Lunar New Year, or Tết, is the most important traditional holiday in Vietnam, marking the beginning of the lunar calendar year. Families prepare for weeks in advance, cleaning their homes, buying new clothes, and cooking special dishes. During Tết, families gather to pay respects to ancestors, exchange gifts, and enjoy feasts together, with customs like giving lucky money in red envelopes and enjoying festive performances.
I remember as a child how excited my parents were for Tết while other holidays like Christmas were an afterthought. In Vietnam schools and businesses were closed for the entire week. In America, we don’t get any days off but our parents would let us miss school which was a big deal for us. My best memories were receiving the little red envelopes with money and then gambling it all away with a game of Bầu cua cá cọp. Now that I am older with kids I have my own little red envelopes to pass out and it’s so much fun getting to share that with my own family. Although it is better to be the one Receiving the money rather than giving it out
Tết holds profound cultural significance, symbolizing renewal, family unity, and hope for the future. It’s a time for reflecting on the past year and looking forward to new beginnings, fostering a strong sense of tradition, identity, and community among Vietnamese people.
5 Simple Traditions for Tết you can do at home
As a young Vietnamese American child I didn’t much care about Tết traditions. It’s something my parents did and I just followed along. Now that I’m on my own and have my own family I am desperate to retain these customs and pass it on to my kids. If you want to start celebrating Tết in your own home you can try to dabble in a few of the traditions listed below.
Cleaning and decorate house
For Vietnamese people, cleaning the house at the end of the year helps to remove the bad things of the old year, and decorating the home will welcome new luck and happiness in the new year.
Kumquat, peach blossom, or apricot blossom trees are the symbol of the Vietnamese New Year. Every house will buy at least one tree to place in the living room or in the yard in front of the house to announce that Tet is coming to their house. You can easily decorate with any fresh flowers that are available in your area.
On another note, it is bad luck to clean on the day of Lunar New Years because you are sweeping out all the good luck that you are receiving for the new year. Another reason to celebrate Lunar New Years…NO CLEANING!
The Five Fruit Tray: “Mam Ngu Qua”
During the Tet Holidays, the “five-fruit tray” shows how much we respect and thank Heaven, Earth, and our ancestors. It also shows that we hope for a happy and abundant life. The five fruits stand for our strong belief that Heaven and Earth bring us good things. It’s like saying, “When we enjoy fruit, we should remember the people who worked hard to grow it.”
Banana, pomelo, papaya, persimmon are typical fruits you would find on The Five Fruit Tray but any fruit you can find at the market is fine.
Visiting ancestor’s grave or burn incense
It is a vital custom to show gratitude and remembrance of ancestors during Tet. You will find many homes will have alters filled with incense, food offerings, and pictures of loved ones that have passed. If you have any loved ones that have passed you can light an incense for them and have your guest do the same when they visit.
Play Bầu cua cá cọp
Bầu cua cá cọp is a Vietnamese gambling game using three dice. It literally translates to gourd (bầu), crab (cua), fish (cá), tiger (cọp). Players place wagers on a board that has the six pictures, betting on which pictures will appear. If one die corresponds with a bet, the bettor receives the same amount as their bet. The house dealer gets to roll the dice and we always used a plastic bowl with a plate as a lid so that players can’t cheat and see whats being rolled. When we were children we would gamble with pennies or quarters. Now as adults we play with dollars. The winnings can add up especially if you roll doubles or triples which also doubles and triples your earnings.
Here is a link to the set I have I you are interested in trying it out.
Give Lì Xì or lucky money
Lucky money, or “Lì xì”, is usually given to wish others good luck. Usually adults give it to kids or the elderly. When you are the recipient of the money you usually say “Chúc Mừng Năm Mới” and wish things like health, prosperity, and good fortune. For kids you can wish them a good year doing well in school.
We come from a huge family and I remember lining up with all my cousins and we would take turns going to each aunt and uncle to wish them good fortune. Most of us were born in American and could not speak Vietnamese very well (or at all) but the aunts and uncles always made us speak in Vietnamese in order to receive the money. This became a really fun time and quite a debacle.
The amount of money is up to the giver but try to pay attention to whether the bills are old or new. When my parents give out lucky money they always try to get new dollar bills because old dollars could bring bad fortune.
