Chinese New Year in the Vietnam

Vietnamese Tet (Tet Nguyen Dan) begins on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month with "sending off the Kitchen God"—families offer treats and release carp (a dragon incarnation) as his mount to heaven. A thorough housecleaning follows, echoing China’s custom of sweeping away bad luck for new blessings.

Key preparations center on square New Year cakes (Bánh Chưng)—glutinous rice stuffed with pork and mung bean paste, wrapped in banana leaves, symbolizing cosmic balance. Pre-Tet flower markets bustle with peach blossoms (Hanoi), yellow plum blossoms (Ho Chi Minh City), and kumquat bonsai (a lucky symbol). The "five-fruit tray" for ancestors features fruits with homophonic blessings (e.g., coconuts for surplus, mangoes for prosperity).

New Year’s Eve revolves around the family reunion dinner, with Bánh Chưng as the centerpiece. Hanoians gather at Hoan Kiem Lake to await midnight, dressed festively—women in ao dai (traditional long dresses)—while firecrackers (once widespread, now restricted) symbolize warding off evil. The "collecting blessings" (tập lộc) custom endures, with people bringing home green branches (homophonic with "blessings"), and households worship ancestors with incense, flowers, and offerings.

On the first lunar day, younger generations pay respects to elders for red envelopes (Li Xi), mirroring Chinese tradition. The "first visitor of the year" (xông đất) is carefully chosen for good fortune. Core taboos include no sweeping, breaking utensils, or quarrels to preserve luck. Days two to four involve ancestor worship visits and a concluding reunion dinner, with "spring appreciation" activities (temple visits, folk performances) extending the celebration.

Tet shares core elements with China’s Spring Festival: lunar New Year start, reunion, ancestor worship, red blessings, and couplets (some still in Chinese "Fu Lu Shou" characters). Distinct local touches include square Bánh Chưng (instead of Chinese zongzi), kumquat/peach decorations (replacing New Year paintings), national flag displays, and ethnic minority traditions (e.g., Hmong hunting guns for firecrackers).

Vietnamese Tet is a cultural bridge—rooted in Sino-Vietnamese agricultural and ethical traditions, yet shaped by local identity. Its rituals, from Bánh Chưng to ancestor worship, reflect universal hopes for prosperity, making it a vivid symbol of East Asian cultural exchange.