Tet 2013 – Vietnamese New Year
Tet is the common name for the Vietnamese New Year (Vietnamese: Tết Nguyên Đán).
It is by far the country’s most important holiday, and is a bit like
combining Christmas, New Year’s, and your birthday into one celebration.
Like Chinese New Year,
Tet takes place on the first day of the first month of the Lunar
calendar. This usually translates to late January or early February on
the Gregorian calendar. In 2013 Tet will be celebrated on February 10.
The
years are represented by 12 zodiac animals: rat, buffalo, tiger, cat,
dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. These animals
rotate through 12-year periods. Each animal has different strengths and
weaknesses that they are believed to pass on to any person born in their
year.
For example, 2012 is the year
of the dragon (the last one of which was in 2000), the most noble and
powerful of all the animals. According to tradition babies, especially
boys, born during a year of the dragon are more likely to become wealthy
and powerful adults. As a result, dragon years produce baby booms as
couples plan to give birth during that year.
Vietnamese New Year Traditions
Much
like Christmas, preparations for Tet begin well ahead of the holiday.
Every new year is seen as a clean slate, a chance for people to begin
anew and be more successful than they were in the year before.
Many
families renovate houses in the weeks leading up to Tet, adding even
more noise to the already raucous streets of Vietnam. If a house isn’t
renovated it is at least thoroughly cleaned. New outfits are purchased
to signify a new change, and many people change companies or try to
switch lines of work. It is also considered good luck to open a business
around Tet.
There also certain types of food that become popular around Tet, the most common of which are banh chung and banh day.
These consist of rice with meat or bean fillings tightly wrapped inside
a leaf, and are the most important traditional Tet dishes.
In
the month before Tet towns and cities throughout the country set up
flower streets, and families set up flower displays in front of their
homes. During this period Vietnam’s streets explode with color and give a
sense of vitality before the start of the new year. In Ho Chi Minh
City, Vietnam’s largest city, one of downtown’s main boulevards is shut
down and transformed into an elaborate flower exhibition that attracts
visitors from the entire region.
The
three days immediately before Tet are when the holiday kicks into high
gear. The cities empty as urban residents return to their family’s
hometown to reunite with relatives, as Tet is really all about family.
For foreigners and other people living in the city who don’t have family
to visit, this is a strange experience. The normally vibrant streets
are quiet, and many businesses shut down, making it somewhat difficult
to visit your usual restaurants and stalls.
Other customs include the giving of Li Xi,
or lucky money, to children. Relatives will fill red envelopes with
small bills and give them to children in the family the day of Tet as a
sign of good luck. Children are supposed to display their respect for
their elders before receiving the money.
Ancestor
worship is also a key part of Tet, and nearly every home in Vietnam
contains a family shrine where the spirits of deceased relatives are
kept. Gifts, including Li Xi and food, are placed in the shrines to keep ancestors content in the afterlife.
Most
cities put on a massive fireworks display the evening of Tet, providing
an explosive finish to the holiday and signaling to the nation that it
is time to get back to work.
Happy New Year in Vietnamese
There are plenty of ways to wish someone a Happy New Year in Vietnamese. Traditional New Year´s greetings are:
- Chúc Mừng Năm Mới – Happy New Year
- Cung Chúc Tân Xuân – Gracious wishes of the new spring
The Tet Offensive
Tet
is a word that may sound familiar to many, but for an unpleasant
reason. On January 30, 1968 forces controlled by former North Vietnam
launched a massive surprise attack against the U.S. military and the
Saigon regime’s troops. This assault took place during what many people
had expected to be a holiday-related cease-fire. Though the North’s
forces suffered massive casualties during their assault, in the end the
Tet Offensive played a large role in turning the American public against
the Vietnam War.
It is a shame that
Tet is still connected to the legacy of war outside of Vietnam, because
inside the country it is a spectacular celebration of life, family, and
the future.
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Tel : (84-4) 37162149 Fax: (84-4) 37161738
E–mail address: sales@huongviettravel.com
Website: www.huongviettravel.com | http://www.aseantravelandtours.com | http://www.visavietnamonline.com | http://www.huongvietjsc.com
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