Top 20 Traditional Tet Customs of the Vietnamese People

As the new year approaches, it's time to tidy up the house to welcome Tet. The joy of the new year won't be complete if the clutter of the old year lingers, like the musty smell or spider webs.

Therefore, cleaning the house, organizing belongings, and eliminating spider webs or musty odors are essential. For a prosperous and auspicious new year, a clean and pristine home is crucial. In Vietnamese culture, it is believed that the God of Wealth knocks on the doors of clean and tidy houses in the early days of the new year. Beyond that, a well-kept home welcomes guests with confidence and shows respect to both the hosts and visitors.

In Hanoi, we often see few Neu trees, but it is a custom that is almost obligatory in many places. The Neu tree is actually a tall bamboo tree, about 5 to 6 meters high. Hanging on the Neu tree are various items such as: gold horses, amulets, paper carp (for the Kitchen Gods to ride to the heavens), dragon bone branches, rice straw-wrapped alcohol gourds, red silk pieces, ceremonial flags, and more. When the wind blows, the Neu tree's top produces a delightful jingling sound, creating a joyful and festive atmosphere on Tet day.

In many places, the belief is that the items hanging on the Neu tree, along with the jingling sound, signal to ghosts and demons that the house has an owner and they are not allowed to disturb it. People also set off fireworks at the Neu tree to celebrate the New Year and drive away ghosts and demons, along with any misfortunes from the previous year. In some areas, people even hang lanterns on the Neu tree in the evening to guide their ancestors back home to celebrate Tet with their descendants. The Neu tree is usually erected from the 23rd day (the day of offering to the Kitchen Gods). Folklore believes that from the 23rd to New Year's Eve, in the absence of the Kitchen Gods, ghosts and demons will take advantage to disturb the family. Therefore, the Neu tree serves the purpose of warding off evil and chasing away ghosts and demons.

According to the age-old tradition passed down from generation to generation, Vietnamese people believe that at the end of the year, the Kitchen Gods will ascend to heaven and report to the Jade Emperor about the events that have occurred in the past year in the mortal world.

Therefore, on the 23rd day of every lunar December, Vietnamese families often have the custom of offering to the Kitchen Gods. Starting from this day, every family begins to prepare and clean to welcome the new year. According to ancient legend, on this day, the Kitchen Gods will ride a carp to ascend to the sky, reporting to the Jade Emperor all the activities of the past year in the mortal realm. In addition, the Kitchen Gods also represent the warmth of the family through the kitchen. To ensure that the Kitchen Gods ascend on time, families often clean the kitchen, tidy up the house, and release carp into the river for the Kitchen Gods to ride to heaven. Depending on each region, the ceremony of offering to the Kitchen Gods has many characteristic features.

Because of this custom, every year on the 30th of Tet, we often sit and watch comedy shows depicting the annual report of the Kitchen Gods through the program 'Meeting at the end of the year.' This is perhaps a deeply rooted traditional beauty in the minds of the Vietnamese, from the elderly to the young.

Vietnamese people indulge in the traditional Tet flavors through various and diverse pleasures. The phrase 'celebrating Tet' encompasses many meanings such as welcoming Tet, playing Tet, wishing Tet, celebrating the age on Tet... In the bustling atmosphere preparing for a truly material and spiritual Tet, there is a pleasure that perhaps everyone, from old to young, really enjoys: Tet market shopping.

Mentioning Tet market refers to the market sessions on the last days of the year, busier, crowded, and bustling. From sellers to buyers, everyone is busy, saving time to decorate their homes, make offerings to ancestors, and complete the final tasks before entering the new year. The Tet market session is always more special than usual and is arranged in spacious places, easily spotting branches of peach blossoms, flower pots, kumquat trees displayed alongside everyday foods. In addition to the shopping purpose, people also go to the Tet market session to experience the bustling atmosphere of the approaching Tet days, to stroll around the market to see new and unique items. They go to the Tet market session to meet each other, inquire about each other's Tet preparations in the family, and enjoy the excited atmosphere of welcoming Tet. Going to the market on Tet days has become a beautiful tradition in the traditional Tet customs of the Vietnamese people. And it's not difficult to come across young people taking photos at the Tet market, next to peach and kumquat trees with a radiant beauty.

Buying things for Tet days is not just a necessity, but it has become a habit of the Vietnamese. Everyone wants to shop fully and thoroughly for their families to welcome guests.

