Tet Celebrations and Festivals in Vietnam

Lunar New Year, or Tet, is Vietnam’s main holiday. It is the grandest and most important occasion in the year which falls between 19 January and 20 February on the Western calendar. Tet marks the beginning of spring and, for agrarian people, the start of the New Year.

The preparations and celebrations used to be spread over months, but nowadays the holiday is much shorter. Still, there is great excitement building up well before Tet. Streets are decorated with coloured lights and red banners. Shops are full of goods. People are busy buying gifts, cleaning and decorating their houses and cooking traditional foods.

 

Homes are often decorated with trees and flowers at this time. The traditional flowers for Tet are peach flowers in the North and apricot flowers in the South. Besides, the kumquat tree with its ripe deep orange fruits is popular throughout the country. One of Tet’s most special foods is Banh Chung (a square-shaped sticky rice cake), which is made from sticky rice, yellow mung beans and fatty pork. Mut, candied fruit such as sugared apples, plums and even tomatoes, is also popular.

 

In the first days of Tet everyone tries to be nice and polite to others. People believe that what they do on the first day of the year will influence their luck throughout the whole year. Only good comments can be made. People visit other family members or friends and exchange New Year’s wishes. Children receive their “lucky money” inside red envelopes. Many people go to the pagoda to pray for a happy year for themselves and their families. Both children and adults take part in games and various forms of entertainment. Tet is really a time of fun and festivals throughout Vietnam.

People take the time to go places for enjoyment and entertainment.

 

This festival is held in Cua Ong Temple, Quang Ninh province, in memory of Tran Quoc Tang, third son of Tran Hung Dao, who defeated many enemies and brought peace to the region in the 13th century.

Dong Da Festival is held in Dong Da District, Ha Noi to celebrate the Dong Da victory, by which King Quang Trung defeated the Qing invading army in 1789, also to pay homage to all those who lost their lives during the battle. The Dong Da festival features the procession of the “Fire Dragon”.

This festival, also called Huong Pagoda Festival, is the longest one held in Vietnam. For this occasion, tens of thousands of pilgrims and visitors come admire the beautiful landscapes, grottoes and caves, and to implore the spirits for good luck, wealth and happiness in the numerous pagodas scattered in the mountainous area.

Vieng Market happens in Vu Ban and Nam Truc District, Nam Dinh province. This spring market displays great handicraft products and beautiful ornamental plants. All kinds of goods can be sold and bought, such as tools for agriculture production, carved and inlaid wooden products, knives, lacquers, copper products, etc. People come to the market not only to buy these, but also to wish for a more prosperous and lucky year.

This festival takes place in Lim, Tien Du, Bac Ninh province. It is related to the local tradition of singing quan ho. Lim Festival also commemorates Hieu Trung Hau, the founder of Quan ho. It involves a procession, singing performance and many other games such as swinging, human chess, wrestling competitions and more.

Yen Tu site, about 14 km from the town of Uong Bi, is a complex of pagodas and temples. The festival lasts nearly three months and attracts ten of thousands of pilgrims and tourists yearly. Yen Tu site is the second most important centre of Buddhism (the first one is the perfume Pagoda). Those participating in the Yen Tu ceremonies not only express their devotion to Buddha and commemorate a heroic episode of the country’s history, but also have an opportunity to admire the beautiful landscapes of this mountainous area.

This festival is organized at Hung Kings Temple on Nghia Linh Mount, Hy Cuong Commune, Phu Tho province. This date is the anniversary of the death of the Hung King, who founded Van Lang State. The Festival offers an opportunity for Vietnamese people to visit their motherland. It involves a procession with traditional Banh Chung and Banh Day cakes, bronze drum beating, and other traditional entertainment such as circular and vertical swings, a sword dance, a Xoan folk song contest, etc.
P.V