Top 10 Stories for Toddlers on Tet

Do you know why there are so many vibrant flowers when Spring arrives, beyond the garden and streets?

Once upon a time, there was no Spring, my dear. There were only three seasons in a year, the Summer, the Autumn, and the Winter. People said that Spring only comes when a colorful rainbow appears, and all flowers compete to bloom at once!

A rainbow only appears in the Summer when the sun shows up after a rain shower. However, flowers bloom scattered throughout the year, scattered all over the Earth, so they cannot coordinate to bloom at the same time. Therefore, after the freezing Winter comes the scorching Summer, and the sudden change in weather causes great distress to all creatures. Everyone wishes for a warm season, so everyone loves to hear stories about Spring and dreams of welcoming Spring.

There was a little Rabbit living in that green forest with its mother. Every season change, the Rabbit's mother fell ill. Feeling sorry for his mother, the little Rabbit discussed with the wise old Monkey:

- Mr. Monkey, why don't we make a beautiful rainbow to welcome Miss Spring to us together?

- But how can we do it? - The old Monkey asked hesitantly.

- I will invite our friends in the forest to contribute their most beautiful fur to make a colorful rainbow.

The old Monkey agreed with the Rabbit. The news spread everywhere. All the creatures in the forest wanted to meet the gentle, warm Spring, so they happily contributed their most beautiful colors. There were the brown color of the Bear, the silky yellow color of the Deer, the gray color of the Squirrel... Then the Peacock, Parrot, and Magpie also contributed their colorful feathers. The fish sent a bag full of glittering scales to the rainbow. The clever Worm skillfully started connecting the color pieces to make the rainbow.

Meanwhile, the Rabbit set out to find different types of flowers. The Rabbit went everywhere, crossing from one forest to another to meet each type of flower, persuading them to bloom at the same time to welcome Spring. Touched by the Rabbit's filial piety, all the flowers agreed to accumulate nutrients to wait for Miss Wind to announce the simultaneous blooming.

One late morning at the end of Winter, the Butterfly finished weaving the last pieces of color. The rainbow appeared, making all the creatures on the ground excited. Miss Wind quickly spread the news to the flowers. As promised, the flowers bloomed one by one, radiating brilliant colors. The whole Earth was dazzling with colors. The beautiful Spring lady had come to Earth. From then on, Earth had all four seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. If you pay attention, you'll see that all flowers show off their vibrant colors when the gentle spring breezes blow. As for the lovely little Rabbit, he was gifted a pure white coat by Spring for his filial piety and for fostering unity among his fellow animals and various flowers to welcome Spring together.

In a forest lived an adorable Little Bunny who adored spring. Spring always made his garden bloom with vibrant colors. However, spring never lingered for long. So, Little Bunny felt a tinge of sadness each time he saw spring passing by. Right after spring came summer with its scorching sun, making it impossible for the flowers in Little Bunny's garden to blossom. Taking a stroll in the garden, Little Bunny often heard the flowers sighing:

- It's too hot, dear Little Bunny! Is there any way you can help us?

Seeing the flowers suffering and wilting in the heat, Little Bunny felt deeply compassionate. But what could he do now?

One day, Little Bunny decided to seek Rain God's help. It was said that the Rain God often hid behind dark clouds on the top of a high mountain. The journey was tough, but Little Bunny persevered. Eventually, he reached the mountain's summit. Looking up at the dark clouds, Little Bunny was initially frightened because they seemed a bit ominous. However, the image of flowers struggling to bloom under the relentless sun emboldened him.

- Please, Rain God, shower coolness upon the flowers in my garden so they can flourish! - Little Bunny took a deep breath and spoke loudly.

- Hello, Little Bunny! You are brave and adorable. Go back to your garden! I will make it rain right away! - The Rain God responded kindly.

- Thank you, Rain God! Grateful, Little Bunny dashed back home. As soon as he reached the garden gate, rain started pouring. The raindrops were refreshing the blossoming buds. And then, a miraculous sight unfolded before Little Bunny's eyes: delicate and vibrant flower petals were unfurling, swaying and waving in greeting.

Overjoyed, Little Bunny exclaimed: 'Oh, spring, spring has returned!'

In ancient times, people didn't measure time or know their age. In a land ruled by a wise and virtuous king, the people lived in peace and prosperity.

Once, on a joyous occasion, the king decided to reward the oldest person in the country. The entire nation buzzed with excitement. Villages convened to select the oldest person, but none could decide because nobody knew their own age. The royal court was perplexed, unable to find a way to determine the oldest person in the land.

