Lunar New Year is a celebration of the beginning of the new year within the Lunar calendar; the holiday is often recognized around the world. Whether seasonal events and decorations become seriously imminent as the days get closer, maybe you’d want to have an excuse to order a gnarly amount of Chinese takeout, or you probably just know this year’s lunar animal. (which is the horse.)
In Southeast Asia, it’s no exaggeration that they go all out. The Lunar New Year evidently displays a lot more significance in Southeast Asian countries as it’s not just the coming of the new year, but the opportunity to rest, spend time with family, honour your ancestors, and express gratitude to the culture around you. The Lunar New Year is definitely a sophisticated event in Cambodia as well, with a few days off and occasional ceremonies for the Chinese-Cambodian community.
But if you head directly towards the East of Cambodia to her neighbouring country of Vietnam, the Lunar New Year is no time to play around with the Vietnamese. Have you ever heard of a holiday where it’s described as New Year's, Christmas, the 4th of July, and Thanksgiving all celebrated in one single go?
Tết Nguyên Đán, prominently known shortly as Tết, is the most important holiday celebrated in Vietnamese culture. It highlights the beginning of the New Year and the arrival of spring. The date usually falls around late January to early February, with 2026 marking February 17 as the first day of Tết. Tết festivities and overall the holiday spans from about 3 days to a week, but speaking the whole of Vietnam literally goes into a slumber of rest with shops closing and the streets no longer a hustle and bustle as the people have soaked themselves into the holiday spirit.
Tết simply translates from Vietnamese as ‘festival.’ Vietnamese culture emphasizes all forms of key traditions and events during the duration of the holiday, culminating in regarding Tết as a fundamental piece for symbolizing the Vietnamese display of customs and morals.
Tết festivities involve a plethora of essential traditions, such as the deep cleaning of a household, as it’s considered taboo to do so during Tết, as they believe there’s a potential possibility for accidentally ridding away the new year’s luck. Additionally, homes are also ornamented with festive decorations such as mandarin trees, yellow apricot blossoms, and newly scented incense, among a myriad of other mandatory Tết designs you must have in your home.
Outside of the home, every Vietnamese family connects spiritually as the line between the living and the non-living becomes thin. Partaking in religious ceremonies honouring our ancestors is not just an annual routine, but a lesson in understanding the moral backbone and source of the family lineage. Vietnamese families manifest contact with deceased families as they travel to grave sites, perform cleaning rituals, igniting incense, as a typical way to renew and re-welcome even those not here with us anymore to enjoy the New Year with us as well.
I actually had the opportunity to visit Vietnam’s most populous city during the history field trip and first-hand experience of Ho Chi Minh City during the peak of the Tết holiday. I wasn’t sure whether the Vietnamese were always devoted and prideful about their flag, or whether they tend to sprinkle a little more patriotism during the season, as everywhere I went, the city was practically draped over with Vietnamese and Soviet flags everywhere you strolled. Upon that, I could recognize that all around was abundantly coated with gorgeous and vibrant colors of traditional Viet Tết flowers, such as the Marigolds (hoa vạn thọ) , a beautiful representation of longevity and prosperity. Peach blossom trees swayed back and forth as the wind blew, one of the most iconic flowers of Tết, known for protection from evil entities, vitality, and peacefulness.
I expected that we would face the inevitable part that we wouldn’t be able to indulge in the peak of Saigon’s extreme livelihood as I’d viewed before on social media, the impossible cross walking, the extensive nightlife, or fully grasp how Ho Chi Minh City is considered the impactful financial metropolis in Vietnam. As we visited the city during Tết, many businesses were closed for the week. Places that were open had raised their prices for the holiday, and overall, compared to regular days outside of the holiday, it was quieter and easier to navigate for our class.
To wrap up this article, It was refreshing to write an article about one of the most beautiful countries in the world both inside and outside right after just visiting as a neighbouring tourists and respectfully allowing myself into the world of Vietnamese history, culture, moral aspects, and to celebrate and appreciate the similarities and contrasts between I, representing as a Cambodian and the Vietnamese country as a whole. Truly a surreal experience, it’d be wonderful to return one day and discover even more magnificent patterns of Vietnamese traditions, or try to find opportunities to learn them on my own.
That being said Vạn sự như ý, an khang thịnh vượng, Sống lâu trăm tuổi and most importantly, I wish you all a Chúc mừng năm mới.