Tet Nguyen Dan is the biggest festival of the year for Vietnamese people and some East Asian countries, such as China, Korea, Japan. This is an important time to mark the end of the old year and welcome the new year according to the lunar calendar. Tet is not only an occasion for family reunion but also has deep cultural and spiritual significance. For thousands of years, Tet has become a symbol of new beginnings, hope and peace for everyone.
What is Tet Nguyen Dan?
Tet Nguyen Dan, also known as Tet Ta , Lunar New Year or Traditional Tet , is the biggest holiday of the year for Vietnamese people. This is the New Year's holiday according to the lunar calendar, taking place around January of the lunar year.
In Chinese, the word "Nguyen" means "beginning" and "Dan" means "morning". Tet Nguyen Dan symbolizes a new beginning, the dawn of a year. This is not only a day for family reunion but also an important time to pray for a peaceful and lucky new year.
Origin of traditional Tet holiday
Tet Nguyen Dan has a very ancient origin and has become a traditional festival of many East Asian peoples, including China, Korea, Japan and Vietnam. In Vietnam, Tet Nguyen Dan has been celebrated since the Hung King period, according to the legend of Chung cake and Day cake, symbolizing heaven and earth and gratitude to ancestors.
Some researchers believe that Tet originated from the rice civilization, when farmers chose the transition between winter and spring to rest after a year of hard work, preparing for the new crop. During this time, ancestor worship rituals, praying for favorable weather and bountiful harvests also began.
How is the time of Lunar New Year calculated?
Lunar New Year takes place according to the lunar calendar and usually falls between January 21 and February 19. The lunar calendar uses the lunar cycle, so the date of Lunar New Year changes every year. In 2024, Lunar New Year begins on February 10 and will last for about 7-8 days.
Tet does not only take place in one day but lasts from December 23 to January 7 with many different customs such as worshiping Ong Cong, Ong Tao, New Year's Eve, the first day of Tet, the second day of Tet to wish relatives a happy new year, and the New Year's Eve ceremony.
The meaning of Lunar New Year
Tet Nguyen Dan is not just the first day of the new year, but also contains many profound cultural values. This is an occasion to remember ancestors, strengthen family ties and look forward to a bright future.
- Lunar New Year preserves and promotes traditional cultural values : It is an occasion for children to express filial piety to grandparents, parents and to remember their ancestors.
- Tet Nguyen Dan is a time of transition : the harmony between heaven and earth, between humans and gods, creating a connection between the past and the future.
- Tet Nguyen Dan is an occasion for family reunion : Even though we are far away, Tet is always an occasion for each child to return to their family and gather around the year-end meal.
- Tet Nguyen Dan is a symbol of luck and hope for a new year : Everyone wishes for good things and prosperity to come to them and their families in the new year.
- Tet Nguyen Dan is also everyone's "birthday" : A special thing is that during Tet, Vietnamese people often wish each other "Happy New Year", considering it as everyone's common birthday.
Vietnamese customs during traditional Tet holiday
- Worshiping the Kitchen Gods : Taking place on the 23rd of December, the ceremony sends the Kitchen Gods back to heaven to report to the Jade Emperor about the events that happened in the family during the past year.
- Making Chung cake and Tet cake : This traditional cake is indispensable during Tet holiday. The whole family often gathers together to wrap and cook the cake, creating a cozy atmosphere.
- Cleaning the house : Before Tet, every family cleans their house to welcome the new year. This is also an action to dispel bad luck from the old year.
- Tomb Sweeping : At the end of the year, Vietnamese people often visit their ancestors' graves to clean, burn incense and pray for protection from their ancestors in the new year.
- New Year's Eve : The New Year's Eve meal on the 29th or 30th of Tet is an occasion for the family to reunite and invite ancestors to celebrate with the family.
- Going to the temple : Going to the temple at the beginning of the year is a popular custom, Vietnamese people pray for a peaceful and lucky new year.
- Xong dat : According to folk belief, the first person to come to the house after New Year's Eve will bring luck to the family for the whole year.
Traditional dishes during Lunar New Year
In Vietnamese culture, Tet is not only an occasion for family reunion but also an opportunity to enjoy meaningful traditional dishes. Each dish on Tet holiday carries symbolic values of luck, abundance and harmony, contributing to the warm and sacred atmosphere of the holiday.
- Banh chung and banh tet : These are two indispensable dishes on the Tet tray. The square banh chung symbolizes the earth, while the round banh tet symbolizes the sky, representing the harmony between nature and human. Wrapping and cooking banh chung and banh tet is not only a custom but also an expression of gratitude to ancestors, wishing for a prosperous and abundant new year.
- Braised Pork Belly : This dish is typical of the South, with the sweet taste of coconut milk and the soft aroma of braised pork. This dish symbolizes prosperity and abundance in the family, especially when combined with pickled cabbage or white rice, it further highlights the delicious taste and harmony of the ingredients.
- Bitter melon soup stuffed with meat : Vietnamese people believe that bitter melon means to dispel all the pain and hardship of the old year, welcoming the new year with hope and happiness. The soup is refreshing, slightly bitter but sweet aftertaste, helping to create balance in the meal.
Besides these main dishes, each region has its own distinct dishes, showing the diversity and richness in the culinary culture of each region.
Traditional Tet Festivals in Vietnam
During the Lunar New Year , many traditional festivals take place throughout Vietnam , bearing the mark of national culture, attracting the participation of many people and tourists. This is an opportunity for the community to gather together, share joy, and at the same time, it is also an opportunity to honor and preserve traditional values. Below are some typical festivals during the traditional New Year in Vietnam:
1. Flower Street and Book Street Festival for Tet
In big cities like Ho Chi Minh City , Nguyen Hue Flower Street is an attractive destination during Tet. This central street is decorated with thousands of colorful flowers, creating a brilliant and attractive space.
