SKETCHES OF TET CUSTOMS
The way to greet the spring is very old, perhaps originated thousands of years ago in the soft drizzle in Northern Vietnam. Back then, the Vietnamese people began calling the first days of spring Tet (mispronounced from the word "tiet", meaning "season" or in an elaborated sense, "festival season"). However old they are, the customs of Tet still reflect special characteristics of the Vietnamese culture generation after generation. Tet is the time to reunite one's family, both the living and the dead members; Tet is also the time to renew and strengthen one's friendship bondage; and, finally, Tet is the time to revive past experiences in preparing oneself for new experiences to come. Springtime in a foreign land, let us review some sketches of the Tet customs.

Spending Tet with Family
Similar to Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations of the Western tradition, Tet is the time to reunite all family members. Children and grandchildren working and schooling away from home are granted vacation time to return home around the holidaY. However, an average Vietnamese family spends half of the lunar month prior to the holiday to be well preared for Tet. There are many things to do, for example: buying flowers, firecrackers, and incense, shoping for new clothes, cooking rice cakes, and cleaning the house. By New Year's Eve, all the purchases have to be completed; the ancestors' altar has to be tidy; all dishes have to be cooked; and the firecrackers have to be ready.

Visiting the ancestors' graves
From about a week before, to New Year's Eve, members of the family visit and clean the burial sies of their deceased relatives and ancestors. They often bring with them incense sticks, flowers, and fruit to the grave sites and invite the deceased to the Tet celebration with the family.

Ceremony to welcome back the ancestors
On the evening of New Year's Eve, all dishes and fruits are assembled into an offering-party on the ancestors' altar. here comes the time for the whole family to congregate before the spirits of the ancestors, review events of the past year, and retrieve valuable experiences for the coming hear. Gia gtruong (the head of the extended family, usually the eldest) ceremoniously lights the incense sticks and puts them on the altar, asking the ancestors to receive the offerings and to bless the family with good luck for the coming year. Following the gia truong, other family members clasp their hands together in a respectful manner to welcome the ancestors home to celebrate Tet with the decendents.

Fire-crackers
Once giao thua (the transition time btween midnight of the last day of the old year and early morning of the first day of the new year) strikes, every house ignites its fire-crackers simultaneously. A long time ago, people believd that the noise of the firecrackers could expel evil spirits and bring forth hapiness to the villagers. The pleasant cracking of fire-crackers reflects the animated spirit of Tet, and it is believed that the deep pink color of the remains of the firecrackers symbolizes luck.

Wishes of Longevity
In the Vietnamese family, seniors are respected above all others because of the experiences they have acquired. The early morning of the New Year Day is reserved for children and grandchildren to propose wishes of longevity to their parents and grandparents. The Vietnamese people believe that everyone gains a year older at the beginning of every year despite their various birth dates during the year.

Li Xi
To celebrate the children getting a year older, the adults in the family and relatives and friends of the parents give the children small amoutns of money (li xi) and wish them to grow up fast, to be successful in their studying, etc. The money is inserted in a solid red envelope or one with golden decors. Similar to the color of deep pink, the color of red or any color with red hue is believed to symbolize good luck.

Taboos
Since the Vietnamese people believe that the deeds done in the first few days of the new year can sow the seeds of bad or good luck for the entire year, they are extremely watchful of thier words and actions in the first three days of the new year. There are several taboos, for example: sweeping trash, especially the remains of burnt fire-cracker out of the door because it is similar to sweeping money out of the house; presenting "tabooed" objects as gifts such as medicine and sharp knives because they ipmly illness and quarrels; insulting or cussing; weeping or whining; breaking dishes or mirrors because it conotes a broken family; wearing white or black because these are colors of death, etc. Some of these taboos have been simplified across time, but most still remain in the Vietnamese people's belief today.


The following description of Tet Customs is exerpted from SKETCHES OF TET CUSTOMS in Non Song Magazine, 1998, pp28-34. Written by Ong Nhu Ngoc and appears on the Tet in Seattle website