New Year in Vietnam - Everything You Need to Know
If you are a culture lover who wants to explore traditions and festivals all around the world, don’t hesitate to book a trip to Vietnam during the Tet holidays. That would offer you the best opportunity to have a genuine sense of the country's time-honored traditions. The special atmosphere in this Indochina nation during Tet will never let you down, and you may even think of returning several times after that. Hop on! We'll explore Everything You Need to Know in Vietnam' New Year - Tet!
1. What is Tet
How important is Tet to Vietnamese people?
Tet Nguyen Dan, also commonly known as Tet, is the most significant celebration in Vietnam, marking the beginning of a lunar new year. In Vietnamese culture, Tet is considered a fresh start in which people put a lot of hope in change and progress. It is also the occasion when people from all regions of the country return home to enjoy every precious moment of family reunion.
Activities Before and During Tet
In preparation for Tet, Vietnamese people spend a fortnight refreshing their houses with cleaning and decoration jobs. We also prepare offerings to worship our ancestors during this celebration. On the very first days of the year, Vietnamese people pay a visit to their friends and family relatives to wish them a happy new year, as well as visit temples and pagodas to pray for happiness and good luck.
What is the weather like during Tet?
The weather during the Tet holiday differs greatly across the nation. In the northern region, Tet is characterized by chilly, drizzling weather, while the temperature in the central area is a bit higher. In southern Vietnam, people enjoy the Tet holiday with a warm atmosphere and bright sunshine, and that is the reason why you can see a lot of them wearing ao dai on the occasion.
2. Best Things to do during Tet in Vietnam
Hanoi
If you have always dreamed of a Hanoi tour, a city trip around this capital during the Tet holidays will leave you with many memories. The atmosphere of people preparing for Tet is extremely lively and colorful, with crowded streets and shops stuffed with traditional decorations and sweets. Especially, you can wander around a bonsai market - a spotlight of Tet in Vietnam, to be fascinated by the beauty of peach and apricot blossoms along with green kumquats.
Right on the first morning of the year, you will see a great difference. Hanoi, unlike its everyday hustle and bustle, is covered in a tranquil atmosphere. Don’t miss the rare moment of peace in this energetic city. You should spend time strolling around the old quarters and admiring the traditional beauty of this thousand-year-old city.
In contrast to a common misunderstanding that Hanoi in Tet is not worth visiting, there are many places to hang out on Tet holidays in Hanoi. Considered the first university in Vietnam as well as a place to honor eminent scholars in the past, this is where many city dwellers come to pray and ask for letters for good luck.
Quang An Flower Market is also a famous place. It displays a variety of colorful flowers. During the holidays, varieties like lilies, roses, etc. are loved by many people and bought for home decoration.
Lunar New Year is also a time when many families choose to go to the outskirts of the city for their vacation. If you love weekend getaways, Medi Thien Son Resort in the Ba Vi district is an experience worth trying. With clear springs, green lawns, and large lakes, this is a great camping spot for trips with parents or friends.
Hue
Your trip to Vietnam during Tet cannot be complete without a visit to Hue, which used to be the ancient capital of Vietnam. Hue Vietnam is often known as the dreamy city of the stunning Huong River. As you set your very first step on its land, you will immediately be amazed by a variety of historical architecture, including the graceful imperial citadel, impressive pagodas, and temples. In Hue, you can also get the chance to engage in a bunch of exciting activities during Tet, such as folk music performances, flying kites, martial arts shows, and many other traditional festivals.
As the ancient capital under the Nguyen Dynasty, Hue still preserves many architectural works, such as the citadel, mausoleums, and temples. This is also a travel suggestion from Asia Private Travels when you take a trip to Hue City on the occasion of the Lunar New Year.
Hoian
Tet holiday in Hoian ancient town has its attractions. Visit Hoian, and you will be amazed at the dim light from colorful lanterns and complicatedly featured ao dai. Your soul can be captured by the melody of folk music, as well as you can get engrossed in traditional games and toys like "to he", and water puppets, to name but a few.
