Top 10 Best Tet Folktales

Once upon a time, no one knew exactly when or how, but Demons took control of the entire country. The People were left to survive on scraps, forced to till the land for the Demons. The Demons grew increasingly harsh, doubling the tribute demands every year. Eventually, they imposed a new rule, demanding that the People pay the tribute in a way they called 'eat the tips, leave the roots.' The People refused. The Demons used force to make them comply. That year, after harvest, all that was left were dried stalks. A grim scene of starvation unfolded, while the Demons laughed in triumph.

Buddha, from the West, intended to help the People resist the Demons' exploitation. After that harvest, Buddha instructed the People not to grow rice, but instead to turn the soil and plant sweet potatoes. The People followed Buddha’s guidance. The Demons, not realizing that the People were plotting against them, continued to impose their cruel rule: 'Eat the tips, leave the roots.'

When the harvest came, the Demons were furious to see baskets of sweet potatoes piling up in the People's homes, while their own harvest was nothing but inedible vines and leaves. However, the Demons had no choice but to abide by their own rule.

The following season, the Demons changed their rule to 'Eat the roots, leave the tips.' Buddha advised the People to plant rice again. Once more, the Demons' plans failed. The golden rice grains returned to the People’s homes, while only straw was left for the Demons. The Demons were furious and declared that the new rule would be 'Eat both the roots and the tips.' They thought the People would be helpless. But Buddha had another plan.

Buddha gave the People corn seeds to plant everywhere. That year, the People rejoiced as they saw their hard work paying off. While their rice supplies remained, they now had plentiful corn. Meanwhile, the Demons were bitterly frustrated once again.

In their rage, the Demons decided to force the People off all the land and prevent them from farming. The Demons thought, 'It’s better to have nothing than let the People keep everything.' Buddha told the People to negotiate with the Demons for a small plot of land, as small as the shadow of a monk's robe. The Demons were initially reluctant, but when they realized how little land they were giving up for a very low price, they agreed.

They made a deal: The land outside the shadow of the bamboo pole would belong to the Demons, while the land under the shadow would belong to the People. When the People planted the bamboo and Buddha stood atop it, he spread his monk's robe, causing the bamboo to grow taller and taller, reaching the sky. The shadow of the robe expanded, covering the land. The Demons were taken by surprise, and as the shadow spread over their land, they were forced to retreat, eventually fleeing to the sea. This is why the Demons are called the Sea Demons.

The Demons, furious that the People had gained control of the land, gathered an army to fight back. The battle was fierce, as the Demons commanded wild beasts like elephants, horses, dogs, and other fierce creatures. Buddha wielded his staff, helping the People defend themselves.

After several failed battles, the Demons sent scouts to learn what Buddha feared. Buddha revealed he feared fruits, banana cakes, rice balls, and boiled eggs. The Demons then learned that Buddha's army feared only a few things: dog blood, pandan leaves, garlic, and lime powder. The next battle saw the Demons throw countless fruits at Buddha’s army. Buddha instructed the People to collect them as food and scatter dog blood everywhere. The Demons, terrified, fled.

The second battle saw the Demons hurl banana cakes at Buddha's army. Buddha instructed the People to collect them and crush garlic to scatter on the battlefield. The Demons could not stand the smell and once again fled in defeat.

The third battle was even more intense. The Demons threw rice balls and boiled eggs at Buddha’s forces. Buddha allowed the People to feast and then instructed them to sprinkle lime powder and whip the Demons with pandan leaves. The Demons were overwhelmed and fled once more, this time being exiled to the sea. The Demons—old and young, male and female—left in despair, begging Buddha to allow them to visit the land once a year to honor their ancestors. Buddha, moved by their cries, agreed.

Thus, every year during Tet, the Demons are allowed to visit the land. To keep them away, the People plant a pole (nêu) to mark their territory. The pole is adorned with bells that ring in the wind to remind the Demons to stay away. Bundles of pandan leaves or banyan branches are tied to the pole to frighten the Demons. Additionally, the People draw arrows pointing east and scatter lime powder to keep the Demons at bay.

There’s an old folk rhyme:

The banyan branch, the pandan leaf hung high,

Lime powder scattered, don’t let Demons pass by.

The Demons come, but they always go,

We strike them down with pandan leaf blows.

