Vietnam: Origin and meaning of Lunar New Year? How do Vietnamese people celebrate Tet?

How do Vietnamese people celebrate Tet?

Hello, Lawnet would like to present the origin and meaning of Lunar New Year as follows:

Origin and meaning of Lunar New Year

Lunar New Year (Also known as Traditional Tet, or simply Tet) is the transition point between the old year and the new year, the time when the weather gradually changes from a cold winter to a spring full of sunshine and wind, a new beginning filled with joy and wishes.

So when does the Lunar New Year start? To this day, there are still not enough documents to determine the origin of the Lunar New Year, but we all know that Tet has existed since very ancient times, since the time when people spread stories about King Hung giving a bride a price of one hundred pieces of banh chung to choose his son-in-law in the legend of Son Tinh and Thuy Tinh. or the story of Lang Lieu cooking banh chung and banh day. Throughout many years, through each era, Lunar New Year is still an extremely important day in the hearts of Vietnamese people.

Meaning of Lunar New Year

For every Vietnamese person, the Lunar New Year is an occasion for children and grandchildren to gather and reunite as a family. Leaving family to seek career development, but when Tet comes, no matter how far away children and grandchildren work, they will still come back to reunite and celebrate Tet with their family. Family meals during Tet are always filled with a joyful, cheerful, and warm atmosphere.

During Tet, Vietnamese people are always prosperous and happy, regardless of whether they are rich or poor. Even if they are prisoners, they still enjoy a full Tet in prison. Vietnamese law is always unforgiving towards criminals, but on the Tet holiday, it is different. Meals for prisoners in prisons are raised to 5 times the standard of normal daily standards (Article 48 of the Law on Execution of Criminal Judgments 2019), and they are allowed to meet family members (Article 3 of Circular 14/2020/TT-BCA).

During Tet holidays, employees are entitled to salary without having to work according to the provisions of Clause 1, Article 112 of the Labor Code 2019, specifically:

Holidays and Tet

Employees are entitled to leave from work and receive full pay during the following holidays:

...

b) Lunar New Year: 05 days;

...

Tet is also an opportunity to look back at things done in the old year and immerse yourself in a warm and joyful atmosphere when the new year comes. Every year, people flock to the streets to watch fireworks displays to celebrate the New Year and go to temples and pagodas to pray for blessings and good luck for their families with the hope of the best things in the new year.

How do Vietnamese people celebrate Tet?

Depending on each region or according to different beliefs, religions, and customs, traditional Tet in each locality also has different features. However, overall, Tet customs are divided into three periods, including: New Year's Eve, New Year's Eve, and New Year's Eve.

(1) Year-end (from December 30 if it is a full year or December 29 if it is a missing year)

Year-end or year-end worship, year-end ceremony, or year-end party is a ritual to acknowledge the end of a year and prepare for the new year. The New Year is part of the Tet ritual that takes place on the last days of the lunar year, called New Year's Day. This is the day family members gather together to have a year-end meal.

(2) New Year's Eve (between December 30 or 29 and January 1, from 11 p.m. the previous day to 1 a.m. the next day)

Traditionally, Lunar New Year's Eve is said to be the moment of transferring the old year to the new year—an important time when heaven and earth harmonize and yin and yang blend so that all things glow with new vitality.

According to the customs of the Vietnamese people since ancient times, at the end of the year and New Year's Eve, families make outdoor and indoor offerings, carefully preparing to welcome people who come to the ground and bring divine wealth into the house.

To recognize this moment, people often make two feasts. A tray to worship ancestors at the altar in our house, and a tray to worship heaven and earth in the front yard.

Some communities use the tiger as an object of worship, called worshiping Ong Thirty. Some other communities have a part of the feast reserved for worshiping sentient beings and wandering, helpless souls.

(3) New Year (first day of the new year)

The first day of the first lunar month is the first New Year's Day and is considered the most important day of the entire Tet holiday.

Not counting people of good fortune and age who were invited to go to the ground early in the morning on this day, ancient Vietnamese people often did not leave the house, only setting up New Year's offerings, feasting, and congratulating each other within the family.

The 2nd day of the first lunar month is the day when there are worship activities at home in the early morning.

The 3rd day of the first lunar month is the day after offering rice at home according to the custom of offering at least three days of Tet. During these days, people often visit and ask each other what they did in the old year and what they will do in the new year.

Sincerely!

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