During the Vietnam Tour in Hoian, international guests can also experience listening to traditional music on a boat on the river. Besides, the experience of dropping flower candles into the river will also be a memorable memory of this trip.
Ho Chi Minh City
In case you are a party person, Ho Chi Minh City (as known as Sai Gon) is the right place for you to welcome the Tet holiday on a Southern Vietnam trip.
Known as the “city that never sleeps," Ho Chi Minh City will satisfy visitors with its lively nightlife, exciting parties, gorgeous dinners, and interesting pubs.
You can also share the very last moments of the old year with residents at a countdown party and enjoy the wonderful fireworks. Another spot that you should not miss out on is Nguyen Hue Street, where a wide range of colorful flowers are displayed. During the Tet holiday in Saigon, you can enjoy folk music, games, and tasty specialties as well.
Excited yet? Do not hesitate any longer without booking a tailor-made Vietnam tour package here to start your journey to experience Saigon during this Vietnamese New Year.
Phu Quoc
If you have the chance to visit Vietnam during the Tet holiday, Phu Quoc should be included in your itinerary. During the February days, which are characterized by cold winds and drizzles, it would be a great experience to enjoy the warm weather of this tropical island! You can find yourself lying on a long, golden sandy beach, immersed in the calming sound of blue waves. Stretch your eyes with green jungles covering a wide area and have a sense of quiet, engrossed here.
Are you looking for a place to shop for clothes, and souvenirs as gifts for relatives and friends? Dinh Cau night market is a choice not to be missed. Not only consumer goods but there are also many coastal restaurants specializing in serving fresh seafood.
Besides, VinWonders theme park is also a great choice for families or groups of friends. With a variety of games, an amazing water park, music shows, and street performances,... this place will bring tourists a memorable vacation.
What about having a trip to Phu Quoc this holiday? Please contact Asia Private Travels for more details.
3. Interesting facts about Tet in Vietnam
When talking about popular traditional customs in Vietnam, we have to talk about ‘Lixi’ which means lucky money in English. This is a rule passed from generation to generation. People believe that spending money in the first days of the Lunar New Year will bring luck, wealth, and health to loved members of their family.
On New Year's Eve, each family often invites a close friend to come to the house to "xông đất". They will politely ask a person who matches the age of their owners and has a generous character to be the first caller and bring a lot of luck and good fortune to them.
If you have a Vietnam Tour during the Tet holidays in Vietnam, you will see peach blossoms everywhere. Decorating homes with peach blossoms is very popular in northern Vietnam during Tet. This custom is associated with a folk tale. Legend has it that the peach blossom tree is the abode of the two gods Tra and Uat Luy - those who exterminate ghosts. Every New Year comes when the two gods have to go to heaven. This is the time when the devil will destroy people's lives. Therefore, people decorate their homes with peach blossoms as a tool to protect their homes from evil spirits.
4. Tips for Traveling during Tet in Vietnam
As the demand for transportation in Vietnam during the Tet holiday increases tremendously, you should book all transport tickets far in advance. The same happens to accommodations, so remember to reserve early to get the most reasonable price. Prepare all your necessities if possible to avoid being ripped off in shops. During the Tet holiday, religious destinations are very crowded; therefore, if you want to go there, be cautious about pickpocketing.
If you plan to visit such public attractions as museums, mausoleums, and art houses, Asia Private Travels recommends you look up their schedule information, as many of them are closed for four days during Tet. In several towns and cities, a majority of shops and restaurants also stop giving service during the holiday. For those that remain open during Tet, the price may increase quite a bit, so be careful. Just in case you don't know, banks are always overcrowded before New Year's Eve, so it would be advisable to prepare enough cash for your trip in advance.
We hope that the information, recommendations, and tips given above will be useful for your plan. Don't hesitate to customize your trip to Vietnam with us. Wish you the best experience on your Vietnam tour during the upcoming Tet holidays!