In the past, people believed that to banish evil, like during a plague, they would hang a bunch of pandan leaves at the doorway or sprinkle dog blood to keep the Demons away. Women would often tie garlic in their waistbands for similar protection.

Once upon a time, there was a kind-hearted girl who loved her family and the people around her deeply. She cared for her parents, her sister, and even the three Stone Gods of the kitchen, who endured the heat and smoke to cook and prepare meals for everyone. One day, feeling sorry for the gods who suffered from the constant flames, the young girl decided to pour a large bowl of water over them. The smoke rose up in thick clouds, and the oldest of the gods appeared and said:

– You mean well, child, but you don't understand. The more intense the heat, the happier we are. If you pour water on us, you might make us sick.

From then on, the girl stopped dousing the gods with water. However, the old god still appeared occasionally to chat with the two sisters. One day, feeling sorry for him, the younger sister asked:

– Do you only like fire? Is there anything else you enjoy?

– Of course! The year is ending, and I must return to the heavens. If you can catch a carp for me to ride back, that would make me happiest. The girl immediately asked her sister to help her catch a carp. She placed the fish by the fire and said:

– Here, Old God, we offer you this carp! The fish vanished, and on the night of the 23rd day of Tet, the two sisters saw the old god appear, riding the carp like a horse, flying high into the sky...

The girl's father was a skilled hunter, known for hunting fierce animals. He always said:

– I will hunt until I’ve gotten rid of all the vicious beasts!

Although he didn't want to teach his daughters, the younger girl was eager to learn. At the age of five, she begged her father to teach her the art of using the staff, fist, and sword. Although small in stature, she was quick and strong, to the astonishment of her father. At the age of nine, she begged to join him on a hunt. Her mother and sister were worried, but the girl assured them:

– If I can’t kill the prey with one blow like father, I will strike it multiple times. Don’t worry.

True to her word, during her first hunt, the girl killed a wild boar. Soon after, a terrifying monster with the head of a man and the body of a beast appeared in the region, causing panic. The creature only ate human flesh, especially children. The father decided to take the girl to hunt down the beast. Despite the mother and sister's objections, the father insisted:

– I’m only letting her follow to watch. It’s my job to kill the monster, don’t worry.

After several days, news came that the father had killed the monster. As they returned, the villagers celebrated with food and drinks. The girl didn’t forget to offer a carp to the Old God and asked for his blessings:

– We offer this carp for you, may you sometimes ride it for a journey.

The old god appeared again, thanking her and asking:

– Were you afraid of the monster?

– I wanted to help father kill it, but he didn’t let me.

Soon, the father became ill. Despite the care of his wife and daughters, his health continued to decline. Years later, a new monster appeared, this time with the head of a man and the body of a snake. It was even stronger than the first monster, able to kill a bull in seconds and devour several children at once. The villagers called on the father and daughter to help. The father asked the girl:

– Will you go help the villagers?

– I ask for your permission, father. Let me go!

The father agreed but warned her:

– I’ll help, but you’ll be the one to kill the monster. Don’t worry, we’ll return once it’s done.

The mother and sister were deeply worried but agreed. Before leaving, the mother asked the girl:

– What color would you like your clothes to be?

The girl looked out at the mountains and replied:

– I like the color yellow.

The mother dyed her a bright yellow robe. As she set out, the girl looked strong and beautiful in her yellow outfit. She said to her family:

– When I return, you’ll recognize me easily by this yellow robe.

Before leaving, the girl also prayed to the Old God, promising to return and tell him about her battle with the monster:

– I will return and share my story with you.

The Old God appeared and blessed her:

– I wish you both success in defeating the monster. I’ll be waiting for your return.

Father and daughter traveled for over a month to reach the monster’s lair. After a few days of rest, they set out to find the beast. They fought for two days, but the monster was too strong. The father was growing weaker. The girl suggested:

– Father, tomorrow let me stay close to the monster. I will pin its tail to a tree and stab it in the body. Once it’s stuck, we can strike its head. The father, though cautious, trusted his daughter’s skill:

– Alright, but be careful if it frees itself.

– Don’t worry, father.

