Tet is an extremely festive and important time of year in Viet Nam. Tet is short for Tet Nguyen Dan, which means the first morning of the first day of the new period. The holiday marks the beginning of a new year on the lunar calendar; as well as the beginning of spring, and it is cause for much celebration throughout the country. This year (the year of the pig), Tet falls on Sunday, February 18th.

Tet is a time for family, friends and hope for the future. To outsiders it would seem that the country virtually stops during Tet, but there is a great deal going on behind the scenes. Families are returning to their native villages, spending time in their own homes and enjoying friends and family.

Vietnamese celebrate Tet for three days, although preparations and resuming regular activities take a few days each. Other celebrations also occur before and after Tet depending on which part of the country you are in. Families prepare for the new year by cleaning their homes, preparing traditional foods, paying off any outstanding debt and buying special gifts to welcome in the new year. Families purchase miniature orange trees and small blossoming peach tress called hoa doa.

On the first morning of Tet, children receive special red envelopes that contain lucky money or li xi. This first day also brings about the custom of Song Nha, which states that the first person to enter a family’s home on this day will determine the family’s happiness, luck and well being for the year.

Tet is also when every person in Viet Nam celebrates their birthday. Individual birthday celebrations do not exist, and everyone becomes one year older during Tet.

Although fireworks are now illegal, there are some officially hosted fireworks displays throughout the country. The fireworks and their explosions are thought to frighten away any evil spirits that may be lurking.

A beautiful Tet belief is that the deceased ancestors will return to visit their family during the holiday. Families lay out alters full of food, flowers, photographs and incense for their departed loved ones. Families will also take time during Tet to visit ancestors’ graves and attend religious services.

You can find out even more about Tet and its sequence of events HERE.