How is New Year celebrated in Vietnam. Where is the best place to celebrate the New Year in Vietnam? Prices in Nha Trang
How to choose a resort in Vietnam to celebrate the New Year - 2020? We are considering 4 popular resorts: Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, Mui Ne and Phan Thiet. Weather, prices for hotels, food and tours, as well as the pros and cons of holidays.
The Vietnamese celebrate the New Year twice: on January 1 and according to the lunar calendar (Tet). And if the celebration of January 1 is more of a tribute to tourists, then the New Year for the Vietnamese becomes a reason for spending: it is customary to put on everything new on this day and give envelopes with money to your guests. In this article, we will talk about the opportunities to celebrate the international holiday of the New Year at popular Vietnamese resorts.
New Year in Nha Trang - 2020
By the New Year, all hotels and shopping centers in Nha Trang are decorated with Christmas trees and Santa Clauses. How do tourists celebrate the holiday? On the evening of December 31, people gather on the embankment, where a festive concert is organized for them, everyone exchanges balloons and souvenirs, dances and listens to music. We met the new year 2016 right on the central beach of Nha Trang. Surprisingly, everything was quiet and peaceful, mostly tourists just enjoyed the breeze and the view of the night sea.
On the beach, some nightclubs organize a disco, tourists settle there or celebrate in a hotel or restaurant. The best New Year's parties, according to tourists, are held in hotels Vinpearl Resort Nha Trang 5*!} And Diamond Bay Resort & Spa 5*!}.
What to do in Nha Trang after the New Year 2020? Tourists sunbathe, go snorkeling, diving and fishing. Excursions around Nha Trang and its environs are popular - however, you can rent a bike and explore the beauties of Vietnam on your own, it will cost less and bring more impressions. Tourists usually visit temples, waterfalls, hot springs, a zoo and an aquarium, silk-painting factories, jewelry stores, and Winpearl Amusement Island.
Not far from Nha Trang there are several more islands where tourists are taken on excursions and where there are many good places for diving. Seafood in Nha Trang can be tasted anywhere, from waterfront restaurants to street vendors selling grilled catch.
Weather in Nha Trang for the New Year
The end of December is not the best time for a beach holiday, as it ends, and the weather in Nha Trang for the New Year is changeable and capricious. The number of sunny and cloudy days is approximately the same. Although during the day it is usually warm +28°C, sometimes it can be windy and rainy with air temperature dropping to +24°C. The sea is warm +26°C and turbulent, due to underwater cold currents, the water can cool down to +21°C.
(Photo © vitieubao / pixabay.com)
Prices in Nha Trang
Prices in Nha Trang are affordable, despite the dance with the ruble exchange rate. Accommodation in a 3 * hotel on New Year's Eve costs from $ 25 per day for two, in a 5 * hotel it will already cost 5-6 times more. You can live on a very budget if you choose a small hotel without stars, from $ 7 for two - for example, in the winter of 2016 we lived in Minh Hoa!} about three months (from $ 13 per night, but there are discounts for long stays). A simple hotel with no frills, clean and with very friendly staff - the hostess constantly gave us gifts (fruits, cookies, water, etc.). The hotel has a homely atmosphere, and the sea is about 5 minutes walk. We found the hotel on Roomguru - there you can find a hotel at the lowest price by comparing the offers of popular booking systems.
The best, in our opinion, hotels in Nha Trang with a private beach, see.
The cost of a New Year's dinner varies from $16 to $160 per person, it all depends on the level of the hotel / restaurant. Lunch in a cafe costs from $9 to $16 for two, depending on the level of the institution, in the tourist area the price tag is higher. In fast food chains and in establishments for local residents, you can satisfy your hunger for only $ 1.5-3 per person. Excursions cost from $20 to $50 per person, massages and spa treatments - from $8.
Pros and cons of New Year holidays in Nha Trang
Pros. Low prices for holidays, interesting excursions, an abundance of attractions and a friendly atmosphere.
Minuses. The capricious weather and the lack of a private beach at most hotels overshadow the rest a little. It is also important to remember that Nha Trang is a city, which means that there are traffic jams, construction sites and an abundance of transport on the streets. Due to the increased cases of street thefts, tourists have to take certain security measures: girls refuse to carry bags, etc. Also, drunk songs of Russian tourists are not happy on New Year's Eve (but this is a rare occurrence on the street).