The next day, they defeated the monster. But in its final struggle, it broke free and wrapped around the girl, crushing her bones. The father, devastated, dropped his sword and rushed to hold his daughter’s body. The villagers arrived and carried her to be buried. However, the girl did not accept death. Knowing that her family and the villagers loved her, she prayed to the Earth God to transform her into a golden-feathered bird, never seen before, to fly back home and speak to the Old God:

– I was killed by the monster, but I can’t leave my family. Please, Old God, ask the heavens to bring me back to life.

The Old God promised:

– I will speak to the heavens for you.

The golden bird flew down to her family, chirped, and flew away. At that moment, the mother and sister learned of her death. The mother fainted by the fire, but the Old God appeared and reassured her:

– Don’t worry, I’ll ask the heavens to bring her back.

That night, the Old God returned and told the family:

– The heavens are merciful, but she passed beyond the time allowed. She can only return for nine days every year.

Though saddened, the family was relieved to see her again. They eagerly awaited her return each year. On the ninth night, just as the girl had said goodbye, her form began to fade and vanish like mist. The family mourned, but they took comfort knowing she would return next year.

And so, every year on the eve of the Lunar New Year, the girl in yellow would return to visit her family. But once her parents and sister passed away, she no longer returned. She transformed into a golden apricot tree, blooming with flowers in the color of her robe. The flowers bloomed for nine or ten days around the Tet holiday before falling off, only to return the next year. People now call this tree the Mai Vàng, or Golden Apricot Tree. Every Tet, families in Central and Southern Vietnam buy a branch of Mai Vàng to decorate their altars, believing it brings beauty, joy, and wards off evil spirits for the whole year.

Once upon a time, in the eastern region of Soc Son Mountain in Northern Vietnam, there stood an ancient peach tree. Its branches and leaves were unusually large, casting a shadow that covered a vast area.

Two deities named Tra and Uat Luy lived in this enormous peach tree. They protected the local people by driving away evil spirits, ensuring peace and happiness in the region. The malevolent forces were terrified of the gods' immense power, and simply seeing a peach branch would send them fleeing in fear.

However, at the end of the year, like all other gods, Tra and Uat Luy had to ascend to the celestial realm to meet the Jade Emperor. This left the evil spirits a chance to wreak havoc.

To ward off the evil, the people came up with a solution: they would cut branches from the peach tree and place them in vases in their homes. If someone could not find a branch, they would draw the likeness of the two gods on red paper and hang it on the door to protect their house.

Since then, every year during the Lunar New Year, families would make sure to bring peach branches into their homes as a means of driving away evil spirits. Over time, however, the original spiritual significance of the custom faded, as people no longer believed in the same way their ancestors did.

Today, fresh peach branches continue to be displayed in homes during the Tet holiday, though their meaning has changed. They now symbolize warmth, bringing joy, love, and hope for a prosperous year ahead.

Once upon a time, a wealthy man had four sons. As he neared death, he called his sons to his side and instructed them to divide his estate equally. The sons promised to follow his wishes. However, once their father was buried, the three older brothers took more than their younger sibling, leaving him with only a barren plot of land. The youngest son was heartbroken, mourning his father and feeling betrayed by his brothers. As he sat alone, crying on the dry land, a fairy suddenly appeared from a nearby pond and spoke to him:

– Don’t cry, my child. This land holds a hidden treasure that your brothers don’t know about. It contains the seeds of a rare and precious flower. Every year, when spring comes, the flowers will bloom abundantly across this land. You can harvest them and sell them for a great price. Soon, you will be wealthier than your brothers.

Indeed, when spring arrived, the barren land of the youngest son miraculously bloomed with rows of fragrant white flowers, just as the fairy had promised. Grateful for the fairy's kindness, the son named the flowers Narcissus. People who loved flowers, as well as the wealthy, eagerly came to buy these rare blooms at a high price. In no time, the young man became wealthier than his greedy brothers. Every year, as the Lunar New Year approached, his fortune grew, thanks to the beautiful flowers that bloomed on his land.

It is believed that Narcissus flowers bring prosperity and good fortune. Thus, it has become a custom to display them during the Lunar New Year, hoping to usher in wealth and happiness for the year ahead. People take care of their Narcissus flowers, ensuring they bloom precisely at midnight on New Year's Eve, bringing luck and abundance in the new year.

