UNIQUE CUSTOMS OF TET DAYS IN VIETNAM

Year-end customs to prepare for the new year of Vietnamese people

From December 23 onwards, the days leading up to Tet, everyone returns home after a year away from home to do business and start taking care of work to celebrate New Year's Eve. These moments are considered the most joyful and happiest of a family, and all of us look forward to days like that.

Clean the house

All family members will work together to clean and sanitize the house and clean objects to keep the house neat and tidy to welcome spring. Many families invest in repainting walls with suitable colors to help make the house brighter. Not only does it bring a feeling of comfort, but it also has the meaning of rearranging things that are not right, eliminating bad things of the old year, and preparing to welcome the new year with lots of fortune and luck.

Go to the flower market to celebrate Tet

Lunar New Year in Vietnam is spring, the season when trees and leaves sprout and flowers bloom and bloom. Popular flower trees to display during Tet to make a luxurious house bring a spring atmosphere to the family are kumquat trees, apricot blossoms, peach blossoms, yellow chrysanthemums...

The custom of wrapping banh chung and banh day

It's not natural to have this custom of wrapping banh chung and banh day. They all have good meanings that people want to convey. According to word of mouth, semi-circle symbolizes the green earth. White round cake symbolizes heaven and also represents the philosophy of yin and yang. Therefore, when entering every family on Tet holiday, you will see them arranged on the ancestral altar to show respect and gratitude.

Bring him back to heaven on the 23rd of Tet

According to legend, the kitchen is where the three kitchen gods rule that area. On December 23 every year, they will fly back to heaven by carp to report to the king about the family's cooking, business, and behavior during the past year.
Therefore, every family must prepare three live carp and make a frugal offering tray to send them off to heaven. In addition, we also have to buy hats for two apple men and one kitchen lady. After the next offering, the hat is burned cleanly, no part is left out, otherwise the kitchen god will not receive it intact and will be punished. Carp are brought out and released in ponds, lakes, rivers... The day the Kitchen God returns to heaven is considered the first day of the Lunar New Year.

Displaying a five-fruit tray to worship grandparents

In addition to offering ancestors banh chung and banh day, the five-fruit tray is indispensable during Tet. It means that you want to offer prosperity to your ancestors and wish to bless your children and grandchildren in the new year.
Depending on the region, choose 5 suitable fruits. Northerners have a five-fruit tray with Buddha's hand, banana, grapefruit... these are the 3 main fruits that must be had.
People in the Central and Southern regions will probably have more types of fruit to choose from. With the concept of "praying for just enough figs", people replace grapefruit with Buddha's hand or keep the tradition of custard-apple, figs, coconut, papaya, and mango.

The custom of eating at the end of the year

On the last days of the year, every business and family holds a year-end party to mark the end of the year and prepare for the new year. The word Tat means end, the word Nien means year, Tat Nien means the end of a year - 365 days of the old year are about to pass, ready to enter the new year.

The first days of the year and the customs that are kept

After celebrating New Year's Eve, it is also the moment of entering the new year. From the South to the North, each region maintains its own welcoming customs, but still does not forget the messages and calls to relatives and friends wishing good luck and a peaceful new year.
On the morning of the first day, everyone in the family wakes up very early to prepare breakfast for the family and cannot serve banh chung or banh tet during the meal. After eating, we will go together to the graves of our grandparents and visitors and burn incense to pray.
In particular, the Vietnamese custom of breaking ground is also highly respected. The belief is that if the first person entering the house matches the homeowner's destiny, that year the family will be lucky and work will be more favorable.
Next, it is indispensable to give lucky money to parents, grandparents and children with wishes for another year of good health, longevity and good health.
The first days of the next year are the time to go to each family and neighbor to ask about each other and give each other best wishes.
Tet in Vietnam is always one of the special events that everyone has many different emotions compared to normal days. Passion mixed with excitement, anticipation, and wishes for a new page. Vietnamese Tet is coming, have you prepared anything?