Despite some disadvantages, Nha Trang left only bright impressions for us: the weather for the New Year was wonderful, the tourists behaved quite well, the prices were low. The city is beautifully decorated with flowers for Tet in advance, it is pleasant to walk around it. We lived in Nha Trang for almost three months.
(Photo © hughderr / flickr.com / Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
New Year in Fukuoka - 2020
Phu Quoc Island is considered the best place in Vietnam, including to celebrate the New Year: perfect sandy beaches, healthy environment and warm clear sea. Tourists celebrate the holiday in a restaurant or hotel; most decent establishments organize a dinner with lobsters and a musical program. Some vacationers prefer to get together in a close company and celebrate the New Year on the seashore, after coordinating their actions with the hotel administration.
Phu Quoc is a quiet place for a relaxing holiday, there is no nightlife and entertainment familiar to city dwellers. Vacationers mainly swim, sunbathe, study the flora and fauna of the underwater world. Tourists are shown local pagodas, waterfalls, as well as a pearl and pepper plantation, where you can buy friends and relatives.
Weather
The weather in Fukuoka on New Year's Eve pleases tourists with warmth: during the day on the island + 30 ° C and above, at night + 26 ° C, the water in the sea is + 28 ° C. Most of the time it is warm and dry, rains are extremely rare.
Prices
Hotels in Fukuoka directly on the beach are expensive. Accommodation in a 3 * hotel on the seashore starts from about $ 50 per day for two for the New Year, holidays in Fukuoka in a five-star hotel are three times more expensive - from $ 156. If you want to live cheaper, you need to look for options a little further from the beach - they cost about $15. Look for them on Roomguru. The most popular beach with developed infrastructure is Long Beach.
Pros and cons of New Year holidays in Fukuoka
Pros. Phu Quoc has the cleanest sea in Vietnam, while hotel prices are affordable. This is just the perfect place for a relaxing beach holiday. If you get bored, you can rent a bike and drive around the entire island or book an excursion. Here you can taste the freshest seafood at low prices.
(Photo © Mgzkun / flickr.com / Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0)
Is it worth celebrating the New Year in Mui Ne and Phan Thiet?
By tradition, on New Year's Eve, hotels in Mui Ne and Phan Thiet lay festive tables with seafood and other delicacies, snowmen are built from sand and Christmas trees from coconuts on the beaches. The entertainment program is usually limited to performances by local bands, competitions and a lottery with prizes. Most hotels finish the banquet after midnight, and vacationers go to finish their walk in a nightclub or restaurant. Judging by the reviews of tourists, the most incendiary New Year's parties are held at the Dragon Beach Club in Mui Ne.
On New Year's Eve, Mui Ne is warm enough to spend time on the beach. After lunch, a good wave rises on the sea, ideal for kiting and surfing. Excursions to local attractions are popular with vacationers: the White Dunes, the Red Canyon, the lake with lotuses, the statue of the reclining Buddha, pitahaya plantations and Phan Thiet museums.
Weather
In January, it is warm and dry: the air temperature during the day is + 30 ° C, at night + 21 ° C. The water in the sea is + 25 ° С, but the sea is restless and suitable for swimming only in the morning. After lunch, high waves often rise.
Prices
Mui Ne flows smoothly into Phan Thiet, but prices for the New Year in Phan Thiet are slightly higher than in Mui Ne, as it is considered a more expensive resort. A double room in a budget hotel costs from $10 on New Year's Eve, in a 3* hotel - from $20-30, in a 5* hotel - from $130. It is better to book hotels in advance on Roomguru, so you can get a discount.
New Year's dinner starts from $23 per person. Lunch in a cafe costs $9-20 for two. Kitesurfing instruction and equipment rental - from $9 per person per day. Excursions - from $9 to $50 per person.
Pros and cons of the New Year holidays in Mui Ne and Phan Thiet
Minuses
These former fishing villages and favorite vacation spots for kiters and surfers have recently turned into modern resorts, so the prices are too high, and there are few attractions (mostly natural ones). Another significant disadvantage is that because of the large number of our compatriots, these resorts are jokingly called the Russian ghetto. Judge for yourself, you go for the exotic, and find the familiar environment and signs in Russian. Another drawback is that the sea is still more suitable for kitesurfing than for calm swimming, it is often rough.
pros
Nevertheless, it is worth noting that the resorts have a good modern hotel base and Russian-speaking staff - this is convenient if there are problems with knowledge of English. Vacationers have the opportunity to learn kiting and surfing at low rates. The resorts have a large selection and, as, indeed, everywhere in Vietnam.