According to ancient Vietnamese customs, the New Year's Eve offering often includes a plate of bright red gac sticky rice, symbolizing luck and prosperity for the entire year, along with a beautifully prepared rooster with a red rose in its beak, representing health and purity.

The rooster was chosen as a sacred offering on New Year's Eve because, according to the mythology of some Vietnamese ethnic groups, when the Jade Emperor first created the Earth, it was cold and damp. He sent ten suns to shine continuously, drying the land. However, the land became parched and cracked, and the Jade Emperor forgot to call back the suns, causing hardship for both humans and plants.

A brave hero shot down nine of the suns with his bow. The last sun, in fear, flew high into the sky and hid, leaving the Earth dark and cold. All creatures tried to call the sun back, but only the strong rooster could crow loudly enough to attract the sun's attention. The sun, curious, descended, warming the Earth once more.

New Year's Eve (Tất Niên) is considered the darkest night of the year, when the sun is thought to be at its lowest point. Families offer a rooster, hoping that its crowing will awaken the sun and bring light for the coming year. The rooster is symbolic of health and purity, representing the desire for good fortune and harmonious weather for the farming community. Over time, the rooster offering has become a beloved New Year's tradition in every Vietnamese household.

However, in modern times, as many Vietnamese families no longer practice agriculture, the myth of the rooster calling the sun has faded. Instead of a rooster, some now offer pork, which has only material significance, lacking the cultural depth of the original ritual. Some even offer modern interpretations, such as not offering a rooster during the Year of the Snake because snakes eat chickens, or not offering one during the Year of the Rooster. These modern rationalizations overlook the deeper cultural meaning of the ancient ceremony.

The rooster offering on New Year's Eve is a beautiful aspect of Vietnamese culture. It is important for future generations to preserve this ancient tradition, and not let it be diminished by the changing times.

Once upon a time, a poor couple had been married for many years but were unable to have children. One day, feeling despondent, the husband and wife had a quarrel. In a moment of anger, the husband struck his wife, causing her to run away from home in sadness. Fate led her to a hunter living in the mountains, and she became his companion. The husband, filled with regret, searched for her for days but could not find her. Running out of money and falling ill, he was reduced to begging.

One day, by chance, he arrived at the house of the hunter's family, asking for food. The wife recognized her former husband, and seeing his poor, sickly state, she felt pity. When her new husband went out, she prepared a meal and shared it with her old husband. He ate and drank to his heart's content, then fell asleep deeply, unable to be woken. In a panic, the wife hurriedly carried him to a pile of hay at the back of the yard, covering him with straw to hide him from the returning husband.

Just then, the new husband returned with a wild boar and asked his wife to prepare a feast for the neighbors. He set fire to the pile of hay to roast the boar. Unfortunately, the fire spread, burning the straw and also causing the old husband to be burned to death. When the wife returned and saw the tragedy, she was heartbroken, feeling as though she had killed her former husband. Overcome with grief, she jumped into the fire and died beside him. The new husband, deeply moved by his wife's sacrifice, also threw himself into the fire, and all three perished together. This tragic event took place on the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month.

Seeing the deep love and devotion between the three, the Jade Emperor decided to transform them into the three Kitchen Gods, allowing them to remain together forever. He also appointed them as the guardians of the household, responsible for reporting to the Jade Emperor each year about the family's well-being. As a result, the custom of offering carp to send the Kitchen Gods back to Heaven before the Lunar New Year was born, originating from this very story.

Long ago, the Vietnamese people were often troubled by the mischievous and malevolent spirits, the most notorious of which was a demon named Na-Á. This demon was incredibly vicious, and his wife, known as Mrs. Na-Á, was just as fearsome. Together, they tormented the people, causing havoc wherever they went.

Despite their terrifying power, the couple had one weakness: they were terrified of light and loud noises. As a result, they only came out at night, wreaking havoc in the darkness. No magic or charm could stop them, as only light and noise could deter them.

The local gods and protectors could only hold back the demons, but they were unable to completely destroy them. However, at the turn of the year, when these gods were required to return to Heaven to report to the Jade Emperor, the demons were left unchecked. This gave them the perfect opportunity to cause even more trouble, spreading chaos and fear during the New Year.

