulevards in Ho Chi Minh City transforms into an elaborate flower exhibition. Since this is not an everyday sight, people come to enjoy the flowers, the scent and the ambience. Most cities also put on a massive fireworks display the evening of Tet to provide an explosive finish to the week-long holiday.