Tet Holiday, or Tet Nguyen Dan, is one of the biggest festivals in Vietnam. So, what is the meaning of the Tet holiday, traditional customs, and food in the Tet Holiday in Vietnam? Should you travel to Vietnam during the Tet Holidays? Let’s find out the answers with Handspan Travel Indochina!

Through this article, you will learn the pieces of information below.

Tet Holiday and the Meaning of Tet Holiday in Vietnam

Tet Holiday in Vietnam is calculated according to the lunar calendar, later than the New Year in the solar calendar. It takes place from the first day of the first month of the Lunar calendar (around late January or early February) for at least three days. Kitchen God Day, New Year's Eve, three first days of the New Year are some crucial timelines.

Tet Holiday in Vietnam

For Vietnamese, the Tet Holiday is not only the transition period between the old year and the new lunar year, but it also contains many spiritual and cultural meanings. Tet is an occasion to pay respects to the gods and ancestors and pray for a lucky and prosperous new year. Besides, it is also the family reunion time that strengthens family affection. 

Traditional customs in the Tet Holiday in Vietnam

Tet is no doubt the most important festival in Vietnam. During this time, Vietnamese people have typical Tet traditions showing the beauty of Vietnamese culture. Below are some traditional customs of the Tet Holiday in Vietnam that are passed down from generation to generation. 

Ceremony of the Kitchen Gods (Cung Tet Ong Cong Ong Tao)

The ceremony of the Kitchen Gods (Cung Tet Ong Cong Ong Tao) is the start day of the Tet Holiday in Vietnam. According to the Vietnamese, Kitchen Gods (Ong Cong Ong Tao) protect the family kitchen and bring peace to all family members. On the 23rd day of December of the Lunar New Year, the kitchen gods ride carp to heaven to report everything in the family to the Jade Emperor. 

Offering trays on the ceremony of the Kitchen Gods

With the expectation that God's Kitchen will bless the family with more luck, on this day, Vietnamese people often clean their houses, and their kitchens and hold ceremonies with the feast. After the ceremony, people drop the golden carp into rivers and ponds. The golden carp symbolizes the spirit of overcoming difficulties and perseverance to succeed. 

House cleaning and decorating to welcome Tet

Cleaning the house before the Tet Holiday means saying goodbye to the old year and welcoming the new year. All furniture and corners will be cleansed, new dishes will be bought, and decorative items will also be prepared to beautify the house. Especially on this day,  Vietnamese people focus on cleaning up the ancestor altar, polishing the worship objects, removing the incense sticks, etc. The altar on the Tet holiday becomes the center, the most brilliant and sacred corner of the house. Besides cleaning, Vietnamese people also decorate their houses with the kumquat tree, peach blossom or apricot blossom, and many other blooming flowers. 

Buying peach blossom in Nhat Tan Village in Hanoi

Kumquat trees on the Tet holiday

Preparing the five-fruit tray for the Tet holiday

Preparing the five-fruit tray is also one of the necessary customs in the Tet Holiday in Vietnam. The five-fruit tray on New Year's Day holds an important position, showing respect to ancestors and containing a lot of hope for a prosperous, healthy, happy, and lucky new year. Although the types of fruits in the tray are different, the five-fruit tray has the same meaning in all regions of Vietnam.

Five-fruit tray on the Tet Holiday

“Xong Dat”

“Xong Dat” is an essential traditional custom of Vietnam. Vietnamese believe the first caller visiting the house will decide the whole year of happiness, prosperity, or bad luck. Therefore, Vietnamese people often invite lucky people of suitable age with the host to visit because they believe that person will bring good luck throughout the year.

Giving “Li Xi” (Lucky Money)

Children will be given “Li Xi” on Tet Holiday in Vietnam with lucky money. The elders, parents, and adults will provide lucky money to children, hoping they will be happy, healthy, and study well for the whole year. When receiving the lucky money, children will appreciate and wish their grandparents, parents, and relatives all the best. 