The gods, concerned for the people, realized they could not miss their divine summons. They devised a clever solution to protect the people during the festival days. They instructed the villagers to light fireworks and keep lanterns burning, as the light and noise would drive the demons away. On New Year's Eve, especially at midnight, people would set off firecrackers loudly, believing the loud bangs and the smell of gunpowder would keep the demons at bay and ensure no misfortune would occur at the start of the year.

To further protect themselves from evil spirits, people also scattered lime powder around their homes and drew symbols of bows and arrows at their doorways. This custom dates back to the reign of King Đinh Tiên Hoàng, as told in the following legend:

When King Đinh had just quelled the rebellious warlords and restored peace to the country, a plague suddenly broke out, claiming many lives. The epidemic was a direct result of the bloody battles, where many bodies had been left unburied, causing decay and attracting disease. Along with the plague, wandering spirits and vengeful ghosts appeared, disturbing the living.

Unable to defeat such a terrifying foe, King Đinh turned to Heaven for help. A divine messenger appeared and advised the king to use lime powder, sprinkling it around each house and drawing bows and arrows in front of doorways to repel the ghosts and spirits. The king followed the advice, and soon the plague subsided.

From that day forward, the practice of using lime powder and drawing symbols to protect against evil spirits became a well-established tradition passed down through generations.

Once upon a time, there was a married couple who rarely got along due to their contrasting personalities. The husband was addicted to various vices. He spent his days drinking and gambling, and when not indulging in these activities, he would catch birds for sport. On one occasion, he even traded a whole cow for a prized bird. Each time he returned home with a new bird, he would cook it and enjoy it with wine, all while ignoring any work or responsibilities. It was a rare occasion when he helped his wife with the farmwork, and even then, he only did so after she had finished all the smaller tasks.

Meanwhile, the wife, though diligent, struggled to find a way to convince her husband to change his ways. Every time he returned home drunk, she would scold him harshly. As Tết approached, the whole village was busy preparing for the holiday. The women sewed new clothes, gathered firewood, and prepared food, while the men cleaned and decorated the ancestral altars. But in this household, no preparations had been made. On the 29th of Tết, the husband returned home from drinking, completely intoxicated, and was once again met with the wife's angry outbursts. A loud argument broke out between them.

In the midst of this, their young daughter timidly approached her mother and asked:

– Mom, why haven't we wrapped the Chung cakes yet?

The mother, annoyed, snapped:

– Cakes? Where do we have meat to make the filling?

At that moment, their son returned home and, noticing the lack of preparations, hurriedly asked his father:

– Dad, do we not have pork yet? Everyone in the village has slaughtered theirs.

– Our pig is as small as a mouse. We can have meat whenever we want.

Your mother never raised pigs, so don't expect anything big!

Though angry at his wife, the husband's heart softened when he heard the children's questions about cakes and meat. He decided to steal a pig's leg from the neighbor and brought it home. That evening, he went to his friend's house to drink more wine, and in his drunken stupor, he collapsed by the edge of the forest. A passerby noticed him and told his wife to go fetch him.

The wife, already furious, muttered a curse:

– Let the tiger take him away, it's better that way!

She then resumed making the cakes and boiling them in a pot.

By the time the cakes were ready, it was late, and the children had fallen asleep without realizing how long they had been waiting. It was then that the wife remembered her husband lying outside. She lit a torch and woke her son to search for him. They walked through the edge of the forest, calling his name, but there was no answer. With no other choice, they ventured deeper into the thickets. Eventually, they reached a spot where the grass and trees were trampled, and there, they found pools of blood and his torn sleeve...

Mother and son burst into tears, "The tiger must have eaten him!"

Frantically, they ran back to the village, crying out for help. The entire village joined the search, but by morning, they had found no trace of the husband. The wife, filled with regret, set out with her son once more, following the bloodstains and tiger tracks. By midday, they discovered her husband's body in a valley, still intact, for the tiger had been unable to eat him due to the strong smell of alcohol on his breath.

The wife wept bitterly, recounting her struggles, lamenting the hardships of her life. She cried until her voice gave out, then thought to herself: If I go back, I'll still be poor, and the villagers will criticize me for neglecting my husband. It would be better to die than face that. In her despair, she took her own life by biting her tongue. The tiger, hearing her mournful cries from behind a bush, felt a pang of sympathy. It wondered how it could atone for the wrongs of this poor family. So, it went and caught two pigs, and that night, it brought both the pigs and the couple's bodies back to their doorstep.