Observing this, the king sent a delegation to seek advice from various gods. Following the king's command, the delegation set out on a journey. The first deity they encountered was the River God. Clad in a white robe with water-like hair, the River God, when asked, shook his head and replied:

- I've been here for a while, but I'm not as old as my mother. My mother is the Sea; go and ask her.

The Sea God, dressed in azure blue, was tenderly lulling her child with the soothing words of the waves. When questioned, she pointed towards a distant mountain range and spoke:

- Ask the Mountain God. The Mountain God existed even before I did. By the time I matured, the Mountain God was already old.

The delegation once again embarked on a challenging journey to meet the Mountain God. With moss-covered green skin, the Mountain God simply shook his head and pointed to the sky:

- Go inquire of the Sun God. When I came into being, I had to squint because of the Sun God's radiance. The Sun God predates me.

Struggling to reach the Sun God's abode, the delegation returned disappointed. In a forest, they encountered an elderly woman with a melancholic face sitting pensively in front of a cherry blossom tree. Approaching her, they asked:

- Kind elder, why are you sitting here?

- I come here to pick cherry blossoms. In the past, my child went far away, and this cherry blossom tree bloomed. Now, every time it blossoms, I pluck a flower to remember my child. - The elderly woman replied.

An idea sparked in the delegation's mind. They bid farewell to the old woman and returned to the capital. They informed the king about meeting the woman who picked cherry blossoms to mark time waiting for her child. The intelligent king devised a method to determine human age: Each time a cherry blossom bloomed, count one year. Later on, people recognized twelve full moons followed by waning ones, and the cherry blossoms bloomed once again.

Recalling the compassionate old woman, the wise king proclaimed to his subjects: Every time cherry blossoms bloom, celebrate for three days and three nights.

Those joyful days, later known as Tet, are a tradition that continues to this day.

In the flower garden, every flower believed itself to be the most beautiful. The Rose claimed:

- Without me, the entire garden would lose its beauty.

The Orchid said:

- Without me, no one would bother visiting the garden.

The Violet chimed in:

- The beauty of the garden is because of me! My purple attire and graceful demeanor are truly magnificent.

Then came the Lily, Chrysanthemum, Lavender, Money Plant... all boasting that they were the fairest, turning the garden into a lively spectacle. Only one tree standing quietly in a corner remained silent. The tree had countless slender brown branches and sparse green leaves. Other flowers looked at it and remarked:

- What kind of tree is that, with its angular branches, devoid of any flowers.

From that day on, nobody mentioned the tree in the corner of the garden anymore.

On the thirtieth morning of Tet, the owner stepped into the flower garden and said:

- Greetings to the blooming flowers of spring!

The entire flower garden buzzed with excitement. Every flower hoped the owner would choose them to display on Tet day. Strangely, the owner rushed to the corner of the garden and exclaimed:

- Oh, the cherry blossom tree is beautiful!

All types of flowers suddenly noticed the tree, which, once angular, now wore a magnificent coat. Thousands of lovely pink blossoms were playing in the warm spring sun.

The flowers asked Cherry Blossom:

- How did you make your blossoms so beautiful?

Cherry Blossom gently replied:

- It's thanks to Mother Earth's nurturing, the rain and sunshine throughout the seasons, and the early morning care of the owner!

The owner continued:

- It's also because of modesty, simplicity, enduring the cold wind and dew of Cherry Blossom. Throughout the year, Cherry Blossom dedicated everything to bloom and offer the fragrant beauty of spring to all of us.

Now, the various flowers understood. They felt ashamed of their past attitudes and softly said:

- Cherry Blossom, can we join you in spreading fragrance on Tet day?

Cherry Blossom and the owner replied:

- Of course! Come, let's celebrate the New Year together!

The entire flower garden bloomed with vibrant colors and intoxicating fragrance to welcome the arrival of spring.

Red envelope tradition during Tet has its origins in China, stemming from a tale of children being harassed by a mischievous monster.

Long ago, there was a monster named Sui who, every New Year's Eve, would stroke the heads of sleeping children, causing them to wake up frightened, feverish, and babbling. Once the symptoms disappeared, the children became dull-witted. Families with small children had to stay awake all night to guard against the monster Sui. This is the origin of the tradition of staying up on New Year's Eve.

