This topic is for us to learn more from each other about Tet tradition in our country. Since most of us are oversea Vietnamese, this topic is helpful for learning

The name "Tết"
The word Tết actually means "festival" in Vietnamese. The full name for Lunar New Year in Vietnamese is "Tết Nguyên Đán" which means "Festival of the First Morning".

We have other "tết" like Tết Khai Hạ (Festival of the Beginning of Summer), Tết Thanh Minh (Festival of The Bright Morning), Tết Trung Thu (Festival of the Mid-Autum), Tết Táo Quân (Festival of The Kitchen God) etc.

However, since Lunar New Year is the largest festival in Vietnam, the word "Tết" alone has been used to associate with New Year.


Preparations for Tet

A week before Tet

According to legend, seven days before Tet every year, the Kitchen God returns to Heaven to report to the Jade Emperor on the activities of each household and these report will determine the fate of each household for the coming year. In preparation for the Kitchen God's departure, families sometimes place cookies by the fireplace or altar to sweeten the god’s journey in hope of a favorable report that would endow them with fortune and happiness for the coming year.

Upon the departure of the Kitchen God, follows the week long period called “Tet Nien” – (which literally means to extinguish the year). During this time, people celebrate the end of schooling or work activities and many take the opportunity to visit and clean the graves of relatives. Weeds are cleared, incense is burnt and flowers and a fruit tray or Mam Ngu Gua are offered in remembrance and respect for the dead.

By now, the city streets are lined with vendors selling an abundance of fresh fruits and flowers, and colorful decorative paraphernalia. Exuberant shoppers bustle and jostle amidst calls for sales and the familiar tunes of traditional Tet music. In nearly every household, crucial purchases for Tet include the peach "hoa dao" and kumquat plants. Each of these plants are carefully chosen by discerning shoppers so that the flowers and fruits are prominently displayed, vibrant in color, and remain healthy throughout the celebrations.

At home the cooking, decorating and cleaning for Tet heightens. Since it is traditional that all cooking and housework are avoided during the first three days of Tet, many spend Tet Nien preparing Tet delicacies, preening and decorating the houses with symbolic plants such as cay neu, hoa dao and kumquat, and decorative red banners called cau doi in preparation of the arrival of the esteemed guests and relatives during the coming days of celebrations.


The eve of Tet (Giao Thua)

The eve of Tet is filled with excitement and anticipation of the New Year. The Giao Thua is the most sacred point of time, the passage from the old to the new year. It is popularly believed that in Heaven there are twelve Highnesses in charge of monitoring and controlling the affairs on earth, each of them taking charge of one year. The giao thua is the moment of seeing off the old chieftain upon the conclusion of his term and welcoming in the new one upon his assumption of office. For this reason, every home makes offerings in the open air to pray for a good new year. Families gather to usher in and congratulate each other on the New Year and for turning a year older as Tet also represents a universal birthday to all. Incense sticks are burnt and prayers are said to welcome family ancestors to join in the feasting and celebration of Tet.


Tet and subsequent days

The first day of Tet is probably the most exciting time of the holiday for both adults and children. It signifies a new beginning, cleansing of past misfortunes and hopes for a brighter future. Since it is believed that the actions that one takes on Tet is consequential to how the rest of the year would unfold, adults and children alike make an effort to be in a jovial mood and avoid negative actions and behaviors towards fellow friends and relatives. Dressed in new attires, family members unite to welcome the most important day of Vietnamese culture with the first of many days of feasting and merry making to come. Children often eagerly await for Mung Tuoi, a gift giving ritual when parents, grandparents or relatives present gifts of Lixi or “lucky” money in traditional red packet and offer words of wisdom or advice for the coming year.

