Vietnamese New YearNicole Knox

Period: 1

12.18.08

Tet Nguyen Dan: The Vietnamese New Year

Vietnam

Dates…etc

• Tet is the most important and popular holiday and festival in Vietnam.

• It takes place from the first day of the first month of the Chinese calendar (around late January or early February)

• Many Vietnamese prepare for Tet by cooking special holiday foods and cleaning the house.

• There are a lot of customs practiced during Tết, like visiting a person's house on the first day of the new year, ancestral worshipping, wishing New Year's greetings, giving lucky money to children and old people and opening a shop.

Bánh chưng

• tightly packed sticky rice with meat or bean fillings wrapped in banana leaves.

• The story of their origins and their connection with Tết is often recounted to children while cooking them overnight.

Hạt Dưa:

• roasted watermelon seeds, also eaten during Tết.

Bầu Cua

• Bầu Cua is a game that some kids play for the new year.

• They also participate in some competitions presenting their knowledge, strength and aestheticism.

For Fun!• People can also

visit fortune tellers, in temples and in the streets, to have their fortunes told.

• You must know your zodiac sign and the star you were born under to have your fortune read.

Decorations!

Lucky Money!

• If you are lucky, you will get a red envelope like this with money in it.

• I get them every year.