12 Intriguing Facts About the Lunar New Year

New Year's Eve rituals are an essential part of Vietnamese culture. This marks the moment when the deities overseeing the old year pass their duties to the gods of the new year.

The Vietnamese believe that each year, different deities called 'Hành binh', 'Hành khiển', and 'Phán quan' rule over the earthly realm. At the end of each year, the old deity hands over responsibilities to the new one. The New Year's Eve ceremony is viewed as a farewell to the old gods and a welcome to the new ones, hoping for peace and happiness in the year ahead. Therefore, families prepare offerings to honor the deities who have ensured a prosperous year and to greet the new ones who will bring blessings in the upcoming year.

According to Vietnamese tradition, Lunar New Year is a time for family reunions, gathering loved ones, and welcoming a peaceful new year. Tết is deeply rooted in religious customs, reflecting the spirit of filial piety and reverence for ancestors. The beginning of the year is considered a fresh start, and it is believed that starting the year with good fortune leads to prosperity for the rest of the year. Thus, many people choose colors that are thought to bring luck to themselves and their families. Red, in particular, is associated with wealth, success, and the power to ward off evil spirits.

It is customary for people to wear red underwear during Tết to avoid bad luck from the past year and to attract positive energy. As a result, bright, festive colors are preferred over dark or muted tones like black and white, which are believed to bring misfortune instead of luck.

During Tết, the dining table is always filled with food, and even families facing hardships make sure to have a proper meal for the occasion. Alongside the meals, sweet treats and preserved fruits play a vital role in welcoming guests at Vietnamese homes.

For Tết, most families prepare high-quality sweets and cakes, alongside snacks like pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds, as part of the traditional New Year's visits. People take this time to visit family and friends, exchanging well wishes and hoping for good luck and prosperity in the new year. As such, each home meticulously prepares a tea tray with sweets and snacks to offer to guests. The tradition of sharing cakes and treats during Tết symbolizes sweetness and warmth, setting a positive tone for the year ahead.

In Vietnam, the tradition of avoiding sweeping or throwing out trash during Tết stems from the story of the 'Broom Legend'. According to the tale, a talented cook was assigned to serve as the royal chef in Heaven. However, she had a secret affair with a stableman, and one day, when the Jade Emperor hosted a banquet, the cook hid the stableman to secretly bring him food. But the stableman, unable to resist, ate from the dishes, and the Jade Emperor discovered their secret. As punishment, the cook was banished to Earth and transformed into a broom, tasked with endlessly sweeping and searching through garbage. Eventually, the Jade Emperor granted her a break for the three days of Tết, allowing her to rest during the New Year celebrations. Since then, the Vietnamese people have observed the custom of not sweeping or throwing out trash during Tết.

On these days, sweeping or throwing out trash is believed to sweep away wealth, luck, and prosperity for the new year. Therefore, despite how busy they may be on the eve of Tết, people always clean and tidy up their homes before New Year's Eve to avoid the need to sweep during the three days of celebration. Instead of throwing away trash, people may just gather it in one corner, ensuring that good fortune and wealth remain within the household.

Buying salt for good luck is another fascinating tradition during the Lunar New Year that you may not know. This custom is especially popular in the North, where the price of salt tends to rise slightly during Tết.

The saying 'buy salt at the beginning of the year and lime at the end' reflects the belief that salt symbolizes a strong, lasting bond, representing love and unity within the family. During Tết, especially during the transition between the old and new year, many people visit temples to pray for peace and health for their families. As part of these rituals, they often purchase small packets of salt to bring good fortune and blessings to their homes for the coming year.

In Vietnamese belief, the first person to step into a home after the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve, with good wishes for the coming year, is considered to bring good luck to the household.

If the first visitor's birth year is compatible with that of the host, it is thought to ensure prosperity, happiness, and smooth sailing for the family in the year ahead. As a result, the choice of this first visitor, known as 'xông đất', is highly significant. People often invite individuals whose zodiac signs are thought to be in harmony with theirs, to maximize the blessings of the new year and attract wealth and joy.

The Tết holiday is a sacred time, marking the beginning of the new year. During these days, people pay close attention to every action, as it is believed that the first moments of the year set the tone for the months ahead. The Vietnamese often say, 'Honor brings blessings, and superstitions bring luck.' Therefore, during Tết, it is common for everyone to maintain peace and harmony, avoiding arguments or confrontations, no matter how irritated one might be. Adults avoid scolding, and children are encouraged not to cry, in order to ensure a year of joy and tranquility.

On New Year's Day, people refrain from borrowing, lending, or settling debts. It is believed that borrowing money will bring financial struggle for the year, while lending money will cause wealth to scatter, preventing prosperity and success.

