While the Western world celebrated the new year on January 1, for many cultures, the new year has yet to begin.
In Vietnam, people celebrate the new year with a festival called Tết.
People in Vietnam and Vietnamese people around the world will celebrate the lunar new year with a festival that focuses on family, food and welcoming in good luck for the year to come.
And although it falls on the same day Tết differs from Chinese new year as Vietnam has its own zodiac and set of new year beliefs and traditions.
What is Tết?
Tết, short for Tết Nguyên Äán, is the Vietnamese celebration of lunar new year.
According to the Vietnamese zodiac, 2024 is the year of the dragon.
The dragon is known as “the holy one” and, according to Vietnam Online, people born in the year of the cat are considered to be “born talented however arrogant and tactless."
"It is said that dragon person never live poorly but would be wealthy or at least well-to-do. However, Wang Xu also said if a dragon one can balance between big things and small affairs, their life would be perfect."
Recent years of the dragon include 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, and 2012.
When is Tết?
Like China, for example, Vietnam observes the lunar new year. This year, it falls on February 10, 2024.
In China, the lunar new year is celebrated with a festival called ChuÌnjié and in Korea the festival is called Seollal.
How is Tết celebrated?
In Vietnam, people celebrate Tết by decorating their homes with kumquat trees, peach blossoms, chrysanthemums, orchids and red gladiolas, according to History.com.
They will also clean their homes before the festival to remove bad luck from the previous year.
Vietnamese families will eat five-fruit platters to honour their ancestors, as well as dishes called banh chung, gio, and xoi, and families will gift red envelopes containing money to their younger relatives.
Tết is also celebrated with parades, dances, and fireworks, as well as a lantern festival.