'Pork, fat, pickled onions, red couplets' - a saying that every Vietnamese knows. Since ancient times, New Year's couplets have been used by scholars and ordinary people to decorate their homes. Almost every house will have a couplet written on red paper hanging on the wall. Nowadays, the tradition has expanded, and people can adorn their homes for Tet with paintings or sets of 4 couplets. This is also a beauty from ancient times in the traditional Tet customs of our people.

Couplets are also called liên. Liên is usually strips of red or pink paper. In the past, in rural areas, every time Tet came, people would carefully paste red couplets on the doors of pigsties, buffalo and cow sheds, or on the trunks of coconut trees, banana trees, and peach trees... to symbolize the desire for everything to be good and beautiful. These couplets are often written in Chinese characters, in gold or black ink on red paper - symbolizing good luck. Nowadays, it is easy to buy beautiful couplets at the Temple of Literature, written by elderly teachers with great skill.

The tradition of making Chung Cake in our country is associated with legends from the time of the Hung Kings, carrying the traditional cultural value that has endured over time. Despite the periods of Northern domination and colonialism by Western colonialists, the tradition of making Chung Cake offerings to ancestors on Tet still remains strong in the consciousness of every Vietnamese person.

The custom of making Chung Cake on Tet has become a traditional cultural feature of the Vietnamese people, passed down through many generations, reflecting the beauty of the rice civilization. Every Tet, when spring arrives, people from all walks of life gather to make and enjoy Chung Cake, offering it on the ancestral altar.

In modern society, many traditional customs are fading away, but the age-old practice of making Chung Cake offerings to ancestors on Tet is still preserved by the Vietnamese people, expressing the timeless beauty of unity and warmth around the hearth of the Chung Cake pot, filled with smoke, on Tet occasions.

Today, every Tet, every family making Chung Cake and Tet Cake is a beautiful tradition of our people. When children see the house adorned with dong leaves and the aroma of glutinous rice, they know that the Tet atmosphere has arrived.

Tet Nguyen Dan is always considered the most important festival of the year. It is a time for everyone to embrace the renewal of the earth to welcome the new year. Therefore, people create their own joys to make life more meaningful and beautiful.

Tet Nguyen Dan is also a time for family reunion. Descendants can express gratitude and repay their parents and ancestors. People can temporarily forget life's worries and instead indulge in elegant pleasures for the soul. Playing with flowers and arranging ornamental plants during Tet is one of those refined pleasures. The diverse colors and fragrances of flowers symbolize beauty and the abundance of life in the spring. Depending on personal preferences, people can choose different types of flowers to decorate their homes during Tet. The most characteristic flowers are apricot blossoms in the South and peach blossoms in the North. In addition, families also cultivate kumquat trees, a symbol of luck, happiness, and prosperity, or other flowers like chrysanthemums, daisies, roses, or marigolds to add joy and invite luck into their homes.

In addition to the characteristic apricot, kumquat, and peach blossoms, families also often have other types of flowers such as: orchids, chrysanthemums, daffodils, roses, or carnations...

Aside from the preparations and cleaning to welcome Tet, the Vietnamese people hold a cherished tradition of remembering their roots and ancestors. In the days leading up to Tet, from the 23rd to the 30th day of the last lunar month, family members often gather together to visit and tidy the graves of their ancestors.

As the New Year approaches, family members come together to visit the final resting places of their ancestors and departed loved ones. This traditional practice demonstrates filial piety and deep respect for their forefathers and ancestors who have passed away.

With the aim of cleaning and beautifying, many families repaint and tidy the graves of their departed relatives. Afterward, they light incense, inviting their ancestors to join the Tet celebration, seeking blessings and protection for the family in the coming year.

The Tray of Five Fruits placed on the ancestral altar or in the living room is an indispensable tradition during the Vietnamese Tet, symbolizing wishes for a peaceful, lucky, and prosperous New Year. The tray of five fruits holds a deep and shared meaning of offering to ancestors, expressing filial piety, and aspiring for good things in the family.