The tradition of making Bánh Chưng for Tết is a cherished cultural practice that has been passed down for generations in Vietnam, symbolizing the agrarian values of the rice-growing culture. Every Tết, families gather to prepare Bánh Chưng, offering these square-shaped rice cakes to their ancestors on the family altar.

According to the legend of 'Bánh Chưng, Bánh Dày', during the reign of the sixth Hung King, he called upon his sons to present offerings that would please the ancestors. The son who succeeded would be the one whose gift the King found most pleasing.

The youngest son, Lang Liêu, who was the poorest of all, but known for his humility, righteousness, and filial piety, could not afford precious offerings. Instead, he used simple, everyday ingredients—glutinous rice, green beans, pork, and dong leaves—to make Bánh Chưng and Bánh Dày, symbolizing heaven and earth. His offerings were so beloved by the King that Lang Liêu ascended to the throne. Since then, Bánh Chưng and Bánh Dày have become sacred offerings in ancestor worship, embodying gratitude to ancestors and remaining an essential food item during Tết.

Tết Nguyên Đán is celebrated according to the lunar calendar, so it always falls later than the Gregorian New Year. Due to the lunar leap month system, the first day of Tết Nguyên Đán is always after January 21st and before February 19th of the Gregorian calendar.

Significance of the days during Tết Nguyên Đán:

• The First Day of Tết – Honoring the Father: On this day, families hold a feast to welcome the new year, express their gratitude to ancestors, and exchange wishes for a prosperous year ahead. The first day is dedicated to visiting the paternal side of the family to pay respects to the elders and ancestors.
• The Second Day of Tết – Honoring the Mother: On the second day, people visit their maternal side for similar ceremonies, maintaining the spirit of respect and unity.
• The Third Day of Tết – Teacher’s Day: On this day, students visit their teachers to show respect and gratitude.

During the three days of Tết, it is common for Vietnamese people to visit relatives, friends, and neighbors to exchange wishes for good health, success, and prosperity for the upcoming year.

Tết Nguyên Đán (or commonly known as Lunar New Year, or Traditional Tết) is the most significant holiday of the year for the Vietnamese people, as well as for other lunar calendar-based cultures. According to anthropologists, the word 'Tết' comes from the Chinese character 'Tiết' (meaning 'to burn bamboo' or 'to mark a segment of time').

Among the many festivals that occur throughout the year, Tết Nguyên Đán holds the utmost importance. The word 'Nguyên' refers to a beginning or a fresh start, while 'Đán' represents the early morning hours. Together, 'Nguyên Đán' signifies the very first day or the first light of the new year. Furthermore, 'Nguyên' can also symbolize completeness and fulfillment, representing the people's desire for a prosperous and abundant life.

'Lì xì' is a traditional custom in East Asia that symbolizes the wish for good fortune in the new year. In Vietnam, this practice is an essential part of the Tết celebrations, especially for children. They eagerly await this time, not only as a joyful start to the new year but also for the excitement of receiving 'lì xì' from grandparents, parents, and relatives. There are various stories behind the 'lì xì' custom, one of which tells of a mischievous spirit that would visit on New Year's Eve, touching children's heads while they slept to cause fever or confusion. To protect children, families would stay up all night to guard them. The color red was believed to ward off this spirit, which is why red envelopes are given as 'lì xì' during Tết.

The red or gold envelopes are not just decorative; they are believed to bring prosperity, happiness, and good luck for the year ahead.

During Tết, the peach blossom is seen as the symbol of spring in the northern regions of Vietnam, with its vibrant pink hues brightening both city streets and rural alleys. In the North, peach blossoms are indispensable in every household, especially on ancestral altars.

According to an old legend, on the east side of Mount Độ Sóc stood a magnificent peach tree, home to two deities, Trà and Uất Lũy, who protected the locals from evil spirits. The sight of the tree alone was enough to send evil spirits fleeing. However, as the year came to an end, Trà and Uất Lũy, like other gods, had to ascend to the heavens to pay homage to the Jade Emperor, leaving the spirits free to cause trouble. To protect their homes, people began cutting peach branches to place in their homes. If they couldn't cut the branches, they'd draw images of the deities and hang them to ward off evil. Over time, this ritual lost its mystical significance, but the tradition of displaying peach blossoms during Tết remained.

Peach trees are also considered a powerful deterrent to evil spirits. People display them at the entrance of their homes to ensure a prosperous new year. The blossoms themselves symbolize growth, vitality, and renewal. In every household, from businesses to private homes, a peach tree is a symbol of health, success, happiness, and a hopeful future.