Like in China, New Year’s in Vietnam springs to life on January 23rd. From bamboo and peach blossoms to interesting rules around what you should and should not eat, we’ll take a look at what happens before, during and after the big day.
Tet, as they call it, blends many far-east traditions but also has unique ones. As the country’s most important and popular holiday, planning starts early. Preparations begin one or two weeks before the actual holiday. Part of the prep is to display a New Year’s tree—of sorts. It’s actually a bamboo pole. Families decorate these grass giants with good luck charms and origami fish.
In addition to decorating the tree and making sure the house is sparkling, the Vietnamese assemble an altar to honor their ancestors during Tet. They stock the altar with fruit in hopes that good crops will grow their way. While paying respects to their ancestors is very important, the Vietnamese also honor their living relatives throughout this celebration. Like children, for instance. Little ones have all the luck in this culture. Parents and elders pass out little red envelopes to children filled with money. Isn’t that a happy way to wake up!
But all that cheer goes out the window if the first to walk in the door is an uninvited guest. The first guest is said to set the tone for the rest of the year. And if that uninvited guest brings gifts of shrimp or a clock it’s a double whammy. Eating shrimp is taboo because the Vietnamese believe it will make people move backwards like shrimp, or be unsuccessful. Clocks and watches mean the lucky recipient’s time will pass…
From giving sweet candy to loved ones in hopes that the rest of their year will be full of sweetness to paying off all debts to start the year with a clean slate, the Vietnamese definitely have some superstitious customs. They even believe that at the end of the year a mythical “kitchen god” reports the activities of the family to the heavens. That’s one way to ensure people stick to their resolutions!