Both Chinese and Vietnamese lunar calendar are divided by periods of 12 years, with one animal for each year. The two countries share 10 of the zodiac calendar’s 12 signs—the rat, tiger, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. The Chinese have three official New Year days (1st, 2nd, 3rd), but many places last for 7 days. In some places, the time is up to 15 days. Tet in Korea takes place for three days, the day before the new year, the 1st and the second day. The second difference is the color. The Chinese prefer red, the Vietnamese have yellow, and the Koreans 1. New Year's Eve dinner: During the Chinese New Year, fish is usually served for the New Year's Eve dinner, which means "abundance every year". During the Vietnamese New Year (Tết Nguyên Đán), pig heads or chickens are prepared for the New Year's Eve dinner, and there is no custom of eating fish. 2. Reading Time: 20 Minutes Image by IG @michelle___noel 1) How Similar Is Chinese New Year and Vietnamese New Year? As the world turns, vibrant new year celebrations start across different cultures. The Chinese New Year and the Vietnamese New Year (known as Tết in Vietnam) stand out as the biggest Asian holidays. Let’s dive into Vietnamese New Year, known as Tết Nguyên Đán or simply Tết, has its roots in ancient Vietnamese agrarian traditions and the lunar calendar, influenced by Chinese culture. Dating back over 2,000 years, Tết originally marked the beginning of the farming cycle, celebrating the arrival of spring and paying respect to ancestors and deities. Tet and Chinese new year is a significant holiday in both Vietnamese and Chinese cultures. While the two countries share similarities in celebrating the New Year, each has its unique traditions and customs. Lunar New Year Traditions. In both Vietnam and China, the traditional Tet is celebrated according to the Lunar calendar. Today, I will answer 2 most important questions: What are the similarities and differences between Vietnamese New Year, aka Tet and Chinese New Year? And Do In contexts outside of China, referring to Lunar New Year as "Chinese New Year" and vice versa can come off as insensitive and offensive because it ignores other cultures, all of which have their own unique traditions, beliefs, and celebrations. 2. How each Asian country celebrates and names their New Year festival is different. Why does Chinese New Year fall on different dates? Rather than following the western Gregorian Calendar with 365-day years, the Chinese New Year follows a lunar calendar based the moon's 12 phases. The Vietnamese New Year celebration of Tet, short for Tet Nguyen Dan which means “festival of the first day”, is celebrated over three days as opposed to the traditional 15 of the Chinese New Chinese New Year and Lunar New Year are often used interchangeably, but they have distinct differences. Chinese New Year specifically refers to the celebration in China and among Chinese communities worldwide, while Lunar New Year is a broader term that includes various cultures and countries that follow the lunar calendar. The Lunar New Year is traditionally a time for food, festivities, and family gatherings. It is celebrated in many countries, including China, Vietnam, Korea, Singapore, and Malaysia. After living in China for 3 years as V-Trust Sales Manager and 1 year in Vietnam as V-Trust Country Manager, I am happy to share my experience and feelings, even if, for sure, I don’t know everything and they may not be exhaustive. Chinese New Year and the Vietnamese New Year (called Tết in Vietnam) actually have a lot in common. 3. Easy yet impressive Vietnamese New Year decoration ideas. Following easy yet impressive Vietnamese New Year decoration ideas can effortlessly bring the vibrant spirit of Vietnamese New Year’s Eve into your home. 3.1. For the living room. On Tet, Vietnamese people decorate the living room with fresh flowers like cherry blossoms or apricot [6] [7] Vietnamese Lunar New Year today still retains a degree of the original Chinese customs such as giving of lucky money in red envelopes and use of the lunar calendar, but has also over time, evolved its own separate and unique traditions that reflect Vietnam's distinct culture and identity, which includes the Vietnamese zodiac where the Bánh Tổ (Nian Gao/Chinese New Year Sweet Rice Cake) Nian Gao (年糕) is the traditional New Year sweet rice cake of Chinese people, made from sticky rice flour, ginger, and brown sugar. In Vietnam, it’s known as Bánh Tổ (Ancestor Cake). Bánh Tổ is quite popular among Vietnamese Chinese in the South. Surprisingly, it’s also a Tet Chinese, Koreans and Vietnamese celebrates the Lunar New Year, but how are they different? Also, how are their new years connected to the Japanese? This vide Along with many other Asian countries, both the Chinese and the Vietnamese recognize the Lunar calendar as part of their cultural tradition. It's a calendar that incorporates a zodiac of twelve animals in rotation. As a new lunar new year begins, the "year" of a new animal also begins. On January 29, 2025, we will start the Year of the Snake Vietnamese chef Thuy Pham describes the Lunar New Year traditions she grew up with, and talks about what life was like on her grandparents’ rural rice farm. She shares the ancient Vietnamese stories behind famous New Year food, and the flavours she remembers from the celebration. Thuy is founder and head chef of The Little Viet Kitchen, and has a cookbook of the same name (The Little VIet The festival that is frequently referred to as ‘Chinese New Year’ is not only celebrated in China. The term ‘Lunar New Year’ is increasingly used to refer to festivals in other countries that take place at the same time and with many of the same trad
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