There was a Quan family with a child born after they turned 50, and they cherished him dearly. One Tet, eight fairies passed by and informed the family that the boy would face danger from the mischievous monster. Seeing the kindness of the Quan family, the fairies transformed into eight coins and instructed the boy's parents on what to do. On New Year's Eve, when Sui arrived and reached out to touch the boy's head, suddenly a bright light emanated from eight coins placed in a red paper near the boy's pillow, frightening the monster away.

Since then, the story of the eight coins wrapped in red paper spread everywhere, and people near and far imitated it every Tet. Later, they came up with the red envelope to replace the red paper, turning the practice of warding off monsters into a tradition of celebrating the youth during Tet.

In ancient times, during the reign of the 6th Hung King, after defeating invaders, the king planned to pass the throne to his successor.

On the occasion of the Lunar New Year, the king gathered his princes and declared, 'The one who finds the most meaningful and delicious dish for our feast will inherit the throne.'

The princes scrambled to find rare delicacies to present to their father, hoping to secure the golden crown.

Meanwhile, the 18th son of Hung King, named Tiet Lieu (or Lang Lieu), was known for his kindness, ethical conduct, and filial piety toward his parents. Concerned about his late mother and lacking someone to draw her portrait, he pondered over what to offer.

One day, Tiet Lieu dreamt of a deity who advised, 'My child, nothing in Heaven and Earth is as precious as rice because it sustains human life. You should use glutinous rice to make both square and round cakes, symbolizing the Earth and Heaven. Wrap the cakes with leaves on the outside, and place the filling inside to represent the loving embrace of parents.'

Tiet Lieu woke up overjoyed. He followed the deity's instructions, using high-quality glutinous rice to make square cakes, symbolizing the Earth, named Banh Chung, and molding round cakes, symbolizing Heaven, named Banh Day. The green leaves wrapped around the cakes and the filling inside symbolized the loving protection of parents for their children.

On the appointed day, the princes presented various dishes on the royal table. Oh, it was a grand feast with exquisite dishes. Prince Tiet Lieu, however, only brought Banh Day and Banh Chung. King Hung Vương, curious, asked Tiet Lieu for an explanation. Tiet Lieu recounted the dream, explained the significance of Banh Day and Banh Chung. The king tasted the cakes, found them delicious, praised their meaning, and decided to pass the throne to the 18th son, Tiet Lieu.

Since then, every Lunar New Year, people make Banh Chung and Banh Day to offer to their Ancestors and Heaven.

According to an ancient custom, it is said that in the distant past, malevolent demons oppressed and seized all the land of humans. People had to rent land from the demons to cultivate rice and endure the condition of 'consume the shoots for the roots.' The demons took all the grains, leaving only the straw for the people.

Out of compassion, Buddha suggested planting sweet potatoes. At the end of the season, people harvested the tubers, leaving the demons with only the leaves. The demons altered the condition to 'consume both roots and shoots.' Buddha advised people to return to cultivating rice. When people harvested the rice, they gave the straw to the demons.

Angry that they gained nothing in two consecutive attempts, the demons changed the condition to 'consume both roots and shoots entirely.' Buddha instructed people to grow corn. Since the corn kernels form in the middle of the stalk, at the end of the season, people harvested corn with full cobs, leaving the demons with nothing.

Unable to obtain any crops, the demons demanded their land back. Buddha told people to purchase a small piece of land equivalent to the size of the shadow of a bamboo hat hung on a bamboo pole. Seeing an opportunity, the demons agreed. When people planted the bamboo, Buddha magically made the bamboo shoot up to the sky, and the bamboo hat expanded to cover the entire land.

The demons lost all the land and had to retreat to the sea. Out of resentment, they brought an army to reclaim the farmland. Knowing that demons feared lime powder, pandan leaves, and dog's blood, Buddha instructed people to use these to defeat the demon horde three times.

Defeated, the demons pleaded with Buddha to allow them a few days each year to return to the mainland to visit their ancestors' graves. Buddha agreed. Since then, every Tet, the demons are allowed to return to the mainland. People erect bamboo poles in front of their houses to keep the spirits away from their land.

Once upon a time, there was a girl named Mai, the daughter of a hunter who was very brave and courageous. At the age of fourteen, she was trained by her father to become a skilled and martial arts expert. At that time, a monster came to disturb a village, and the villagers announced a reward for whoever could kill the monster. Mai and her father set out to kill the monster, and after succeeding, their fame spread far and wide.

