Tet: Vietnam's Lunar symphony of family, food and tradition

Lunar New Year is knocking at our doors. The Vietnamese festive celebration is being reported by many international newspapers and magazines.

Australian Good Food & Travel Guide has just published “Tet: Vietnam's Lunar Symphony of Family, Food and Tradition”, introducing the most important and widely celebrated public holiday throughout the country.

“Marking the beginning of the Lunar New Year, it is a time for families to come together, pay respects to ancestors and welcome the arrival of Spring. The celebration is deeply rooted in Vietnamese culture and tradition, encompassing a blend of religious, cultural and family-oriented practices as well as a feast to transcend culinary boundaries.”

Wrapping chung cakes at Spring Flower Festival 2024.

The essence of Tet is with glutinous rice cakes known as banh chung and banh tet, a special touch of Tet magic and the sweetness of family reunion. The meticulous preparation of these savory dishes reflects the most important occasion when families come together to create recipes passed down through generations.

If you are ever in Vietnam during Tet, you may also see fireworks, parades and cultural performances where public spaces come alive with flower markets and decorations.

The traditional custom of calligraphy-giving.

 “Just as each culture has a special day or occasion to mark all the cherished things about their culture and way of living, Tet is this to the Vietnamese,” the reporter wrote.

The Voice of OC published “Lunar New Year Kicks off In OC”. “While most Americans celebrate the New Year on January 1st, many Asian cultures, including Korean, Chinese, and Vietnamese communities, celebrate their start of the year following the Lunar calendar.” 

Orange County is home to one of the largest Vietnamese communities outside of Vietnam, meaning the Lunar New Year is celebrated annually.

Some celebrations start weeks in advance like the Little Saigon Flower Festival, where people start preparing their homes to welcome the New Year, decorating them with items to bring good luck and happiness for the New Year of the Dragon. 

The traditional custom of calligraphy giving, with a calligraphy master writing lucky letters on red paper can be seen in Luxury Travel Magazine. Many traditional highlights to mark the Lunar New Year include lucky red envelopes, traditional lion dances, traditional Vietnamese cuisine; musical and cultural shows along with flower markets and decorations.

Lunar New Year is approaching. Lunar New Year is always the most significant in the hearts of Vietnamese people wherever they are, contributing to preserving and promoting the values of traditional culture.

The traditional art of figurines is often seen on holidays and at Tet fairs.

N.T