Buying a red envelope for the Tet holiday

Traditional food for Tet Holiday in Vietnam

Tet is the time for the reunion after a year of working hard. Therefore, Vietnamese people will prepare many delicious dishes these days to wish prosperity to the family. Below are some typical traditional foods for the Tet Holiday in Vietnam. 

Chung Cake (steamed square cake)

Chung Cake is one of the indispensable foods for the Tet holiday in Vietnam, especially in the North. It symbolizes the harmony of heaven and earth and is a long-standing cultural feature of Vietnam. 

Preparing Chung Cake for the Tet Holiday

Boiling Chung Cake

The steamed square cake is made from glutinous rice, mung bean, pork, pepper, and other species wrapped with dong leaves or banana leaves. After boiling for about eight hours, you will have a delicious Chung Cake. In the South of Vietnam, Chung Cake can be replaced with Tet Cake with the same way of cooking. 

Tet Cake

Pickled onions 

Pickled onions are a rustic but unique dish during the Tet Holiday in Vietnam. This dish has a mild sour and spicy taste and is used with banh chung or frozen meat. Thanks to its flavor, the pickled union is used with other dishes to reduce the greasy.

Gio lua (Vietnamese sausages)

Gio lua represents the house full of blessings. It is made from two basic ingredients: minced pork and delicious fish sauce, wrapped in banana leaves and boiled. Besides Gio lua, there are many other types of sausages in Vietnamese Tet Holiday meals, such as beef sausages, chicken sausages, etc. 

Gio lua 

Boiled chicken

Boiled chicken is a popular dish for the Tet holiday in every region of Vietnam. The aromatic sweetness of chicken pieces served with lemon leaves, salt, and pepper will create an unforgettable flavor. 

Boiled chicken

Traveling to Vietnam during the Tet Holiday

The Tet Holiday may not be the best time to visit Vietnam due to the lack of services. However, you will have a chance to learn about Vietnamese culture and activities during this time. Let’s consider the transportation, accommodation, sightseeing, and restaurants during the Tet Holiday in Vietnam to decide whether to travel.

Transportation 

If you want to transfer from one destination to another, you should book the bus, train, and flight tickets in advance. Tet is the time for a family reunion in Vietnam, and Vietnamese people often book tickets early to return home. Therefore, it is better to plan your trip and book the ticket following your itinerary to avoid the ticket being sold out. Besides, if you travel by plane, you must depart at least three hours before your flight. 

You can book the train ticket on the Website of Vietnam Railway Station here: https://dsvn.vn/#/. If you would like to book a bus and flight ticket suitable for your journey, please do not hesitate to contact the Handspan team.  

During the Tet Holiday in Vietnam, transportation is not as crowded in the big cities as on regular days. You may find a totally different image of Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh with a small number of vehicles. Therefore, it may be easier for you to cross the road and explore every street corner. 

Hanoi streets on the Tet holiday

Accommodation

If you travel to Vietnam during the Tet holiday, you will not be worried about fully-booked hotels and resorts in the big cities. However, the room price may be higher than normal days. If you travel to the mountainous regions, it’s OK when choosing hotels, as they are still open. Whereas, if you would like to stay in a homestay, consider contacting the homestay owner to check whether the homestay is in operation during the Tet Holiday.

Sightseeing

During the Tet Holiday in Vietnam, all museums, galleries, and cultural sites will be closed. Therefore, if you want to visit these spots, let’s wait until the 4th or 5th of the Tet Holiday. Instead, you can explore free activities like cycling, walking, strolling around the streets, trekking in mountainous areas, etc. Especially, you should visit temples to experience local culture. On some first days of the Tet Holiday, Vietnamese people often go to the temples and pagodas to pray for a good, happy, successful, and healthful new year. 

Tay Ho Temple on the Tet Holiday

Huong Pagoda on the Tet Holiday

Restaurants

Large restaurants are still open during the Tet holiday. In addition, bars and cafés also remain open. However, you may expect a higher price. 

In conclusion, you have just learned about the Tet Holiday in Vietnam and some things to note. If you have any concerns, contact us now!