Other Activities

Tết – the Vietnamese New Year

Tet, a short way of saying Tết Nguyên Đán, is the most important festival for Vietnamese people in the year. Tet marks the beginning of a new year on the Lunar Calendar and the beginning of Spring (this usually happens sometime between 21 January and 19 February our regular solar calendar). This year, Tet falls on 17 February.

When the first street vendor starts to go around the street selling the plastic flowers, people start to repaint their houses and buy new furniture, it is the begin of so many different things Vietnamese people prepare for Tet. Families save money, clear the debt, buy new clothes, clean the house, or even try to finish the last thing on the new house in order to move in just before Tet.

Elementary School Assembly - 15 Feb 2007

On 23 December of the Lunar Calendar (one week before Tet) is Tết Ông Táo (the Kitchen God Ceremony). This God is believed to return to Heaven to make his report to the Jade Emperor about the family’s activities throughout the year. Each family prepares a farewell and thank you meal to the God before he sets out a week journey to Heaven to do his job. The paper carps and clothing (hats, robes and boots) will be burned as part of the family’s preparation for the God. It is also a tradition to worship three live carps and then release them in the ponds, lakes or rivers. These carps are the Kitchen God’s vehicle to Heaven.

After the Kitchen God has left, families start to make Bánh Chưng (Sticky Rice Cake or Tet Cake), cook different kinds of food, set up a Tet tree in front of the house, hang Câu Đối (Chinese parallels) or Đông Hồ picture prints, buy Cây Quất (Kumquat Tree), Hoa Đào (A peach blossom branch) or even Hoa Mai ( the yellow Tet flower originally grown in the South of Vietnam). These flowers and tree symbolize happiness, prosperity and good luck.

On 30 December of the Lunar Calendar, the last day of the old year, people try to finish the last thing and then go home to join family for the most important meal called Cơm Tất Niên (Tet Eve’s meal). At midnight, every house is filled up with the smell of the incense stick burning on the family altar, bells rings and drums beat in pagodas and temples. The most important time begins – Giao Thừa (Giao means to give and Thừa means to receive). It marks the magical transition time from one year to another.

Middle High School Assembly - 12 Feb 2007

Mùng Một Tết, the first day of the new year is for the family only. People visit parents and close relatives to give best wishes to each other. Children are given Lì Xì (little lucky money in the small red envelops). It is also believed that everything happens on the first day has an effect for the rest of the year so people try to do good things and avoid to sweep the house, to break things, or to have arguments....The next two days of Tet are for visiting and enjoying the Tet food with family, friends, colleagues, neighbors and teachers.

Tet lasts three days or longer. The normal rhythm of life slowly comes back.  People go back to work, shops are open again on fortune dates, children go to school. However, the spirit of the festive time is going on somewhere each day with different village festivals till the end of the first month.