When the children saw their parents dead, they ran back to the village in fear. The entire village mourned with them. On New Year's Eve, the villagers brought meat and cakes to the house, but the children had no appetite. On the first morning of Tết, the villagers were shocked to find the bodies of the couple, still holding each other, with two pigs nearby. The ground was covered in tiger tracks, and everyone realized that the tiger had brought them home. Moved by the tragic sight, the villagers decided to forgo their Tết celebrations to properly bury the couple and offer sacrifices to their spirits.

From then on, the children, as they grew up, would, every year on the 30th of Tết, remember their parents' tragic death. They would wrap Chung cakes and bind two together to place on the altar, honoring their mother and father. To this day, the people of Cao Lan still practice this tradition of wrapping two Chung cakes together and cooking them for their ancestors on Tết.

In ancient times, people did not know how to measure time or track their age. In a certain kingdom, there was a wise and virtuous king who ruled over a peaceful and prosperous land.

One day, the king had the idea to reward the oldest person in the kingdom. However, no one in the villages could identify the oldest person. Seeing this, the king sent a group of messengers to consult the gods on how to determine the oldest being.

The messengers set off and met the first god, the River God. The River God, dressed in white with hair flowing like water, shook his head and replied:

– I have been here for a long time, but I am not older than my mother. You should ask her. She is the Ocean.

The Ocean God, dressed in blue, was singing lullabies to her children, the waves. When asked, she pointed to a distant mountain and said:

– Ask the Mountain God. He was born before me. When I was growing up, the Mountain God was already old.

The messengers continued their journey to meet the Mountain God, whose green skin was covered in moss. He also shook his head and pointed to the sky:

– You should ask the Sun God. When I was born, I had to shut my eyes because of the Sun's blazing rays. The Sun has existed before me.

The messengers, unable to reach the Sun God, returned in despair. As they passed through a forest, they encountered an elderly woman sitting quietly, gazing at a blossoming peach tree. The messengers approached her and asked:

– Why are you sitting here, grandmother?

The elderly woman replied:

– I come here to pick peach blossoms. In the past, my child traveled far away, and this peach tree would bloom in their absence. Every time the flowers bloom, I come to pick a blossom to remember my child.

An idea suddenly flashed in the messengers' minds, and they asked the elderly woman for permission to return to the capital.

Upon reporting to the king, the messengers explained how the elderly woman waited for the peach blossoms to mark the passage of time. The wise king immediately realized that the blooming of the peach flowers could be used to calculate age: each time the flowers bloomed, one year had passed. Later, it was discovered that after twelve full moon cycles, the peach flowers would bloom once.

The king, overjoyed by this discovery, remembered the elderly woman and her peach flowers with gratitude. He declared that every time the peach flowers bloomed, there would be a celebration lasting three days and nights. These joyous days became known as the Lunar New Year, a tradition that has been passed down to this day.

From the moment the New Year begins, it is considered bad luck to sweep the house, as people believe that sweeping during the first days of the year will sweep away prosperity and good fortune for the upcoming year.

This tradition originates from an ancient Chinese legend recorded in the "Records of Supernatural Events".

The story tells of a merchant named Ou Ming, who, while traveling near the Qing Thao lake, encountered a frail, ragged little girl. Moved by compassion, he took her in and adopted her, naming her Nhu Nguyet. After a few years of raising the girl, Ou Ming’s fortune flourished, and his family became wealthy, but he also grew mean-spirited and greedy.

One day, on the first day of the New Year, Nhu Nguyet accidentally broke a precious vase. In a fit of rage, Ou Ming beat her, and in fear, she hid inside a pile of trash in the corner of the house. His wife, unaware, swept the house and inadvertently threw out the trash, with Nhu Nguyet inside. After that, Ou Ming’s wealth began to decline. People later believed that Nhu Nguyet was the goddess of wealth, and they set up an altar to honor her (this might explain why altars to the god of wealth are often placed in the corner of the house).

This is why the tradition of not sweeping or throwing out trash during the first three days of the New Year exists—people fear that they might accidentally dispose of the goddess of wealth, bringing bad fortune and financial hardship.