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. While similar to the Chinese Lunar New Year, Tết has distinct traditions and cultural significance unique to Vietnam. The holiday’s origins date back to the 18th century B.C., influenced by Chinese culture, though it has evolved over centuries to reflect Vietnam’s unique customs. The Vietnamese New Year was first celebrated by the Chinese in Vietnam over 2000 years ago. At that time, Vietnam was part of Ancient China and so the Chinese New Year transcended generations to become the Vietnamese New Year. The Tet festival was originally a three-day celebration, but it has gradually expanded to last up to two weeks. 4. Vietnamese New Year Is Different from Chinese New Year. 5. Vietnamese New Year Is Celebrated Either in January or February. 6. Tet Celebrations Last Much Longer than the 7-Day Public Holiday. 7. Honoring Ong Tao Marks the Beginning of Vietnamese Lunar New Year. 8. Preparation for Lunar New Year Begins Weeks in Advance. 9. Giving away lucky money is a traditional Lunar New Year (Tet) custom through which Vietnamese people exchange the best wishes with one another, hoping for a year of peace and good luck. The lucky money giveaway is a long-standing practice that represents “Mung Tuoi” or “Li Xi”, literally meaning “congratulations on a new age”. 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. Because the primary aim is to attract good fortune for the new year, Tet and Chinese New Year share a lot of similar traditions. Vietnamese people usually return to their families during Tet. Some return to worship at the family altar or visit the graves of their ancestors in their homeland. The Cat is the 4th animal symbol in the 12-year cycle of the Vietnamese zodiac, taking the place of the Rabbit in the Chinese zodiac. In Vietnamese culture, the year of the cat is said to bring attentiveness, compassion, and sensitivity. 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 Tet celebrations can range from 3 days and continue for up to one week. The festival is split into the day before New Year's Eve, New Year's Eve, and New Year's Day. All of these days correspond to the Vietnamese or lunar calendar, so they will happen on a different date every year. Tet Festival falls on January 29th in 2025. On Jan. 29, Asian American communities around the U.S. will ring in the Year of the Snake with community carnivals, family gatherings, parades, traditional food, fireworks and other festivities [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 Happy New Year in Vietnamese (Chúc Mừng Năm Mới) explores Tet traditions, offering greetings and insights into Vietnam’s Lunar New Year. As the Lunar New Year approaches, Vietnam comes alive with a dazzling array of traditions, vibrant colors, and heartfelt wishes exchanged among friends, families, and strangers alike. Stacy Nguyen creates new Vietnamese lucky envelopes for the Lunar New Year each year. Wong adds that many Chinese traditions around the new year, like cleaning or eating sweets, are all about Chinese and Vietnamese people will have dinner together on New Year's Eve. This is one of the most important meals of the year. Koreans will visit family and graves before and after Tet. The second similarity is the tradition of giving lucky money - celebrating the new year. Each culture celebrating the Lunar New Year has traditions passed down from generation to generation that are thought to bring good luck. For the Lunar New Year 2025, I asked NPR readers and listeners to share the new and old traditions they practice to ensure a lucky year ahead. Here are some of their responses, edited for length and clarity. What are some special foods for the new year? Each culture has its own list of special foods during the new year, including dumplings, rice cakes, spring rolls, tangerines, fish and meats. In the Chinese culture, for example, “changshou mian” or “long-life noodles” are consumed with a wish for a long, healthy and happy life. Tet, or Vietnamese Lunar New Year, is the most significant and vibrant celebration in Vietnam. Marking the start of the lunar calendar, Tet 2025 begins on Thursday, January 29, 2025 WhatsApp 24/7 (+84)86 686 5000 Wishing you coconut, papaya, and mango – a play on words for wishing sufficient money for the year. Vietnamese Zodiac. No Tết celebration is complete without a mention of the Vietnamese zodiac. Like its Chinese counterpart, the Vietnamese zodiac is a 12-year cycle where each year is associated with an animal. 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.
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