Vietnam’s Tet holidays (the Lunar New Year) is right around the corner. Just like Christmas and New Year holidays in Western country, Tet holiday is the biggest and most special occasion in year. It is a chance for family gathering, for friends and relatives visiting each other, for people celebrating the past year and welcoming the New Year.

Travelers visiting Vietnam during this time will have a chance to enjoy the unique atmosphere of Tet, to experience the traditional rituals and customs that only happen during Tet and to have a taste of traditional dishes that are special for Tet only. You can have a glimpse of Tet if you're staying in a hotel in Vietnam, however, it is best to have Tet celebrated with a Vietnamese family to get an insight of this infamous holiday. If you want to have a Tet atmosphere when staying at a hotel, you may probably want to stay at a Phu Quoc hotel or hotel in Hanoi or Ho Chi minh hotel.

There are some traditions and customs foreigners should be aware of when having Tet in Vietnam.

First, the first day of the New Year is a very special day that affects the luck and success of the whole New Year. That is why Vietnamese often choose who they want to be the first one to visit their house on this day. So, don’t show up at their door on this day unless you’re invited. People often visit friends and relatives from the second day onward.

Second, number 4 and number 7 are considered bad luck in Vietnamese culture (number 4 means “die” while number 7 means “fail” – not a very lucky thought for a brand new year). Therefore, do not give presents that in anyway indicate these two numbers. Giving things relate to number 6 and 8 instead. Aside, the lucky color is red, so anything in red will be fine. Also being considered extremely bad luck, do not eat or give squid and duck meat and dog meat as presents at the beginning of the New Year.

Third, do not ask someone to lend you money or repay your debt in the first 2-3 weeks of new year. It is believed that if people pay or borrow money at the beginning of new year, they will have to do that all throughout the year.

Fourth, fire and water are the lucky signs of the new year, so don’t take these things out of the hosts’ house on the new year. Some of the things you should avoid taking out are lighters, matches, coals, fire fluid, gas, or bottles of water, water containers, drinking cups, glasses out of the hosts’ houses.

Finally, giving red envelope or Li Xi (with money inside, of course) to those who are younger than you (mostly kids and students) is an expected action. Luckily, this is expected from people who have jobs only.

Tet Vietnam has become so familiar, so sacred to the Vietnamese that when Spring arrives, the Vietnamese, wherever they may be, are all thrilled and excited, and they feel an immense nostalgia, wishing to come back to their homeland for a family reunion and a taste of the particular flavors of the Vietnamese festivities. Foreign tourists will have a great experience participating in this biggest cultural event of Vietnam.

Edited by skyblue - 27Jan2011 at 9:29am

Tet has become so familiar, so sacred to the Vietnamese that when Spring arrives, the Vietnamese, wherever they may be, are all thrilled and excited with the advent of Tet, and they feel an immense nostalgia, wishing to come back to their homeland for a family reunion and a taste of the particular flavours of the Vietnamese festivities.

Well, there is a big difference in Vietnam and India. Vietnam is a small country but very beautiful where tourist comes for all over the world and India has massive land and lots of versatile places to visit. So I think both are their own beauties.

really very interesting information shared about their culture.So good to read this information.

Thanks for given us the above information about Vietnamese New Year festival. Tet, which means the first morning of the first day of the New Year, is the Vietnamese New Year. It is the biggest and most sacred in Vietnamese traditional festival, is celebrated throughout the country in 3 days. Tet is an occasion for people to show respects to their intimates and origins, wishing for a new year full of good luck and happiness.

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