Top 12 Most Beautiful Cultural Aspects of Tet Nguyen Dan in Vietnam

Every year, from the 23rd to the 30th of the last lunar month, many Vietnamese families gather together to visit, clean, and decorate their ancestors' graves. They bring offerings like incense, candles, and fruits to invite the spirits of their ancestors to join them in celebrating Tet.

It is believed in Vietnamese spiritual tradition that the new year marks the beginning of everything new, and everything, including the resting place of ancestors, needs to be cleaned and renovated.

Grave visitation at the end of the year is not only a common custom among Vietnamese people during Tet Nguyen Dan but also a distinctive feature of family tradition. Visiting and caring for ancestors' graves are clearly recorded and specified in the genealogy as a beautiful tradition of the clan, to be continued and followed by future generations.

This practice embodies the beauty of 'filial piety' in Vietnamese culture, strengthening love and unity among the living and between the living and the deceased, as expressed in the saying:

'Humans have ancestors and clans

Like trees have roots, like rivers have sources'

Cleaning and caring for the graves of ancestors and loved ones also show the affection of people towards their roots, their ancestors, and grandparents, from whom they learn how to be human, how to exist in the world, and how to be blessed by their ancestors in the upcoming new year.

In today's modern society, many traditions have faded away, but one traditional value that is still preserved is the custom of making Chung cake and Tet cake during Tet.

This is a traditional cultural beauty that cannot be missed on every Tet holiday, showing the unity and warmth when family members gather around the pot of boiling cakes.

This also preserves and promotes the creativity of our ancestors from ancient times, showing gratitude to our ancestors, as when the 6th Hung King decided to choose Lang Lieu's Chung cake as an offering to the ancestors.

Chung cake is a typical Tet cake of provinces in the North and Central North. In Southern provinces, the popular cake during Tet is Tet cake. Although different in name (Chung cake, Tet cake), shape (one square, one cylindrical), and wrapping leaves (one wrapped in dong leaves, one wrapped in banana leaves), both types of cakes have certain common points such as the ingredients are glutinous rice, pork, and green beans.

With the development of modern society, many families no longer make Chung cake and Tet cake themselves but order them according to their requirements. Both Chung cake and Tet cake nowadays come in a variety of sizes and flavors to meet the tastes of consumers. You can choose from a wide range of cakes, from large to small, salty or sweet, meat or vegetarian fillings, which are very diverse.

Every Lunar New Year, every household cleans and decorates their house to create the right atmosphere for the Tet holiday. All items, dishes, tables, chairs, altars... are taken out, cleaned, and arranged neatly. Cleaning the house on Tet has an important meaning to bid farewell to the old year, welcome the new year, everything must be new.

Decorating the house can be based on each family's lifestyle and economic conditions. But typically, many families will hang couplets or Tet paintings on the walls, and place vases or pots of flowers with various colors that bring the breath of spring such as: peach blossoms, apricot blossoms, kumquat trees, yellow daisies, roses... In addition, the tray of five fruits is carefully arranged to light incense on the altar.

Aside from feasting during Tet, enjoying the beauty of flowers, playing with floral arrangements is also a cultural beauty that has been preserved for a long time. This is an interesting, elegant, and graceful activity on Tet. The two typical flowers for Tet are peach blossoms in the North and apricot blossoms in the South.

These are the two most popular flowers nationwide that almost every household decorates with on Tet. In addition, flowers for worship and decoration on Tet are very popular such as: chrysanthemums, roses, orchids, dollar plants... contribute to embellishing the spring with brilliant colors. These flowers have contributed to making Tet more joyful, creating a warm feeling for family gatherings.

Additionally, fruit-bearing plants are also used to decorate and beautify the Tet space such as: kumquat trees, ornamental mandarin trees, pomelo trees... These are meticulously shaped, with fresh green branches and leaves, full and shiny fruits, symbolizing richness, and the desire for a new year of prosperity, good results.