Along with that is the Tet Book Street , where cultural activities are organized, books and art works are displayed, contributing to enriching people's spiritual life in the first days of spring.
2. Lion Dance and Dragon Dance Festival
Lion and dragon dances are an indispensable part of Tet festivals in Vietnam, especially at the moment of New Year's Eve. With the sound of drums, lion and dragon teams perform throughout the streets, bringing a joyful and exciting atmosphere. Lions and dragons are not only symbols of strength and luck, but also wishes for a prosperous and successful new year.
3. Tet Market Festival
In both rural and urban areas, Tet markets are where people shop and prepare for Tet. The markets not only sell all kinds of goods from food, fruits, decorations to clothes, but are also a place to meet and exchange. Going to Tet markets has become a beautiful traditional feature, contributing to enriching the folk culture of Vietnamese people every spring.
4. Tet Folk Culture Festival
In many localities, folk cultural festivals are held vigorously to maintain and promote traditional customs. The carp releasing festival takes place on the 23rd of December every year, an occasion to release fish to send the Kitchen Gods to heaven, a beautiful feature in the culture of ancestor worship.
Lion dance and dragon dance , an indispensable part of Tet, bring excitement and excitement, symbolizing strength and luck. In addition, the fireworks festival on New Year's Eve has become a symbol of a new beginning, with the hope of a lucky and prosperous year.
5. Special festivals after Tet
After the main Tet holidays, many traditional festivals continue to take place across the country. In the North, the Hai Ba Trung Temple Festival in Hanoi commemorates two national heroines, Trung Trac and Trung Nhi, with solemn processions.
The Huong Pagoda Festival in My Duc is one of the biggest festivals in the North, attracting millions of people to attend to pray for peace and health.
In the South, the Ba Den Mountain Festival in Tay Ninh is a large spiritual festival that lasts throughout the first days of the new year, where visitors can participate in rituals to pray for peace and admire the majestic scenery of the mountains and forests.
Cultural diversity and customs of the three regions during the traditional Vietnamese New Year
Although sharing the same meaning of Tet, each region of the North, Central and South has its own distinct customs and practices, reflecting different cultural characteristics and ways of celebrating Tet. However, all share the same wish: reunion, luck and happiness.
- Tet Nguyen Dan in the North : The North celebrates Tet with a solemn and cozy atmosphere. Banh Chung is the main dish, symbolizing gratitude to ancestors and the desire for a prosperous new year. Northerners often display a tray of five fruits with fruits such as bananas, grapefruit, kumquat, sapodilla, and pomegranate, symbolizing wealth and luck. Peach blossoms, with their bright pink color, become an indispensable symbol of Tet. In particular, traditional customs such as New Year's Eve worship, first-footing, and lucky money are cultural features that are preserved and passed down through many generations.
- Tet Nguyen Dan in the Central region : People in the Central region often celebrate Tet in a simple and rustic atmosphere but no less sacred. Banh tet is a typical dish of the Central region, wrapped in layers of green banana leaves, representing the connection and harmony in the family. The custom of worshipping ancestors and the sea worshiping ceremony at the beginning of the year are indispensable activities, aiming to pray for a year of favorable weather for the family. In addition, people in the Central region also attach special importance to visiting the ancestors' graves and praying for peace for the whole year.
- Lunar New Year in the South : In the South, Tet comes with a more vibrant and bustling atmosphere with many outdoor activities such as wrapping banh tet , playing folk games and street festivals . Bright yellow apricot blossoms are a symbol of prosperity and wealth, displayed everywhere, from houses to main roads. Southern people also pay special attention to the first visitor of the year , choosing someone of the right age to bring luck and fortune to the whole family.
Each region has a different Tet nuance, but all blend in a joyful, bustling and warm atmosphere. Tet Nguyen Dan is not only an occasion for family reunion but also a time for each person to feel and appreciate the traditional cultural values of the nation.
Tet holiday of Vietnamese people far from home
Tet for Vietnamese people living far from home is a special occasion for Vietnamese communities around the world to remember their homeland, family and traditional cultural values. Although living far from home, Vietnamese people still try to celebrate Tet fully with familiar customs such as making banh chung, banh tet and worshiping their ancestors . Traditional dishes are meticulously prepared, from green banh chung, pickled onions to pork rolls, not only help Vietnamese people living far from home feel the taste of their homeland but also a way to preserve and pass on to the younger generation the unique cultural features of the nation.
In countries like the US, Australia, Canada or France, where there are large Vietnamese communities, Tet fairs and cultural festivals are common activities every Tet holiday. Large markets like Little Saigon in the US or Cabramatta in Australia organize exciting events with lion dances , dragon dances , and folk games that attract the participation of not only Vietnamese but also foreigners. Through that, Tet Nguyen Dan becomes a cultural bridge, helping to introduce the beauty of Vietnamese traditions to international friends.
Even though they are far from their homeland, Vietnamese people always maintain the customs of giving lucky money , going to pagodas at the beginning of the year , and worshipping their ancestors , symbols of luck and gratitude. At Vietnamese pagodas abroad, New Year's Eve ceremonies are held for everyone to pray for a peaceful and prosperous new year . These spiritual values help Vietnamese people far from home always feel the warm atmosphere of Tet, no matter where they are in the world.
Conclude
Tet Nguyen Dan is not only a time of transition between the old year and the new year, but also has profound cultural values. This is an occasion for family reunion, remembering ancestors and starting a new year with good hopes. The customs, traditional dishes and joy of Tet all contribute to making this festival an indispensable part of the spiritual life of Vietnamese people.
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