Top 12 Things to Do on New Year's Eve 2022

1. Prepare Offering Altar for the New Year Deity

Preparing the offering altar for the New Year deity has long been a familiar task for mothers and grandmothers in the family. Despite the hundreds of worries that come with Tet, preparing the offering altar for the New Year deity is never forgotten. The outdoor offering altar for New Year's Eve includes a boiled rooster with a flag on its tail, beak holding a rose, a plate of red sticky rice (or Chung cake), fruits, wine, tea, betel leaves, areca nuts, salt, rice, incense, and candles. Buddhists may offer vegetarian food without the rooster. Additionally, the altar also includes clothing, hats, and shoes for the deity along with gold and money.

The year Nhâm Dần belongs to the Water element, so the clothing, hats, and shoes are green. Furthermore, families often have paper models of horses alongside gold and money. After preparation, the offering altar is displayed on a solemn table in front of the house. At the moment of New Year's Eve, the head of the household lights candles, pours wine, and makes a sincere offering. When lighting incense, the homeowner places it in a bowl of rice and sticks it straight, not leaning.

According to traditional cultural beliefs, there are 12 Heavenly Commanders overseeing the lower realm's affairs, with each year assigned to a commander, rotating every 12 years. The commander for 2022 is the Heavenly Commander Ngụy Vương, who governs wood element troops, with Tiêu Tào as the announcing commander. Therefore, the outdoor offering prayer must also correspond accordingly. After lighting incense, when one-third of the incense remains, the homeowner immediately burns the paper models, then pours wine over them. Salted rice can be scattered around the house.

2. Watch the National Television Broadcast

The National Television Broadcast program airs from 6:00 PM to midnight on New Year's Eve featuring lively and vibrant images from all over the country in the festive atmosphere, eagerly awaiting the new year for everyone, every household.

Ending the special Lunar New Year program will be the Tet greetings from the President to the people nationwide, wishing everyone a joyful Tet holiday, safe travel, and safe food to protect their own health and that of their families.

The family reunion dinner, paying tribute to ancestors and deceased parents, is not only to express remembrance, sorrow, and gratitude for the birth, upbringing, and teachings, but also an opportunity for family members to gather, bond, and reminisce about old stories, strengthening their bonds. Tet Reunion Dinner is a traditional ritual held in the afternoon and evening of the 30th of Tet, before the New Year's Eve ceremony. The Tet reunion dinner table does not need to be extravagant, mainly to express the gratitude of the offering person to thank the land, sky, and deities who have blessed the family over the past year.

Depending on each family's circumstances, the Tet reunion dinner table may be full or modest, typically consisting of: cylindrical sticky rice cake (bánh tét), braised pork, bitter melon soup, stir-fried vermicelli with vegetables, spring rolls, nem… traditional Tet dishes.

In the old days, lime symbolized whitening (white as lime). Therefore, at the beginning of the year, people avoid buying lime, implying to avoid cracks, fractures in the family, emotional relationships, or regrettable risks in the new year.

People often buy lime at the end of the year to repaint the house, not only to clean and whiten it but also to erase the bad things of the past year, preparing to welcome a new year. In rural areas, many families believe in spreading lime powder at the 4 corners of the garden and then drawing towards the gate to drive away evil spirits.

People often say 'At the beginning of the year, buy salt; at the end of the year, buy lime' with the meaning: lime is often used to beautify and decorate homes to welcome the new year with vitality, while salt will bring many opportunities and salty luck. Moreover, this saying also originates from the custom of buying lime to make various types of candied cakes for tastier food. Therefore, buying lime at the end of the year is an indispensable task for mothers preparing for Tet

People often stroll through flower markets in the days leading up to Tet, but Mytour recommends visiting the flower market on Tet day, the 30th, when the flower sellers are still bustling, eager to return home. However, on the 30th day of Tet, you will experience more than on the 27th or 28th of Tet.

You'll see time passing quickly as people hurriedly wrap and transport flowers for customers. You'll feel fortunate to reunite with your family earlier. You'll also appreciate Tet even more for the warmth and affection shown by the flower sellers towards their families. Plus, you'll get to buy flowers at discounted prices that the days leading up to Tet cannot offer.