Typically, to prepare the tray meticulously, there are five different types of fruits, each representing a wish of the homeowner, conveyed through names and colors. With the tray of five fruits, the word “ngũ” also signifies the Vietnamese aspiration to achieve the five blessings: Prosperity, Nobility, Longevity, Health, and Peace. Homeowners, when arranging the tray, usually prepare five types of fruits with five different colors symbolizing the earth and sky elements according to the five elements: Metal (white), Wood (green), Water (black), Fire (red), Earth (yellow). Additionally, 'ngũ' symbolizes the homeowner's wishes for a prosperous and fulfilling life: Phúc (luck); Quý (wealth, luxury), Thọ (longevity), Khang (health), Ninh (peace). From the North to the South, the variety of fruits used to arrange the tray of five fruits is diverse, with many symbols reflecting the homeowner's desires.

According to folk beliefs, the New Year's Eve ritual, also known as the ritual of bidding farewell to the old year or 'escorting the old and welcoming the new,' aims to bid farewell to the spirits of the old year and welcome the spirits of the new year. Therefore, the ritual of New Year's Eve has a special significance in the Vietnamese people's beliefs, symbolizing the welcome of divine fortune and the wish for a peaceful and lucky new year.

At the moment of transition, families will prepare an altar for the ritual, with the purpose of removing any misfortunes of the old year to welcome more good things in the new year.

According to Feng Shui experts, the New Year's Eve ritual for the Year of the Cat 2023 should be performed at the Rat hour (11:00 PM) or ideally at the Rat main hour (12:00 AM) and should conclude before 1:00 AM on the first day of Tet.

Before 1:00 AM is the time when the old deities hand over their duties to the new deities. Therefore, you should perform the New Year's Eve ritual between 11:00 PM and 1:00 AM, allowing the deities to witness the sincerity of the homeowner. Vietnamese people often set up two altars for the New Year's Eve ritual, one outdoors and one indoors.

New Year's Eve Worship is a time-honored tradition deeply rooted in the cultural heritage of the Vietnamese people, symbolizing the completion of the old year and welcoming the new one. Families report to their ancestors the achievements and losses of the past year, what remains unfinished, and their aspirations for the coming year. It is also a time for everyone to relax, enjoy, and savor the fruits of the entire year.

New Year's Eve Worship is an occasion for families and relatives to reunite after months of toil and struggle, temporarily setting aside pressures to enjoy the warm family atmosphere.

Usually, New Year's Eve Worship is held on the last day of the lunar year (which is the 30th day of the last month, often called the 30th of Tet; in some years with a shortage of days, it may be held on the 29th of Tet). This year, the 30th of Tet falls on Saturday, January 21, 2023, in the Gregorian calendar.

However, some families may choose to hold the ceremony earlier, on the 26th, 27th, 28th, or 29th day of the last month. In general, the best time for New Year's Eve Worship remains the last two days of the old year.

To conduct the worship, families prepare a sumptuous meal to offer to their ancestors and departed loved ones. After the ritual, everyone gathers around the meal. Besides the significance of family reunion, the New Year's Eve meal is also a farewell to the old year, preparing to welcome the new one. After the New Year's Eve meal, people get ready for the New Year's Eve ritual, bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new one.

According to the Vietnamese belief, 'xuất hành' - going out of the house at the beginning of the new year to seek luck for oneself and the family. Embarking on the journey to harvest luck on Tet is an obligatory traditional custom. Before setting out, one must choose an auspicious day, time, and direction to encounter noble deities, wealth deities, and joy deities. If the journey leads to a pagoda or temple, after the ritual, it is customary to break off a 'branch of luck' to bring home fortune and blessings. This practice is known as 'hái lộc.'

The 'lộc' branch is a small branch of a jackfruit tree or fig tree, symbolic of perennial freshness and prosperity. The hái lộc tradition at temples and shrines expresses the desire to receive a bit of the deity's luck and blessings for the new year. The luck branch is often brought home and placed on the family altar. People gather at temples, pagodas, or shrines to seek luck right after the New Year's Eve moment. Those embarking on the journey carefully choose the direction and time.

According to ancient beliefs, the departure time must be during the auspicious hour, ideally harmonizing with the traveler's age. It should not clash with any unfavorable elements. After embarking on the journey and harvesting luck at the beginning of the year, people proceed with other activities such as going to work, visiting relatives on both sides, and more. This 'hái lộc' tradition is mainly observed in the Northern and Central regions of Vietnam; it is not prevalent in the South.

