Tet customs take place every year and we all follow them as a matter of course. No one knows who established the custom or what year our people started applying it, but it cannot be denied that it is these traditional customs that give the first days of the year a true atmosphere.
Meaning of Tet customs
Traditional Tet customs in Vietnam are extremely diverse and rich because our country has 54 ethnic groups living together. Vietnamese people's lives are often closely linked to rice fields , hometowns, villages... these are also the main factors that have shaped Tet customs for many generations, thereby promoting attachment and relationships. Good relationships between family members as well as solidarity between people in the same village.
Vietnamese customs and traditions are a typical cultural beauty of our country. Even though the world continues to develop and become modern, these customs are still maintained by generations of Vietnamese people every year. Customs and traditions should be maintained and promoted, this not only means preserving traditional values but also a way for us to remember our roots.
Tet customs are a typical cultural beauty of our country
The custom of wrapping banh chung on Tet
“New tree, firecrackers, green banh chung” is a saying that children hear every year during the Tet season. It can be said that banh chung is an indispensable dish on Tet. Depending on each family's conditions, the filling and wrapping time are also different.
There are many people who have been wrapping banh chung since December 23, but there are also places where they start wrapping on December 27 and 28. Thanks to wrapping cakes, family members and relatives have the opportunity to gather together, make cakes, and share about work,... making the Tet atmosphere even more cozy and meaningful. Moreover, banh chung is also a fragrant Tet gift. Giving it away as a gift always makes the recipient feel your heart and become extremely happy.
The skillful hands of grandmother and mother quickly wrapped banh chung
The custom of presenting a tray of five fruits
The five-fruit tray placed on the ancestral altar is an indispensable cultural beauty during Vietnamese traditional Tet. Each region will have different ways of displaying the five-fruit tray, using different types of fruit. The five-fruit tray shows respect to heaven and earth, ancestors and to pray for a peaceful, lucky, happy, prosperous and prosperous new year.
Refer to the article: Meaning and how to decorate the five-fruit tray properly
Tet custom of worshiping Mr. Cong and Mr. Tao
It is said that at the end of every year, Mr. Cong and Mr. Tao will ride on goldfish and fly to the sky, then report the homeowner's events during the past year to the Jade Emperor. To say goodbye, Vietnamese people worship Mr. Cong and Mr. Tao on the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month. At the same time, clean the kitchen thoroughly, buy goldfish to release and burn clothes and votive money for Mr. Cong and Mr. Tao.
The custom of playing flowers during Tet
Fresh, colorful flowers are not only a symbol of the vitality of Tet, but also symbolize good feng shui values, the fulfillment that will come to flower growers in the new year.
In the North, people often display peach blossoms, and in the South, apricot blossoms. Besides, many families still play kumquat ornamental games. According to ancient beliefs, luxuriant and fruitful kumquat trees will bring luck, prosperity and fortune to the homeowner.
Tet plant pots and flower pots are often sold very early
Refer to the article: Feng shui meaning of 10 popular Tet flowers
The custom of breaking ground on Tet holiday
The custom of breaking the ground, also known as kicking the ground or breaking the house, is a long-standing Tet custom in Vietnam. In the past, people believed that if the first person to come to wish the family New Year was someone of the same age as the homeowner, the homeowner would be happy, prosperous, and have lots of fortune in the new year.
According to Vietnamese beliefs, the first person to break the ground at the beginning of the year is extremely important, so many families even go to fortune-telling to decide whether to choose that person to be the person to break the ground or not. The time this custom takes place is right after New Year's Eve and the person who storms the ground usually chooses a cheerful person with good luck.
The custom of giving lucky money on Tet
Lucky money in Chinese is the transliteration of the word "loi thi" which means to gain benefit, money, and luck. Therefore, Vietnamese people believe that lucky money will bring luck and good things to children at the beginning of the year. Lucky money is money that brings luck, good things, and good things to children on this occasion. the begin of the year..
Every child likes to receive lucky money at the beginning of the year
The custom of going to the temple and picking fortune
Going to the temple at the beginning of the year is not only to pray for a lucky and prosperous new year and to show respect to Buddha and ancestors. On New Year's Eve, when going to the temple, people often gather fortune to pray for luck and bring fortune into their homes.
Tet customs: departure
On the first day of the new year, many families often choose lucky days and directions to depart, expecting special advantages in areas such as work, business, and study.
The custom of erecting a tree indicates the date of Tet
The tree is usually erected on December 23, after worshiping Mr. Cong and Mr. Tao. Folklore believes that when the gods protecting the family are away, demons and evil things will haunt the family. So the tree was erected to ward them off and protect peace.
According to Trinh Hoai Duc (a mandarin of the Nguyen Dynasty) in the local book Gia Dinh Thanh Thong Chi: "On Truc President's Day, every house puts up a bamboo tree in front of the big door, with a bamboo basket tied on it, and betel in the basket. areca lime, on the side of the basket there is hung gold and silver paper, called "tang nui". The reason for this cannot be investigated... On the 7th day of Tet, it will be abolished, called ha noi. During the few days of Tet, all debts are not asked, wait until the day the tree is cut down before being collected. In the past, the tree was a typical symbol of Tet, but this custom is no longer so popular.
The custom of erecting a tree is no longer so common
The custom of Vietnamese New Year has been around for many generations and is like a way for Vietnamese people to remember their roots. If Tet doesn't have lucky money, doesn't wrap banh chung,... then everyone must feel that this Tet is missing something. And you, does your family follow all the traditional customs above?