Traditional foods you can serve for Tết
Tết is a huge food holiday for Vietnamese people. Try one of the dishes below to get a taste of how delicious Tết can be.
Banh Tet or Banh Chung cake (Sticky rice cake)
Banh Chung cake is square and traditional food in Northern Vietnam. Banh Tet cake is round and more popular in Central and Southern regions. Both types of cake are made from similar ingredients such as sticky rice, green bean, pork, and ground black pepper.
You can eat the Banh just the way it is or fry in a skillet so that the outside is crispy and the inside is still nice and tender. Serve with a side of pickled leeks (củ kiệu ) and dried shrimp (tôm khô) and you will be hooked.
THỊT KHO TRỨNG or BRAISED PORK WITH EGGS
This is a popular dish in South Vietnam which is where my family is from. It is a dish that is commonly served for family dinner and a symbol of Tet. I researched why this dish is so popular for Tet but could not find any great information except for generic reasons like it will bring wealth and prosperity. I decided to ask my mom why this dish is always made for Tet and she said in. Vietnam no one liked to cook during New Years because they are out playing and celebrating. In addition stores were closed and refrigeration was not an option back then and still rare now in Vietnam. Vietnamese people needed a dish that could last for days. That’s why THỊT KHO TRỨNG was always served on Tet. They would cut the pork into very large pieces and just let it simmer on low for days and it would still be good.
The dish is savory, sweet, and the pork belly is so tender and unctuous from the hours of slow cooking. Try my recipe here.
Fried Rolls or Cha Gio
Quintessential to any Vietnamese celebration of course we are going to serve this during the biggest holiday in the Vietnamese culture.
Stuffed full of meat and fried to crispy perfection. It is sure to please anyone of all ages. I have a great recipe here that you must try.
Pickles
Maybe because Pickled vegetables go so well with a lot of the traditional Tet dishes like Thit Kho Trung or Banh Tet. No wonder it is commonly prepared during the holidays. There are all kinds of Vietnamese pickled vegetables. You can buy them in premade jars at the asian groceries. One simple and very popular pickled vegetable is the tiny little pickled leeks (Củ Kiệu Chua Ngọt Ngọc). I often make Pickled Mustard and give them out as gifts for my friends and family.
Here’s a great recipe for Pickled Mustard Greens or DƯA CAI CHUA here.
Mut Tet (candied fruit) and nuts
Besides the colorful sweets, the tea table to welcome guests on Lunar New Year in Vietnam cannot lack candied fruits and nuts. They could be candied coconut, candied tamarind, candied ginger, candied carrot, etc. Nuts such as watermelon seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachio,… are favorite snacks, good for health and create an intimate atmosphere in the new year.
Whats your Zodiac animal?
Vietnamese people follow the Chinese Zodiac signs. Chinese people associate each animal with certain characteristics. It’s believed that people born in a given year have the personality of that year’s animal. I remember as a child going into Chinese restaurants and reading the descriptions for each Zodiac sign. I was born in the year of the Rooster (cock) and I think it’s pretty accurate.
Chinese Zodiac
I thought it would be fun to include a guide to the 12 Chinese zodiac animals. This information is from Chinesenewyear.net if you want more details about each animal they have a ton on their page.
Each zodiac animal’s year comes around every 12 years, and each year is associated with a zodiac animal. The most recent zodiac sign years are shown below.
| ZODIAC SIGN | CHINESE NAME | ZODIAC YEARS |
|---|---|---|
| Rat | 鼠 (shǔ) | 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020 |
| Ox | 牛 (niú) | 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021 |
| Tiger | 虎 (hǔ) | 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022 |
| Rabbit | 兔 (tù) | 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023 |
| Dragon | 龙 (lóng) | 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024 |
| Snake | 蛇 (shé) | 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025 |
| Horse | 马 (mǎ) | 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026 |
| Goat | 羊 (yang) | 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027 |
| Monkey | 猴 (hóu) | 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028 |
| Rooster | 鸡 (jī) | 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029 |
| Dog | 狗 (gǒu) | 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030 |
| Pig | 猪 (zhū) | 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031 |
Rat (鼠 / Shǔ)
People born in the year of the Rat like saving and collecting. They never have hard times financially and live organized lives. If you receive a valuable gift from a Rat, know that he thinks highly of you, because he doesn’t usually like opening his wallet for others. Rats don’t look for praise and recognition. They are very sensitive and know when there is trouble. When they do take risks, they’re usually successful.