Visiting relatives and friends is one of the key activities during Tet. The order of visitations depends on your blood relation and your status in society. The first morning of Tet is usually celebrated amongst immediate family members including the husband’s parents and with esteemed guests who are of respectable social status and whose presence are believed to bring luck to the household. The second day of Tet is generally dedicated to visiting the wife’s parents and extended relatives. By the third day of Tet, people would visit the homes of friends, bosses or colleagues. This is also the day when the spirits of ancestors return to heaven and families would offer gifts of money and luxury goods such as cars and clothing to their deceased relatives by burning miniature paper versions. Many Buddhists also visit the temples to pray for a safe and happy new year as well as to have their fortunes predicted by the Xin Xam.

In past, the celebrations of Tet would last for one month, however with economic development and the practicalities of modern daily living, Tet celebrations now officially last for three days.

(Collected from different websites)

We set the koi fishes free on 23 Thang Chap , i think its a nice custom

Also da'nh ba`i Tien Len ^_^

Me and my friends are probably gonna play that one game, forgot what it's called, but it's with the deer the chicken the shrimp etc... What is that game called again? (Also deer always win LOL)

Bầu Cua Cá Cọp.

Do you guys celebrate New Years in April like the Thais, Lao, Khmers, & Burmese too? And I was wondering if the Khmer Krom in Vietnam celebrate the Lunar New Years like you guys?

Nope, we don't, we celebrate it earlier

How about the Khmers (Khmer Krom) in Vietnam do they celebrate the Lunar New Years too?

Year of the Cow. It will be a tough year, just like cows working the field. The economy doesn't seem too good right now.

We burn firecrackers to scare away bad luck and bad spirits. Some Chinese boys fire gunshot into the air with their Uzi to people they hate and cannot forgive. After that we come down from the roof to enjoy a feast of chicken, steamed fish, shrimp, oysters, crab and lobster with all the family gathered. We read and listen to animal signs. Young people always wonder about their romance lives and often buy those pink cherry flower trees for good luck. Every Chinese boy in the village must learn at least to do the lion dance or hit the lion drum, it is a practice for the ages. In the streets of Chinatown, you see the lion dancers collect 'payment' from all the stores and restaurants. The li see money is inside the lettuce and the lion dancer collects for his bosses. It is very pleasing to see the ladies wear cheongsam (chipao in Mandarin, ao dai in Vietnamese). It is even more delightful to see full body white and Mexican women wear them during New Year parade in Chinatown.

I will play a song on my Chinese bamboo flute for you Vietnamese on the Lunar New Year of the Ox.

The khmer krom celebrate lunar new year. They celebrate two new years. Just like asian people in US.

You guys eat seafood on New Year's? That's strange.

Tet is the most popular festival in Vietnam and artifacts suggest that it has been celebrated since at least 500 B. C. E. The exact origin is unknown.

http://www3.kumc.edu/diversity/ethnic_relig/tet.html

The goal of the Tet celebration is to begin the year right. On the eve of the three day festival, houses and ancestral graves are thoroughly cleaned and a ceremonial meal is prepared. Customs associated with other new year celebrations including paying off debts, giving gifts, resolving conflicts in relationships, and wearing new clothes are common during Tet. Other more unique activities include firecrackers (it is believed that loud sounds will drive away evil), boat races, swinging contests, and dragon dancing. The traditional dragon dance is meant to spread good health and wealth.

^^The reason is this, in Cantonese, shrimp (ha) sounds like laughing (happiness). Oyster (ho) sounds like good (fortune).

We don't never eat beef on new year. They traditionally work the land, so give them a break.

We also eat chicken (with the yellow skin in sesame sauce) and crispy roasted pork (the crispy skin) for new year. We also eat "neen go", it is cake made of rice that is very sticky/jello-like and we pan fry in a wok pan.

The traditions you presented above are almost the same as those in my hometown, although I am from central China.

The Khmer Krom also celebrate their New Years in April right?

Thank you for the information, Xigon.

Nice photos, hoang_1989!

Oyster = ho?
Wow! I love to eat raw ho...

that's southern vietnamese ^^

I started dating a Vietnamese women and we talked about New Years. She said I should give her a red flower and some $$$ in a red envelope. My question is how much $$$ do I give? I make a good living and I just want to give a right amount. Do I put one bill in or can a do a few?