Shortly after, Mai's father fell seriously ill, and his health deteriorated day by day. At this point, Mai had turned eighteen, and her strength and martial arts skills had greatly increased. That year, a snake demon appeared in another area, and the villagers urgently requested Mai and her father to kill the demon. Before the daughter set out, the mother made her a beautiful yellow silk outfit, and Mai promised to wear it when she returned so that her mother could see her from afar. The father and daughter then climbed mountains and crossed streams to find the demon and eliminate it. However, due to his weakness, the father couldn't offer much help, leaving Mai to confront the demon alone. Despite eventually killing the demon, Mai was fatally wounded as the snake demon coiled around and squeezed the life out of her.

Moved by Mai's heroic spirit and her mother's tearful pleas, the Kitchen God appealed to the Jade Emperor to grant Mai a chance to return to life and be with her family for nine days. From then on, Mai could return home in her original form for nine days (from the 28th of the twelfth lunar month until the 6th day of Tet, then disappear). After her parents and relatives passed away, Mai never returned home again. Instead, she transformed into a flowering tree near the temple that the villagers had erected to worship her. Seeing the mysterious flower growing next to the temple, blooming with golden flowers for nine days during Tet, the villagers named the flower after Mai and propagated its branches everywhere to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck to families every spring and the end of each Tet.

Long ago, in the eastern part of Soc Son Mountain, North Vietnam, there existed an ancient peach blossom tree. Its unusually large branches and leaves covered a vast area.

Two deities named Tra and Uat Luy resided on this colossal peach blossom tree. These deities vanquished malevolent spirits, ensuring that the people in the region led peaceful and happy lives. Terrified by the immense power of these two deities, even the demons feared the peach blossom tree. The mere sight of its branches made them flee in terror.

However, on the last day of the year, like other deities, Tra and Uat Luy had to ascend to the heavenly court to pay respects to the Jade Emperor. This provided an opportunity for the demons to roam freely and wreak havoc.

To prevent the demons from causing trouble, the villagers devised a solution: they would cut peach blossom branches and place them in vases. If someone couldn't cut a peach blossom branch, they would use pink paper to draw pictures of the two deities and stick them on the front pillars of their houses to drive away the demons.

Since then, every year, as Tet approaches, every family endeavors to cut peach blossom branches to bring home and ward off the demons. However, over time, people forgot the mystical meaning of this ritual as they no longer believed in demons and deities like their ancestors did.
Today, fresh peach blossom branches still grace every home as Tet arrives, bringing warmth, joy, love, and hope for a beautiful new year.

'The Tale of Mr. Tao's Return to the Heavens,' also known as 'The Story of Kitchen Gods,' is a touching narrative of marital devotion. It explains the traditional Vietnamese custom of offering prayers to Mr. Cong and Mr. Tao on the 23rd of the lunar December, my dear ones!

Long ago, a poor couple had been married for a long time without having children. One day, amidst their sorrows, they had a heated argument, and in a fit of anger, the husband struck his wife, who, feeling dejected, left the house. Fateful circumstances led her to befriend another man from a neighboring region who was a skilled hunter. Regretful and seeking reconciliation, the husband set out to find her. After an exhaustive search with no success and running out of money, he fell ill and destitute, resorting to begging.

One day, by chance, he came to seek food right at the house of the couple he once belonged to. Recognizing her former husband, now hungry and ragged, the wife felt immense pity. Taking advantage of the absence of her current husband, she prepared a feast and offered it to her ex-husband. He ate heartily, became inebriated, and fell into a deep sleep, impervious to all attempts to wake him. Alarmed and with the husband's return imminent, she hastily carried the sleeping man to a haystack at the end of the yard, covering him with straw to conceal him and avoid any undesirable rumors.

Meanwhile, the current husband brought home a wild cat, instructing his wife to go to the market to buy spices for a feast to showcase to the neighbors. At home, he ignited the haystack to smoke out the cat. Unexpectedly, the fire flared up, engulfing not just the old husband but also the wife, who, upon discovering the situation, leaped into the flames to join him. Witnessing the tragic scene, the current husband, filled with sorrow, also sacrificed himself. That day was the twenty-third of the lunar December.

Seeing the three individuals bound by love, the Jade Emperor transformed them into three 'kings' of the vegetable field, allowing them to stay together forever. Simultaneously, he bestowed upon them the title of Kitchen Gods. Every year, the Kitchen Gods ascend to report on the affairs of households to the Jade Emperor. Since ancient times, on the eve of Tet, people have the tradition of buying carp to bid farewell to Mr. Tao as he returns to the heavens, originating from this story.