Ox (牛 / Niu)
People born in the year of the Ox are hard workers and have a strong sense of responsibility. Even if they run into difficulty during work, they’ll persevere through. They aren’t very romantic, but are patient and would never force themselves onto someone who doesn’t like them. They are usually quiet and keep their emotions bottled up inside. It’s hard for others to understand them. When they do lose their temper, it’s like an explosion and can drive others away.
Tiger (虎 / Hǔ)
People born in the year of the Tiger are independent and have high self-esteem. They enjoy being the leader and protector of average people. They love justice and never back down in an argument. Recklessness is their biggest weakness, causing them to fail. However, they never truly fail. Tigers will always find a way to stand back up and succeed in the end.
- Science
Tiger is Yang, and its earthly branch is Yín. - Hours
03:00–05:00. Tigers are the most dangerous at night. Farmers would always be able to hear their frightening roars during this hour. - Folklore
Tigers are the kings of all beasts. People believe that they are the guardians of children. In the past, infants were washed with water boiled with tiger bones to prevent diseases. Children also wear hats and shoes with tiger designs. - Compatibility
Best match: Pig
Best group: Horse, Dog
Incompatible: Monkey
Rabbit (兔 / Tù)
People born in the year of the Rabbit are gentle, quiet and polite. They are patient, intelligent and chic. Their sense of responsibility and attention to detail lead to great career success. They take love seriously as well, and would never fall for someone easily. If they find the right person, they’ll love them to the end of the world and back.
Dragon (龙 / Lóng)
People born in the year of the Dragon have hearts full of adventure and romance. It’s hard for people to understand a Dragon’s mysterious personality. At the same time, they are indifferent to things the average person worries about. They may seem lazy, but once they decide to do something, they’ll be more ambitious and vigorous than anyone else.
Snake (蛇 / Shé)
People born in the year of the Snake are idealists. On the outside, they may seem cold but, deep inside, they are warm and enthusiastic. Their desire of exclusive ownership is very fierce. It irks them if they can’t fully understand someone. Snakes are devoted and determined, but their worst enemy is laziness.
Horse (马 / Mǎ)
People born in the year of the Horse are never one to surrender. They are always positive and energetic, pushing themselves forward. Their biggest desire is to have the freedom to do what they like and be able to express themselves. However, they also have various negative traits. Horses are bad at keeping secrets and lose interest quickly.
Goat (羊 / Yang)
People born in the year of the Goat have a pure and kind heart. They’d rather suffer silently than argue and ruin someone else’s mood. However, even in silence, they still hold onto their own opinion. In regards to their passions, they will do anything possible to fulfill their wishes. Though kind, Goats have tricks up their sleeves as well. They are skilled at using soft power, able to patiently and politely persuade others into their favor.
Rooster (鸡 / Jī)
People born in the year of the Rooster are able to sense what the other person is thinking or feeling. They have quick reactions and high EQ. They make great friends, although some are cunning. Roosters are creative and talented in the arts, although few find a career in that field. They have foresight and plan everything carefully.
Dog (狗 / Gǒu)
People born in the year of the Dog are conservative and full of justice. Because of their loyalty, Dogs are valued in the workplace. They rarely break rules, except for people important to them. In life, they only wish to live quietly with their family.
- Science
Dog is Yang, and its earthly branch is Xū. - Hours
19:00–21:00. Before sleeping, the people must patrol around for a check. Trailing behind them is the dog, humanity’s little helper. - Folklore
In the Qin and Han dynasty, the Stone Dog was worshipped by the people. In the Guangdong province, it is still popular to name dogs Wàng Cái (旺财). It means “prosperous wealth” and comes from dogs’ barking sounds (旺旺—wàng wàng). - Compatibility
Best match: Rabbit
Best group: Tiger, Horse
Incompatible: Dragon
Pig (猪 / Zhū)
People born in the year of the Pig think logically and are able to fix whatever problem they’re in. They aren’t good communicators, but they’re kind and able to provide for the family. Most of them are wealthy. Their only obvious fault is that they lose their temper easily.