Thanks
Steve

give her US$1 and she starts dating somewhere else or give her US$100 and she will be your slave. woman are usually like that my friend.

Troi oi, toan la Tieng Anh thoi. Kinh qua.
Chuc mung nam moi.
Chuc moi nguoi nam moi binh an + thanh dat

bạn ở bên vn hả?

Mình ở Việt Nam. Bạn ở bên Mỹ à? Avatar của bạn trông thiệt là hot.

Chuc ban Nam moi vui ve dde? dda^`y con.

ứng xử ngày Tết

Chào hỏi


Chúc Tết


http://netlife.com.vn/vn/doisong/43155/index.aspx

Hanoi

Hanoi tet flower

Peach Blossoms

two ways of greeting on Tet

During the age of independence right after the fall of Tang partly caused by waging war with Nan Chao, Doung Dinh Nge probally saw these elements such as celebrating New year the Chinese style of Giao was a contamination of northern influence. Because he was a son of Ai, his respect for Chinese civilization was very little . By the tenth century there is no more talk of claw myths and levirate had surely has been stamped out. Vietnamese tradition has been transformed during the centuries of Chinese rule. Doung Dinh Ngo presided over the first awaking of "Vietnamese power". He was very influential among Vietnamese people for his revival of Vietnamese identity but his rule ended briefly. in the third month of 937, Dinh was assassinated by Kieu Cong Tien According to Chinese record he was a " a petty military officer". According to Vietnamese he was a member of a prominent local family establish in Phong. Co Tien attempted to replace Dinh Nghe and to steer a pro-Chinese course. He was somewhat successful, however he was undone by an army marching out of Ai led by Ngo Quyen. (Ngo Quyen was the son in law of Dinh)

Happy Tet guys!

Happy New Year!

Happy new year V-chat

Happy New Year to everyone.

Traditional Food of Vietnamese New Year

Bánh Chưng - Bánh Giày








Today, a food that is always presented in Vietnamese family during New Year is the sticky rice cake, or "banh chung" in Vietnamese. For those unfamiliar with Vietnamese food and culture, it may seem little more than a simple rice cake, a gummy green square stuffed with pork, green bean paste and loads of snappy black pepper.

Like many Vietnamese foods, the cake is a masterfully practical creation. It relies on widely abundant, inexpensive, always-available substances (rice, beans) while maximizing flavor with spare but succulent fatty pieces of pork. It’s also infinitely portable, ever-ready to be carried away in its leafy shell. And more convenient still, the ties which bind it can be used to slice the cake, a particularly tricky feat given the difficulty of cutting boiled sticky rice without getting it everywhere.

The square sticky rice cakes are wrapped in banana leaf and boiled for up to twelve hours, depending on their size. Small ones measure four to five inches big and larger ones are the size of adobe bricks. The outer layer of rice becomes perfumed and tinted by the green leaf. Inside, the grains remain white and encase a buttery bean filling streaked with pepper and studded with chunks of lean pork and bits of its Opaline fat. Banh chung may be eaten warm or at room temperature; they may also be fried up as crispy pancakes.

The taste of the cake derives very much from the discarded parts, the la dong, or Phrynuim leaves that hold it together. Upon peeling back the layers, which shift rapidly from dry to very wet, the curiously combined aroma of both cut grass and vegetable soup rises from the bundle. It’s not so much appetizing as it is comforting. It smells warm despite the fact that the dish is room temperature.

As that initial smell gives way to the starchy hints of sticky rice, which must be of high quality and soaked for a day before cooking, the center nears. The cake will not be perfectly presented. Small grains of rice cling obstinately to the leaves as they are yanked backwards, and the shades of lime coloring vary in concentration across the rice’s surface.

The taste is satisfying and filling at once, mild and simple in its waves of flavour.

Aside from being tasty, banh chung touch the soul of Vietnamese people. The cakes are more humble expressions of gratitude for life's blessings than harbingers of good luck or great fortunes. After all, the few ingredients that go into the cakes are the basic foods that have sustained Vietnamese people for eons.

