The International Holiday & Festival Primer Book 2

"Tet Nguyen Dan (p. 55-56)

In Vietnam, the celebration of Tet Nguyen Dan is a noisy and joyful occasion. Tet Nguyen Dan, which means ""first day,"" is the annual Vietnamese New Year. It falls in either January or February on a date determined by the Chinese Lunar calendar. It is by far the most important festival of the year to Vietnamese people around the world. Not only is it the beginning of a new year in Vietnam, but ""Tet"" also signals the beginning of spring.

It usually arrives just as one rice crop is ready for harvest and the next ready for sowing. Farmers, along with most working people in Vietnam, take this rare chance to relax and celebrate with their families. Tet has been a part of Vietnamese culture since the country was founded nearly 4,000 years ago. According to a popular myth, the Vietnamese race began when the dragon Lac Long married the fairy Au Co.

Their son became King of the first Vietnamese dynasty. At the time the country was known as Van Lang, but in 1802 the name was changed to Vietnam, meaning ""far south."" In this land of warm tropical rain forests, lush green mountains and soggy rice fields, Tet is truly a time for people to enjoy themselves. Many of Vietnam’s over 70 million people work six days a week, and they look forward to the week-long Tet celebrations.

According to Tet customs, many preparations are made before the New Year arrives. Houses are given a thorough spring cleaning, then decorated with plum blossoms, apricot flowers and other fruits to signal the arrival of spring. Streets are also decorated with colored lights, and bright pink and red banners to help ward off evil spirits. On New Year’s Eve, families gather for feasts and prayers. It is also part of Tet tradition to offer incense, fruit and flowers to the souls of departed friends and family.

During dinner, the spirits are often invited in to dine with the family. Offerings are then made to the Kitchen God, who arrives during Tet to check on family members before returning to Heaven to report to the Emperor of Jade. At midnight, Tet Nguyen Dan becomes an explosive party, as endless strings of fireworks strung high on bamboo poles burst into bright light. The fireworks signal the start of a week of celebrations, and they help drive off evil spirits.

New Year’s Day is a time for family gatherings. Children receive gifts or money wrapped in red paper. It is also believed the first visitor to a Vietnamese home brings either good or bad luck, so families usually invite a well-respected person into their home to ensure they receive good luck in the coming year. Like most New Year’s celebrations around the world, food is an important part of Tet tradition. Preserved fruits, strips of winter melon, coconut, kumquats and sweet lotus seeds are often served. Another popular food is banh chung, a sticky rice dumpling filled with beans and pork made from an ancient recipe shared for generations. When the banh chung is served, it is truly a happy Tet Nguyen Dan in Vietnam!"