Read detailed
06.07.2019 17:16
Vietnamese New Year is very beautiful, spectacular and colorful! Why do sidewalks disappear for two weeks during Tet preparations in Vietnam? What happens to the tangerine tree after the holiday? What is the nicest gift for a Vietnamese teenager?
1. Decorations on the Nha Trang waterfront
vietnamese new year does not have its own unique date, like ours, for example, December 31. They all depend on the phases of the moon, which at a certain time signals the approach of spring.
On the first day of the first lunar month of the new season, the same Tet or Tet Nguyen Dan, that is, the Vietnamese New Year, is celebrated. Determining the date of the next holiday according to our calendar is not so easy - it "floats" between mid-January and mid-February.
According to the lunar calendar, the dates for the Vietnamese New Year are:
In 2018 - February 16;
In 2019 - February 5;
In 2020 - January 25th.
How is Tet celebrated in Nha Trang?
This year, Tet fell on February 28, and a month before the holiday, the streets of the city began to prepare for this event. "There was also a European New Year?!" - you say. Yes, he was, but the Vietnamese are indifferent to him.
2 weeks before Theta began to take to the streets tangerine trees, bonsai, peach trees and other living bushes in pots, as well as flowers for offerings. On the streets - this is on the sidewalks, which are already crowded with bikes (this is normal for Vietnam since you can't park on the road!). Of course, only a few points of sale appeared in the European quarter, but if you walk further, you could find yourself in a fairy tale! 
2. New Year decorations for Vietnamese Tet
Here is a whole avenue of tangerine trees with bitter little fruits. Tree "growth" from half a meter to three-meter hulks. On the other side of the street they sell peach trees of various sizes and for any budget. It seems that bare rods stick out in the pots, but this is a full-fledged living organism, only still sleeping. By Tet, beautiful yellow flowers will bloom on the trees! 
3. Tangerine trees 
4. Peach trees 
5. Large peach and small tangerine trees
On the ring, there were about six shops with red paper lanterns, money bags, plastic, "gold-like" New Year's decorations. Near the fence of the kindergarten, they sell chrysanthemums and flowers, the names of which I do not know, but some I met in Russia as indoor ones. 
6. Trade in paper lanterns and a place for New Year's photo shoots in national costumes! 
7. Flowers 
8. Vietnamese New Year Holiday Decorations 
9. Market of roses and chrysanthemums
We go further, deeper into the city, away from the embankment. Wu has a bazaar with citrus trees (such as pomelo) and watermelons, where skilled craftsmen beat out congratulations in ancient Chinese. On the right you can see the street, where all the sidewalks are littered with yellow watermelons, marigolds in pots and painted willows. And here, before turning into the alley, they sell fresh banh thung rice cake - Vietnamese traditional festive table dish, like a Russian - Olivier salad! 
10. Gift watermelons 
11. We presented such a watermelon on Tet to the hostess of our apartments Lankh 
12. Watermelons to the table 
13. Compositions of dry colored grass 
14. Willow 
15. Coconuts 
16. Figurines made of wood 
17. Bonsai 
18. More bonsai 
19. Tree with pomelo
The street on the other side of the Cathedral is lined with freshly cut lilies. They were recently brought from mountainous Dalat. Vietnamese women put such flowers in vases at the altars of their ancestors. 
20. Delivery of the New Year's peach tree
Perhaps we can end our walk for today. Max liked to watch the bright colors from the airbag, sometimes he would jump off his hands and move between huge bonsai vases or flower pots.
Now they invite you to go to supermarket. At the entrances to all large or other institutions of the city, hao-mai flaunts - these are peach (or other) tree branches strung with small yellow plastic flowers. Under the tree, as in Russia under the Christmas tree, there are rice cakes. On either side of the front door are either huge tangerine trees or bowls of chrysanthemums. Huge bonsai can also be found, but it all depends on the wealth of the owner of the establishment.
Vietnamese start celebrating spring 10 days before Tet. It is then that prices rise in supermarkets and fruit shops, as the queues for shopping grow strongly. At this time, chic offerings in the form of fruits and sweets are made to the ancestors.