The legend

According to legend, the cakes were created during the golden era of the Hong Bang dynasty when Viet civilization began. King Hung Vuong VI had the dilemma of not knowing which offspring would be the most deserving one to succeed him. He challenged his many sons to present him with the best food offering for the ancestors, an offering which could evidence wisdom and ability, an offering which could satisfy the ancestors and the king's taste buds at the same time.

Faced with the arduous task, each prince set out to travel to foreign lands, in search of the rarest, the most exotic and delectable foods to present to the King. Some went hunting in the forests and brought home birds and animals which they prepared into the most palatable dishes. Some others sailed out to the open sea, trying to catch fish, lobsters and other much loved sea food. Neither the rough sea nor the violent weather could stop them from looking for the best gifts to please the king.

The youngest amongst them was Prince Lang Lieu, who preferred to stay at home with the old King. He was more concerned about his fathers' health than about the succession to the throne. One night in his sleep, he dreamed of an immortal advising him to use rice as an offering to the ancestors. Rice was then the most abundant, readily available staple in the kingdom.

The next morning, he went to the country side and saw that the rice in paddy fields was ripe and ready to be harvested. Walking by a glutinous rice field, he picked some golden grains on a long stalk. He brought them close to his nose and he could smell a delicate aroma.

He cooked glutinous rice and molded it into a round shape. This white round caked was called "bánh giày", symbolizing the sky for sky was round and limitless (hence the shape of a circle; circle is limitless for it can go round and round forever) and pure (hence the white color to reflect purity).

Next he cooked and molded another cake into a square shape and placed cooked bean paste and meat inside to symbolize the heart. This cake was called "banh chung", symbolizing the earth for earth was square and had limitation. The substances that made up the cake symbolized the substances that made up the earth. At the interior of the cake, there was a piece of porkmeat of red color (symbolizing Fire) surrounded by a paste made with broad beans of yellow color (symbolizing the Earth). The whole thing is wrapped by the sticky rice of white color (symbolizing Metal) to be cooked with boiling water (symbolizing Water ) before finding a green colouring on its surface thanks to the latanier leaves (symbolizing Wood ). According to some scholar, this is the cycle of the five elements because: Fire with its ashes nourishes the earth. The earth gives birth to metal. Metals put in the furnace become liquids (water). Water nourishes plants. Plants with their woods can ignite fire.


When King Hung Vuong summoned all his sons to present their offerings, he was disappointed to taste all those foods from afar, which he judged common and uninteresting. However, when Prince Lang Lieu presented the simple yet delicious rice cakes, and explained the meaningful symbols each cake represented, the old King was impressed and quite pleased with his youngest son's wisdom and profound thoughts. He declared that his youngest son's offerings were not only the purest, but also the most meaningful because they demonstrated the relationship of things in the universe and especially because Lang Lieu had used nothing except rice which was the basic foodstuff of the people to make them.

The king gave the throne to Lang Liêu and announced that from then on, everyone in the kingdom should use the two cakes as special offerings to their ancestors in the New Year. Since then the offering of "Banh Chung and Banh Giay " at the ancestral altar has become a tradition for the New Year celebration of Vietnamese people.


Thousands of years later, banh chung is still a Vietnamese staple and a source of national pride. Some famous places to grab a slab include: 54 Tran Xuan Soan Street in Ha Noi, Thanh Khuc Village of Thanh Tri District, Ha Noi and in Bo Dau, Thai Nguyen City, 60km northeast of Ha Noi.

Mứt (Candied fruits)

Watermelon
















Watermelon is an important fruit in Vietnamese New Year because of its rich red flesh which represents a rich fortune.

According to Vietnamese tradition, when the first watermelon is cut in New Year, the redder its flesh is, the more fortune the family has.

Watermelon seeds are also a New Year food. The seeds are dyed red to bring luck.

I found some pictures with Hmong people celebrating Tet's holiday in Vietnam:

http://www.vietnamnet.vn/xahoi/2009/01/825838/
http://www.vietnamnet.vn/xahoi/2009/01/825772/