Celebrating the first age of the year (red envelope tradition) is a custom that has been ingrained in Vietnam for generations. Whenever Tet arrives, children and the elderly receive well wishes and red envelopes symbolizing luck and health for the year ahead. This tradition has become a beautiful cultural hallmark, deeply rooted in Tet festivities.

Celebrating the first age of the year, or giving out red envelopes, is an indispensable tradition during Tet. On the night of the 30th, as the New Year approaches, parents give red envelopes to their children, wishing them a peaceful and healthy new year. They wish for the children to be more obedient and diligent, while hoping for themselves to have more health to enjoy life with their grandchildren. Additionally, celebrating the first age of the year is a way to wish for more luck and a joyful start to the new year.

According to Chinese belief, the bright lights of fireworks are seen as auspicious signs. The beautiful lights from fireworks quickly fade away, taking away worries and anxieties in life to make room for smiles, sweet hugs, and well wishes to welcome a happy and successful new year.

In recent years, watching New Year's Eve fireworks has become a favorite activity for many people. They often gather at major fireworks displays across the country, counting down and watching the dazzling fireworks light up the night sky. Together, they pray for a new year of safety, prosperity, good health, and more happiness in life. Watching New Year's Eve fireworks becomes even more special when you go with family, friends, and loved ones.

Embarking on the First Journey means leaving the home, the village, or the town, going anywhere for any purpose. According to folklore, if one embarks on the first journey of the year at an auspicious time and in a favorable direction, it will bring luck and prosperity throughout the year in work and finances. Moreover, for those seeking a partner, the direction of the first journey of the year is also considered to help them find their ideal match.

Embarking on the First Journey of the Year holds great significance for starting the new year with luck, success, and abundant business opportunities. Therefore, traders and businessmen carefully select the date, time, and auspicious direction according to their destiny for embarking on their first journey of the new year. Usually, people choose to embark on their journey immediately after the New Year's Eve ceremony, typically 1 to 2 hours into the new year, to maximize their luck.

Prosperity refers to the lush, beautiful, and fresh green foliage encountered along the way after making prayers for blessings. After offering prayers, individuals typically pluck a few branches of leaves from trees to bring home, seeking prosperity in business, wealth, and the fulfillment of their wishes for the new year. In addition to the tradition of welcoming prosperity in the new year, Vietnamese people also place great importance on the direction of their first journey after the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve, aiming for a year of security and prosperity.

Welcoming prosperity in the new year is a cultural and spiritual ritual of the Vietnamese people. It is a beautiful tradition that fosters faith, uplifts spirits, and encourages individuals to live meaningfully and beautifully. Welcoming prosperity in the new year— an indispensable and cherished tradition of the Vietnamese people. Therefore, it is essential to educate and raise awareness among today's generation about the significance of 'welcoming prosperity in the new year' to preserve traditional customs without compromising the landscape and environment.

Traditionally, after the New Year's Eve household worship, the head of the family goes to temples and pagodas. For those who want to perform a house cleansing ritual, they typically choose someone who is considered lucky and of suitable age to leave before midnight strikes. This person attends the midnight ritual at the temple or communal house, then returns home with incense or branches of foliage. Upon returning, usually after the New Year has begun, this individual performs the house cleansing ritual, bringing blessings to the family for the entire year.

For other families, they may ask a close, auspicious friend or relative to perform the house cleansing ritual on the first day of the Lunar New Year, before any guests arrive to offer New Year's greetings, to bring good fortune and ease to the household.

Instead of plucking a branch for luck after temple visits, many opt to seek blessings at temples and shrines by burning incense or large sticks of incense, standing in reverence before the altar, then bringing the fragrance home to place on the ancestral or household altar. The flame symbolizes prosperity. Taking fire from sacred places back home is seen as seeking the blessings of the divine for prosperity throughout the year.

While carrying the fragrance back from the temple, if it catches fire in the wind, it's believed to be a good omen, heralding luck for the year ahead. Typically, those in trade or business seek incense blessings at sacred sites.

During the first days of the new year, one of the beautiful customs of the Vietnamese people that cannot be overlooked is temple visits. After the moment of transition into the new year, people often gather to visit temples, lighting incense to pay respects to the Buddha, seeking blessings for their families and friends for a happy new year.

Vietnamese people believe that going to the temple at the beginning of the year is not just about making wishes; it's also a time for everyone to reconnect with their spiritual roots after the hustle and bustle of daily life, to calm the mind and find peace...