Here is a Vietnamese family shopping. There is rice in the cart, a lot of apples, kiwi - these are imported fruits, a delicacy. There are also some vegetables and lots and lots of greens, ready-made fried chicken, baguette, nuts, chips, yogurt and cheese. A new set of cotton polka-dot pants and a long T-shirt (very similar to pajamas) was bought for mom, jeans for dad, and a huge pile of novelties for my teenage daughter: dresses, t-shirts, shorts, skirts, slates, socks. It was evident that the girl was extremely happy with the new clothes.
Children to Tet they try to buy everything new, as they believe that this contributes to their success in the new year. In fact, the Vietnamese are still those consumers and shopaholics, so for the Spring Festival they can update not only their wardrobe, but also household appliances, for example.
Many people think that Tet Nha Trang is overcrowded with Chinese. Um, are you able to distinguish a Chinese from a Vietnamese, and a Korean from a Hong Konger? Me not. We asked the hostess of our apartment if it was true that in the city Tetu and Chinese New Year, which most often coincide, there are many tourists from the DPRK. To which Lanh replied that there are many different tourists in Nha Trang, but it is the Vietnamese who come to Tet (which we saw in Mui Ne. We were also told there that the Vietnamese youth tends to travel around the country in the new year, so many hotels are full)
By the way, the influx of locals to the resort town for the Vietnamese New Year is also noticeable by the number of cars. Many come by car from Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.
On "Christmas Eve" the Vietnamese take pictures at the chic flower arrangements that are placed on the embankment and in mini parks, walking there, eating chips, listening to concerts of local celebrities, sitting on a bike.
How did we celebrate Tet?
We liked the sincere and colorful atmosphere of the holiday so much that we decided to make a parody of a peach tree in our apartment. We found a dry branch in the park, bought plastic yellow flowers, decorated it and stuck it at the entrance to the apartment (there was nowhere to put it inside and Max was strongly provoked by such beauty). Then we bought a bouquet of lilies, which for two weeks filled the apartment with intoxicating smells even with all the windows open! And we also bought the same rice in a banana leaf - a delicious piece of glutinous rice, pork, peas with black pepper. We also bought new clothes for the whole family :) 
21. Our Hao Mai
In Nha Trang for the Vietnamese New Year to go with a child I categorically I recommend! This is such a free immersion in the atmosphere of the new year of another country, and even again, after ours.
The cons of Vietnamese Tet easily turn into pluses:
- Non-working shops on the first day (usually three or four days) of the Vietnamese New Year are an excuse to shop in advance;
- Closed cafes after Christmas Eve - a reason to stock up in advance. By the way, after lunch in the European quarter, everything is already working!
- Increasing prices for fruits and vegetables ... Here, either move the dates of your trip, or take it as it is. The increase in prices is not so significant if you are on vacation. For example, freshly squeezed juices cost 12,000 dong, and steel 25,000.
- Noisy shows or "caroling" - a reason to go for a walk, and not sit in the room. You can also choose a higher floor. At night, by the way, they are not so loud. Daily karaoke is even more discomfort
- You can buy a tour in advance, sometimes it's even cheaper;
- Queues from the locals on the same Winperl. Accept, understand that they have so few days off, so they strive to use Tet to the fullest. In our supermarkets, too, there are huge queues before the New Year.
22. Masterpieces made of wood
After New Year's Eve the Vietnamese are slowly eradicating withered chrysanthemums and tangerine trees. In Vietnamese Nha Trang, garbage collection is separate, and garbage collectors do not work only two days a year (on the new year and the day after). Therefore, after Theta, it is unrealistic to find dumps of festive trees and bushes. Everything is sorted and taken away.
Tet (full name Tet Nguyen Dan) is the Vietnamese New Year according to the lunar calendar and the lunisolar calendar, the most important and popular holiday in Vietnam.
Tet is considered the first day of spring, which is why the holiday is often called the “Spring Festival”.
It is celebrated on the first day of the first lunar month in the first season of the new year. The date of the new year according to the eastern calendar moves from year to year between January 20 and February 20.
Lunar New Year is often referred to as Chinese New Year. This is not surprising, because the traditions and culture in the countries of East Asia came from China.
Dates of the Vietnamese New Year according to the Eastern calendar for the coming years:
in 2014 - January 31;
in 2015 - February 19;
in 2016 - February 9;
in 2017 - January 28;
in 2018 - February 16;
in 2019 - February 5;
in 2020 - January 25th.