New Year's Eve marks the transition between the old and the new year, a crucial time when the earth and sky converge. Among the three Tet days, perhaps the night of the 30th - New Year's Eve - is the most eagerly awaited, from the elderly to the young. Adults prepare the year-end meal or the ritual of welcoming New Year's Eve, which takes place in the last minutes of the year, symbolizing leaving behind all the negatives of the old year to embrace the positives of the new year.

In most places, colorful fireworks light up the sky to bid farewell to the old year and welcome a new, peaceful year. At this time, every household sets up altars laden with offerings to the heavens and ancestors. The New Year's Eve ceremony takes place exactly at midnight on the 30th night of the lunar calendar. It is also a ceremony to 'ward off evil spirits' from one's home.

Visiting the pagoda in the early days of the new year is a cultural and spiritual tradition in the lives of every Vietnamese person. Going to the pagoda at the beginning of the year is not only to seek a fortunate and prosperous new year but also to express one's sincere reverence to Buddha and ancestors.

Most Vietnamese people follow the family tradition when going to the pagoda. From generation to generation, for those who adhere to Buddhism, going to the pagoda has become a daily activity. Everyone, when coming to the pagoda, hopes to find peace for their family, to understand the Law of Cause and Effect through the teachings of Buddhism. This can guide future generations to live better, to be more virtuous. In the entrance to the Buddha's door, amidst the serene space, the scent of incense, and the colors of flowers and lanterns, each of us will feel our hearts becoming lighter and more peaceful.

Welcoming the Earth God (or stepping on the ground, opening business) is a long-standing tradition in Vietnam. Many people believe that the first day of the lunar year is like the 'grand opening' of a new year. They think that if everything goes smoothly and luckily on this day, the whole year will be prosperous and favorable. Right after the moment of transition to the new year, anyone stepping into the house with New Year wishes is considered to have welcomed the Earth God for the homeowner. The first guest to visit a house in the new year is also considered significant. Therefore, towards the end of the year, people intentionally look for those who are cheerful, flexible, ethical, and successful to visit. The guests for welcoming the Earth God usually stay for only 5 to 10 minutes, wishing for the homeowner's smooth and successful year.

Choosing the age for welcoming the Earth God:

• Age of Giap is compatible with Ky but conflicts with Canh – Mau.
• Age of At is compatible with Canh but conflicts with Tan – Ky.
• Age of Binh is compatible with Tan but conflicts with Nham – Canh.
• Age of Dinh is compatible with Nham but conflicts with Quy – Tan.
• Age of Mau is compatible with Quy but conflicts with Giap – Nham.
• Age of Ky is compatible with Giap but conflicts with At – Quy.
• Age of Canh is compatible with At but conflicts with Binh – Giap.
• Age of Tan is compatible with Binh but conflicts with Dinh – At.
• Age of Nham is compatible with Dinh but conflicts with Mau – Binh.
• Age of Quy is compatible with Mau but conflicts with Ky – Dinh.

People who go through the ritual feel joy for doing a good deed, while those who are welcomed feel happy, trusting that their family will be fortunate in the coming year. In the past, there were only two ways to select a good person for welcoming the Earth God on the first day of the year. Officials and educated individuals chose someone whose age matched the homeowner's.

Tet Nguyen Dan is the most important traditional festival for the Vietnamese people. It is a time when many meaningful traditional customs take place to wish for a peaceful and lucky new year. Among them, the practice of New Year wishes is indispensable. To strengthen family bonds, relatives, neighbors, and colleagues, who have been busy with work throughout the year and had no time to care for each other, often choose to visit and extend New Year wishes. Through these visits, people meet, inquire about each other's well-being, and express wishes for health, prosperity, good luck in the new year, smooth sailing in work, and a focus on goodness in the coming year.

People often say: 'On the first day of Tet, visit the father; on the second day of Tet, visit the mother; on the third day of Tet, visit the teacher.' According to tradition, on the morning of the first day of Tet, descendants gather to wish Tet to their grandparents, relatives, aunts, uncles, and teachers. This way of life has become a tradition passed down through many generations, demonstrating the filial piety and gratitude of descendants to grandparents, parents, and teachers – those who have contributed to our existence, nurtured us, and educated us.

Sometimes, despite being busy with work, study, and business throughout the year, the Tet holiday becomes an opportunity for everyone in the extended family to meet. They discuss the old and new years, share good wishes, and strengthen their relationships.

