Chinese New Year(春节 (Chūnjié)) in 🇻🇳 Vietnam

Tet Nguyen Dan, commonly known as Tet, is Vietnam's most important holiday and the Vietnamese version of Lunar New Year. The celebration is deeply Vietnamese in character, with customs and foods distinct from Chinese traditions, reflecting centuries of independent cultural development.

The most iconic Tet food is banh tet (in the south) or banh chung (in the north), a square or cylindrical glutinous rice cake filled with mung bean paste and pork, wrapped in banana leaves. Families spend hours preparing these cakes together, often boiling them overnight in large pots. Mut (candied fruits and seeds) are arranged on decorative trays for visitors, and the five-fruit tray (mam ngu qua) graces every household altar.

Hoa mai (yellow apricot blossoms) in the south and hoa dao (pink peach blossoms) in the north are the signature Tet decorations. Flower markets spring up in every city, and selecting the perfect branch is a beloved family outing. Kumquat trees laden with fruit are displayed for prosperity.

Li xi (lucky money in red envelopes) is given to children and elders. The first visitor to enter a home after midnight (xong dat) is believed to influence the family's fortune for the entire year, so families carefully choose or invite an auspicious first guest. Fireworks and firecrackers fill the streets at midnight, and pagodas across the country welcome worshippers for the first prayers of the new year.

The most important traditional Chinese festival marking the beginning of the lunar new year, celebrated with family reunions, red envelopes, fireworks, dragon dances, and elaborate feasts.