Tet in Viet Nam

Lunar New Year

As Vietnamese citizens, we’d like to present you about our Lunar New Year Festival (“TET NGUYEN DAN” in Vietnamese), an oncoming occasion. It is a national and traditional festival in Vietnam (Chinese, too). It takes place in this month, from 26th to 28th. In Lunar Calendar, this period is corresponding to the first three days of New Year. In other words ( easier for you to understand), this New Year will begin in Monday, January 26th (it’s only for this year. The next year depends on the Lunar Calendar. In Vietnamese, they often call this occasion “Tet” (/teit/).

Since it is the biggest festival in a year in our country, Vietnamese people have many activities to celebrate this occasion. We bet then a certainty that they will take you by surprise!
Now, let’s join our New Year Festival!!!;):D

Several days before the main festive day, in every corners of our country, people prepare many things with a great eagerness. Painting houses, preparing Tet food, holding flower festivals all over the country…are some main activities on Tet occasion.

After a year flooded with work, people prefer to refresh themselves on Tet. For personals and students, this is a 7-day holiday to relax. Workers stop working, students stop studying in class several days before Tet, to prepare. We strongly believe that all of you are excited about our special food on Tet. So, let’s take a look on some of them!

In North of Vietnam, the weather is often cold on this period. On the other hand, South of Vietnam always experiences hot weather. Therefore, there are some differences in Tet eating and drinking between these 2 regions. The main food of North is a kind of cake called “Chung cake” (/ t∫u:η/). In English, it’s called “sticky rice cake”.

It is made from rice, boiled bean, pork and pepper inside. All of them are covered by “Dong” (/zo:η/) leaves.

And this is the making process of Chung cakes:

It’s rather complicated to make a Chung cake. And it takes us about 8 hours to boil them. People prefer to gather around the cooking fire and wait until it finish. It’s really warm and interesting to do so.

In South, we have “tet” cakes (/tet/). It’s also green-covered.

Another special meal in Tet days is “Nem” (Spring roll):

Vietnamese people from the ancient time would like to have a flowerpot to make their houses more beautiful. In North, the traditional kind of flower for Tet is Peach blossom – “Dao” flower (/dau/)

“Dao” flower is the symbol of happiness and blissfulness in Vietnam.

In South, we have “Mai” flower (it’s pronounced exactly the same to the word “my” in English)

They are only something special on Tet occasion in Vietnam . We also have many ceremonies around the country to celebrate our biggest holiday.

We hope that they will suggest you about a trip to Vietnam to join many activities on our Lunar New Year Festival. It’s also the most wonderful time in a year to visit Vietnam.

You can find out about Tet in Vietnam here:
http://www.saigoninfo.com/tet/meaningoftet.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%E1%BA%BFt

Only 2 days left to the Lunar New Year Eve 2009. Surely Vietnamese people in general and VFOD’s members in particular are so busy now. They have to prepare many many things for your houses in Tet days.;) And they will show you all so many other special things in Tet holidays. :);)

On this occasion, we, all VFOD’s members would like to send to all FOD’s members a VERY HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR!!! :D:D:D

And for all Vietnamese on FOD: CHÚC MỪNG NĂM MỚI!!!

← Declan on Vietnam radio

VFOD’s Calendar 2009 →