lifestyle
Tha nh Xuan
The Tet tradition in Vietnam
Banh chung, a special cake at Tet, made from sticky green beans, and pork
Vietnamese New Year, or ‘Tet’ is the most important and longest festival in Vietnam and is a time for family reunion and best wishes
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et takes place from the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar (around late January or early February) until at least the fifth day. Many Vietnamese prepare for Tet by cooking special dishes and cleaning their house. Some traditional customs during Tet include visiting relatives’ houses on the first days of the new year, ancestral worship, sending New Year’s greetings, and giving ‘lucky money’ to children and elderly people. Tet is also an occasion for family reunions. During Tet, Vietnamese people usually return to their families. Some return to worship at the family altar or visit the graves of their ancestors in their homeland.
Kumquat trees are popular during Tet, symbolising the fertility and fruitfulness
Like other Asian countries, Vietnamese believe that the colours of red and yellow will bring good fortune and these colours can be seen everywhere at Lunar New Year.
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B I D V r e vi e w
In the two weeks leading up to Tet, the atmosphere is bustling. Streets and markets are full of people. Everyone is busy buying food, clothes, and decorations for their houses. Each family cooks special traditional foods such as