Along with playing with flowers, Vietnamese families also pay attention to arranging the tray of five fruits on the altar. The fruits symbolize the homeowner's wishes for a peaceful new year. The 5 types of fruits according to the ancient belief symbolize development, vitality.

Although people in the North are not strict about choosing the tray of five fruits, almost any fruit can be placed, people in the South are more superstitious about fruits with names that sound bad such as: oranges - bad luck, pears - lingering... and avoiding bitter or spicy flavors.

Every year, on the 23rd of the lunar month of December, Vietnamese people prepare the altar to worship and bid farewell to the Kitchen Gods. This is a unique cultural feature of the Vietnamese people that has been passed down through generations.

In Vietnamese folklore, the story of the Kitchen Gods originates from the three gods: Tho Cong, Tho Dia, Tho Ki, of Taoism in China, but has been Vietnamese-ized into the tale of two gods, one goddess representing the deities of the land, home, and kitchen.

Vietnamese believe that on the 23rd of December every year, the Kitchen Gods ride carps to heaven to report all the activities, behaviors in the family to the Jade Emperor. Until New Year's Eve, the Kitchen Gods return to earth to take care of their kitchen.

Because the kitchen deity knows all the good and bad things that happen in the house, to ensure the Kitchen Gods bring lots of luck in the new year, people often hold a very careful farewell ceremony for the Kitchen Gods. Offerings may include: Three sets of clothes for the Kitchen Gods, along with gold, a tray of salty foods, cakes, live carps, or paper carps... The ceremony usually takes place before noon, after the offering, people will turn the offerings into gold, if there are live carps, they will release them into the river, lake... depending on the living area.

First Footing at the beginning of the year is a custom passed down from our ancestors and still practiced today. It is believed that the first footer of the year has an influence on the destiny of the homeowner for the entire year, so the first footer is considered quite important. However, there is no general standard or rule for first footing nationwide. The timing of first footing is after the moment of transition into the new year. Most Vietnamese families, while not overly superstitious, always hope for a cheerful, generous first footer to bring luck and prosperity to the family for the new year.

In business or social circles, people pay a lot of attention to this matter. The first footer is the first person to step into the house, usually a male (as men are considered the backbone of the family), dressed not too elaborately but clean and tidy, carrying good wishes and a genuine smile to signify a year full of joy and prosperity.

People also pay attention to the age of the first footer. The Five Elements of the homeowner and the first footer must be compatible or avoid falling into conflict according to spiritual belief. Vietnamese people also do not want those with poor ethics, criminal records, those in mourning, or those with sad family circumstances to first foot as the belief is that everything must be new and joyful for the new year. First Footing is considered a distinctive cultural feature of Tet that is still preserved and trusted throughout the country. It reflects the Vietnamese people's aspirations and beliefs in a better, luckier, and more prosperous tomorrow.

The tradition of first footing and gift-giving is also a cultural beauty of the Vietnamese people in the early days of the new year. Adhering to the 'unwritten rules' from the past generations, the current generation chooses to invite a first footer who is compatible in age and fate, wishing for a lucky, prosperous new year in all circumstances, thriving in every aspect of life, and excelling in education and work.

Lunar New Year Wishes: A long-standing cultural beauty of the Vietnamese people. No one remembers exactly when the formal birthday celebration tradition started, but through the ups and downs of history, it has become a beautiful aspect of human nature in everyone's consciousness. Lunar New Year wishes do not necessarily involve expensive gifts but are mainly symbolic. It can be a new, low-value coin, or it can be a bag of tea, a square cake, or a new piece of clothing.

