Tet Nguyen Dan: The Beauty of Vietnamese Culture

Origins and Significance

Tet Nguyen Dan has a long history associated with the wet rice civilization. This is an occasion for farmers to express their gratitude to the heavens and earth for a bountiful harvest and to pray for a peaceful and prosperous new year. Tet is also a time for people to gather with their families, remember their ancestors, and strengthen community bonds.

Tet Customs

Traditional customs that make up the unique character of Vietnamese Tet:

• Worship of the Kitchen Gods (Ong Cong, Ong Tao): On the 23rd day of the last lunar month, families will hold a ceremony to send the Kitchen Gods to heaven to report on all the events of the past year to the Jade Emperor.
• House Cleaning: Houses are cleaned and decorated neatly with the desire to sweep away the misfortunes of the old year and welcome luck in the new year.
• Making Banh Chung and Banh Tet: Banh chung and banh tet are two indispensable dishes, symbolizing gratitude to heaven and earth and the filial piety of descendants.
• Five-Fruit Tray (Mam Ngu Qua): The ancestral altar is decorated with a five-fruit tray with five different types of fruit, expressing the wish “Cau, Dua, Du, Xai, Sung” (Pray for enough to spend and be prosperous).
• First Footing (Xong Dat): The first person to enter the house after New Year’s Eve is believed to bring good luck or misfortune to the family for the entire year.
• New Year’s Greetings and Lucky Money: Children will give New Year’s greetings to their grandparents and parents and receive red envelopes containing lucky money, symbolizing luck and prosperity.

Tet Today

Although modern life has seen many changes, Tet Nguyen Dan still retains its core values. It is not just a holiday but also an occasion to connect generations, preserve culture, and start a new year with much hope and joy.