Celebrating the first day of the year is a cultural highlight during Tet Nguyen Dan. Although the way Tet is celebrated today has changed a bit from the past, this tradition will always be preserved and remain an integral part of the Vietnamese Tet. According to the tradition, adults will give lucky money to children in red envelopes, symbolizing good luck and wishing them to grow up quickly and healthy. Children celebrate the age of their grandparents, parents with wishes for health, intelligence, happiness, and prosperity.

The age celebration usually starts from the night of the 30th, on the 1st and can extend to the 2nd, 3rd, until the 10th day. During Tet, what children eagerly anticipate and look forward to the most is receiving the final red lucky money envelope, containing beautiful green and red coins, making them happier and more joyful than ever before.

This is a custom that has existed in many countries such as China, Japan... and in Vietnam, it has been preserved for a long time, carrying profound meanings. The red lucky money envelope symbolizes discretion, equality, with the characteristic red color resembling auspiciousness, prosperity in the new year. This is also the color of Tet, of the new year, the color of hope and luck.

The tradition of age celebration (as called in the North) or lucky money (as called in the South of Vietnam) is a meaningful custom that brings good luck, blessings, drives away demons, and for children, it encourages them to grow up quickly, excel in studies. For the elderly, they receive lucky money from their children and grandchildren to celebrate longevity, wishing them abundant health.

Traditionally, the gold-turning ceremony takes place at the end of Tet. The 4th day of the Lunar New Year is considered a water day. On this day, the Vietnamese perform ancestral worship to welcome their ancestors back from celebrating Tet with their descendants. They burn a significant amount of gold paper money, providing the ancestors with capital for the new year, ensuring prosperity and protection for the future generations. In many regions of the Red River Delta, people have the tradition of singing boat songs to guide their ancestors back to the other world.

The gold-turning ritual on the 4th or 5th day, many families still adhere to the old tradition: preparing a feast, burning gold paper money to send prayers to their departed relatives for a year filled with luck. According to historian Dương Trung Quốc, the custom of turning gold is based on the belief in ancestor worship. The transformation of gold is often associated with daily life, allowing people to feel that those in the invisible world are close to the visible one. On the 4th and 5th days of the Lunar New Year, people avoid going out as it is considered inauspicious.

For generations, regardless of wealth, poverty, or region, Vietnamese people have maintained the tradition of seeking New Year's calligraphy. This beautiful custom reflects the humanitarian spirit of the nation, a cultural beauty that needs to be preserved and promoted. Seeking New Year's calligraphy holds cultural significance, demonstrating respect for the power of words, knowledge, and the desire for a lucky year filled with prosperity and blessings.

Han scholars and Vietnamese language scholars often present their talents and insights through carefully crafted calligraphy. In the past, calligraphy was not for sale; it was only given to those who sincerely sought it. The giver is blessed, and the exchange is more than just material wealth—it is a gesture of refined elegance.

In Hanoi, you can seek calligraphy from scholars at the Temple of Literature (Văn Miếu Quốc Tử Giám) on Bà Triệu Street. Common words sought for in the new year include: Heart, Success, Ring, Fortune, Wisdom, Peace, Prosperity, and Luck. Scholars often write in classical Chinese script with black ink on red or gold paper, creating beautiful pieces of art.

During the traditional Tet holiday, Vietnamese people pay close attention to superstitions in the hope that the whole year will be filled with luck and happiness, avoiding disputes or misfortunes. According to ancient beliefs, sweeping the house in the early days of spring is seen as sweeping away prosperity, indicating that the family will face poverty and hardship in that year. Disposing of trash from the house is considered sending away the God of Wealth. Therefore, people observe the tradition of avoiding sweeping trash during the Tet days or only sweeping inside without taking it out.

To explain this custom, Vietnamese people have a story called 'The Tale of the Broom.' It is said that in the heavens, there was a woman skilled in cooking, appointed by the Jade Emperor to manage the cooking duties in heaven. However, she frequently stole wine and meat to share with her lover, a horse keeper on the heavenly court. Once her wrongdoing was discovered by the Jade Emperor, she was cast down to the mortal realm and forced to make brooms, working tirelessly and scavenging for food amidst the dirt and filth of the earthly realm. Later, out of compassion, the Jade Emperor ordered her to have three days off each year. Those three days happen to be the first three days of the Lunar New Year, hence the tradition of refraining from sweeping during Tet.