Children wishing their parents and grandparents a happy Lunar New Year express filial piety and gratitude, repaying the favor of giving birth and nurturing, wishing for health and longevity. Parents and grandparents wishing their children and grandchildren a happy Lunar New Year express their love and hope for progress, obedience, and maturity. Relatives and neighbors wishing each other a happy Lunar New Year express a relationship of respect, closeness, and harmony in life. Lunar New Year wishes are also an opportunity for everyone to show care, encouragement, and support for each other, to dispel bad habits, bad deeds, and negativity, stepping into a new year with enthusiasm. The first three days of the new year are considered the most important. On these days, all work is set aside. Everyone will visit their relatives, both paternal and maternal, as well as their teachers. Children will say words of health and good fortune to their grandparents, parents, teachers, and elders. The elders will reciprocate by wishing the children well and giving them lucky money for the new year, wishing them health and luck, and happiness.

Lunar New Year Wishes have truly become a way of life, a tradition passed down through generations of Vietnamese people during Tet. It reflects filial piety and gratitude of later generations towards grandparents, parents, and teachers, in line with the tradition of 'drinking water, remembering its source' of the nation for thousands of years.

Most Vietnamese people go to temples following their family tradition. From generation to generation, for those who follow the Buddhist doctrine, going to the temple has become a daily activity.

Everyone who goes to the temple hopes to find peace for their family and to understand the consequences of actions through Buddhist teachings. This can teach the younger generations to live better and be more virtuous. At the Buddha's doorstep, amidst the serene space, the smell of incense, and the colors of lanterns and flowers, we all feel our hearts become lighter, more peaceful.

The custom of visiting temples in the early days of the new year is a spiritual and cultural beauty in the life of every Vietnamese person. Visiting temples at the beginning of the year is not only to pray for a lucky and prosperous new year but also to express sincere respect for the Buddha and ancestors. This tradition has been considered a traditional culinary cultural beauty for thousands of years, bearing the cultural identity of the region.

On the first day of the year, at any historical and cultural site in the villages, it is easy to come across the scene of families gathering to request calligraphy. This is a cultural beauty with a significant social meaning, demonstrating the nation's tradition of valuing learning and respecting the written word.

For a long time, the custom of requesting calligraphy and spring couplets has become an indispensable cultural beauty in the early days of the new year in Vietnam. This is a cultural beauty, a gift with social significance, expressing the tradition of valuing learning and respecting the written word of the Vietnamese people from ancient times to the present.

The image of an old man with a feather pen, inkwell, and red paper concentrating on writing elegant characters 'as graceful as dragons and phoenixes' is no longer unfamiliar to any Vietnamese person when the spring arrives.

Each character is like a message from the past generations to the future generations about preserving refined hobbies, intelligence, creativity, and the artistic talent in each character. Hanging calligraphy in the house at the beginning of the year is an important practice for every family since ancient times. The choice of calligraphy to hang in the house reflects the essence of each family and also expresses their wishes for the new year. It is like a spiritual food deeply imbued with the cultural essence of a nation that values learning, respects saints, and sages, which we need to cherish and preserve.

Currently, the practice of requesting calligraphy or spring couplets does not take place widely but only focuses on certain specific locations in each province and city. However, you do not need to worry about where to request calligraphy, where you can indulge in calligraphy, requesting meaningful words and gathering many talented people across the country is Van Mieu street (Hanoi).

After the moment of New Year's Eve, many Vietnamese people go to pagodas to pick luck, to ask for luck at the beginning of the year. Picking luck at the beginning of the year is a custom of picking branches (luck branches) to bring home for good luck, which takes place during Tet Nguyen Dan, in the first days of the new year. These luck branches are small branches of fig trees, peach blossom branches, etc., which are usually fresh and budding all year round.

Lộc is the first bud, the new sprout. The luck branches are brought home, hung in front of the house's porch or placed in flower vases, hung in the middle or at the entrance to ward off evil spirits, or to signal that luck and prosperity have arrived home. On Tet days, we often see many people going to pagodas to pick luck or to temples,... Because it is easy to understand that picking luck at sacred temples implies asking for a bit of luck from the Gods, the Buddha bestowed for a smooth year. Picking luck at the beginning of spring is a traditional beauty in the new year of the Vietnamese people. This is also a beautiful cultural feature that has existed for a long time in our Vietnamese culture.