Vietnamese New Year customs
In the north of the country, a peach blossom branch is planted in the house on New Year's Eve or the house is decorated with tangerine trees hung with orange fruits, symbolizing prosperity.
During this period, peach and apricot trees, tangerines and almonds bloom. The streets are decorated with young flowering branches and simply bouquets of flowers.
In the south of the country, on Tet, they prefer to decorate their house with a blossoming apricot branch, moreover, apricot flowers should have five petals. In addition, the southerners put watermelons on the altar, the red sweet pulp of which symbolizes good luck in the coming year.
Regardless of the wealth of the family before the New Year, people try to buy food, fruits, flowers, sweets in order to prepare a sacrifice on the altar of their ancestors and treat relatives and guests during the three holidays.
In the evening, on New Year's Eve, massive dragon dances take place. The most magnificent processions and spectacular events are held at night. At dusk, bonfires are lit in parks, gardens or on the streets, and several families gather around the bonfires.
It is considered honorable to spend New Year's Eve in the company of a gray-haired man who is over 70 years old. As soon as the twelfth hour of the night has come - this time is called "Zyao Tkhia" (means "meeting of times") - children, grandchildren congratulate grandparents, parents on the New Year, wish longevity, good health and prosperity. Then adults congratulate children and give money for happiness. How much money doesn't matter. The most important thing is that the money is new (new banknotes or new coins). They must be packed in new red bags (either paper or fabric) with a red bow.
On subsequent holidays, adult relatives, friends, familiar families come to visit and can also give money for the well-being of children. The custom of giving money to children on New Year's Day is obligatory these days, and not a single New Year in Vietnam passes without observing this custom. According to tradition, the Vietnamese believe that giving children some money is like the beginning of “prasadam” in the New Year, so that this beginning is multiplied many times over.
In recent years, the tradition of meeting Tet only at home has become less unshakable than before, and many Vietnamese travel to other places, including abroad.
During Tet in Buddhist temples, the monks give the parishioners money, which they also put in small red bags. It's like a gift of well-being from the Buddha, from God. This is a gift for luck. A Vietnamese aphorism says: "A bit of well-being from the Buddha is equal to a whole big basket of earthly well-being."
The next day is usually the Tet festival. On the territory of the oldest temple in Indochina, Van Mieu, the most cheerful and fierce cockfights flare up. On the Lake of the Returned Sword in Hanoi, the water puppet theater gives performances - a unique folklore troupe, the only one in the world. In the historic center of Hanoi, on Hangluok Street, old people kindly offer long bamboo poles. They must be "planted" in front of the entrance to the house - they will block the way for evil spirits.
Vietnamese women in Tet wear red and yellow, while the men wear all black.
In mountainous areas where national minorities live, the celebration is slightly different.
Tet is also a festival of flowers. Driving to the flower markets is prohibited. And it would hardly occur to anyone to interfere in this way with a happy New Year's fuss. Matcha is considered the most festive flower - a sunny flower, or oriental "aster". And these flowers, says the folk wisdom of the East, should be as many as there are people on Earth.
New Year's dishes
Special delicacies from rice are prepared on coals. In the north of the country - these are pork legs with bamboo sprouts, meat jelly, carp in salty sauce. In the south, pork in a pot boiled in salted coconut milk, while the whole pork is boiled in coconut milk, with skin, fat and lean parts. In the finished dish, the fatty part looks transparent, and the lean part looks bright red and tastes like coconut milk. On the table of southerners there are also pickled green pea sprouts with leeks, slices of carrots, turnips, bitter melon stuffed with meat.
New Year's dish in Vietnam - banh thung rice cake. It is a square-shaped cake wrapped in banana leaves and tied with flexible bamboo twigs. Pieces of pork are sometimes added to the bean filling. This seasonal filling is sandwiched between two layers of glutinous rice.
Vietnamese New Year is an unusual holiday. And it is remarkable not only because it is celebrated in February, and not on the first of January, as in the rest of the world. Its main feature is the numerous traditions that make this day interesting and unforgettable.
“The Feast of the First Morning” is the poetic name of Tet Nguan Dan or simply Tet, the Vietnamese New Year, in Vietnam. Tet is celebrated not according to the usual European Gregorian, but according to the lunar calendar. And therefore, the question naturally arises - what date is the Vietnamese New Year in 2018?
