Vietnamese new year festival, Lunar new year holiday or Tet is regarded as the biggest and most expected annual festival by the Vietnamese people. Tet is a very special occasion which marks a new beginning for many people in their work and love. In the lunar calendar, Lunar new year takes place on the first day of January and is a great chance for people to get together with their family.
The meaning of Tet holiday and Tet related things
New year festival in Vietnam is considered as the best quality time for everyone to spend with their family members in a cosy atmosphere. People working whether domestically or internationally come back home to enjoy these precious moments together. In addition, Tet is an important event for Vietnamese people to pay their great respect to their ancestors and also to many soldiers who had sacrificed for the independence of our country in the war. Therefore, people prepare for Tet very early, from buying new clothes, kumquat trees and decorating their house. In the New Year’ Eve, family members reunite and enjoy the end-year party happily after a hard-working year.
People get together at the end-year party in Vietnamese New Year Holiday
Preparation for Vietnamese New Year Festival
Now that Tet holiday plays an integral part in the Vietnamese ‘s beliefs, preparation for Tet is made meticulously a few days in advance. The ancestor’s altar is always the first thing people need to take care of which is full of votive papers and five special kinds of fruits. People also clean the floor and their utensils to remove dirt and bad luck of the previous year, renew and decorate their house with a branch of peach or apricot blossom, and several kinds of colourful flowers like the daisy, lily and rose. People, especially children, prepare new clothes and shoes to dress on the first days of the new year. On the belief of carrying good luck, those attires or envelopes carrying lucky money in red or yellow colours are preferential by many people.
People prepare for Tet holiday and do the worships.
Ages-old traditions in Vietnamese New Year Festival
Releasing gold carps on Kitchen’s God Day
Actually, for Vietnamese New Year Festival, people can feel the happy atmosphere everywhere. From the 23rd day of December in the previous year which called Kitchen God Day or “ Ông Công, Ông Táo”. Traditionally, many goldfish are set free to the ponds, lakes on this day. Because people consider it as the Kitchen God’s vehicle on their journey to heaven. Simultaneously, the Kitchen ‘God are equipped with votive papers clothes, caps and shoes. Before going to the celestial body to report what happened in families in the old year to the King. People believe that the tradition of freeing gold carps shows their respect for nature and bring fortune.
Wrapping Chung cake
Making Chung cake is the long-lasting tradition in the New Year Festival. This activity takes place from 26th to 28nd of December annually in the Lunar calendar. Which appears to be a really eager thing for people, especially children. Normally, Chung cake is made by wrapping sticky rice with green beans and pork inside “ Dong” leaf . Then it has a square wooden pattern. Then, it boils up to 10 hours then put on the ancestor altar as a worship offering. In some regions, people also make Giay cake. Which is nearly similar to Chung cake but in a round shape. During Tet holiday, Chung and Giay cake are passed as a gift and they serve as a symbol of luck and harmony between the earth and sky in the upcoming year. Nowadays, despite the hustle and bustle of the industrial cities, Vietnamese people still preserve this tradition and it symbolizes people’s remembrance to their ancestors.
Watching Tao Quan or End-year gatherings in Vietnamese New Year Festival
Watching this comedy programme in Vietnamese New Year Festival is an indispensable activity whenever Tet ‘s coming. Tao Quan is one of the most expected and high appreciated TV show by all Vietnamese people. The show consists of different scenes in which each Kitchen God makes their end-year report to the King of Heaven. Through a sarcastic way, these performances bring everyone meaningful laughs. After nearly 20 years on the air, this show claims it the most successful to play every year.
Praying for the new year
On New Year ‘s Eve, praying for the new year is apparently the most important event among families. In most families, people stand in front of the ancestor altar to whisper their wishes. While others go to the communal house to silently wish for an upcoming year with lots of luck, health. At the transferring moment between the old and new year, people watch some firework displays together. They happily say “ Happy new year” to their beloved family members.
In short, New Year Holiday is the most important event for Vietnamese people and symbolizes the beauty of a centuries-old tradition of the nation which is perfectly preserved and passed through generations. If you are in Vietnam and interested in discovering more about Hanoi – the capital and its significance, we invite you to join us at Free Walking Tours Hanoi. We’ll take you across the building, and provide you with a unique perspective of the city. Book now and don’t miss out on this amazing experience.