Tet Nguan Dan comes on the first day of the first lunar month of the new annual cycle of the lunar calendar. As a rule, this is the period from the end of January to the end of February, depending on the year.
To be more precise, on February 16, the holiday is just beginning. Indeed, in fact, the celebrations do not last one day, but stretch for a whole week.
Special Traditions
Tet is a family holiday. And although today large cities are doing everything to attract tourists, the main thing on this day is family and meetings with relatives. However, this is not the only interesting tradition.
"Five Fruits"
Initially, Tet was based on the cult of ancestors - the history of this holiday is rooted in the depths of centuries. And many customs of the Vietnamese New Year have survived to this day and are performed annually in the same form in which they existed centuries ago.
The main tradition, steadily observed by literally all the inhabitants of the country, is the renewal of the home altar. Almost every house has its own special place where the spirits of ancestors are revered. By the New Year, it is customary to make special offerings to the sacred guardians of the hearth - the traditional five-fruit dish. However, this is not quite a dish: five different fruits are beautifully laid out on a large clean plate - certainly ripe, large, without wormholes and damage. Then the whole composition is placed at the altar, symbolizing wealth and prosperity in the family. Such an offering has one interesting feature - the list of fruits is not regulated by anyone. There are some special fruits that are not desirable to offer to the ancestors, but the list of “undesirable fruits” also varies depending on the area.
In Asia, everything is symbolic and therefore the fruits should be red, orange or yellow, since they are identified with the 5 main elements of the universe:
- tree;
- metal;
- water;
- Earth;
- fire.
The following fruits are allowed:
- Bananas.
- Grapefruits.
- Lemons.
- oranges.
- Finger citrons.
- Tangerines.
- Persimmon.
- Apples.
Some families offer coconuts, watermelons and the so-called dragon fruit to the gods.
Ziaothia
The first day of Theta - Zyaothya - the time of children and parents. It is customary for children to give new clothes - this rule is strictly observed with the kids. A child in the family must meet and spend the first day in a new outfit - a beautiful new dress symbolizes prosperity and good luck in the new year. The main gift also acts as a symbol of prosperity - the child will certainly be given money in a red envelope or purse. Red is the color of joy and good luck, and therefore these days in Vietnam are literally painted in a bright scarlet hue.
Social Security
Another sign of the “family nature” of the holiday is social assistance from official authorities. Low-income families on New Year's Eve receive a special allowance from the government to celebrate Tet. The amount, by the standards of Vietnam, is quite decent and fully covers the cost of a festive table and traditional gifts.
Dishes
The main dish on the festive table is pork in all forms: fried, stewed, boiled, with vegetables, with and without broth. Meat has long been considered a symbol of prosperity, and therefore meat dishes should be present in abundance.
Tet is the time of preparation of traditional national banthyung pies - wrapped in banana leaves, a mixture of rice, mung beans and pork. The leaves with the filling are folded, tied with grass stalks or thin twigs and boiled. Ready-made pies are unwrapped and treated to everyone, while banana leaves serve as a kind of plate on which you can serve a piece.
Signs
Like any holiday with a rich history, Tet has its own special signs. So, for example, on the first day you can not come to visit without an invitation. The Vietnamese believe that the person who first crosses the threshold of the house in the new year brings with him special energy - good luck, wealth, prosperity and well-being ... or vice versa - misfortunes, sorrows, illnesses. Therefore, visits on this day are strictly regulated. Another sign that may seem strange to a European is that you can’t dress up in white clothes. White in Buddhism is the color of sadness, so it is better to use other shades in outfits. But red is welcome, and in its most striking manifestations - fiery, scarlet, strawberry.
Decorations
An indispensable attribute of the Vietnamese New Year is the streets decorated with flowers and lanterns. Flowers and lanterns on the days of the holiday can be seen literally everywhere: plants in pots are put up along the sidewalks, compositions and huge figures are made of flowers, cafes and shops are decorated with garlands and arches.
And even passers-by on this day can see a bright flower in their hair or clothes. Tet is a holiday of spring, because on this day, according to legend, spring comes to the land of Vietnam and the world is born again. And what better way to show the beauty of the newly born nature than a flower - bright and tender at the same time?
You can look at the beautiful flowers decorating the streets of Vietnam in our gallery:
lion dance
Speaking about the celebration of the Vietnamese New Year, one cannot fail to mention the lion dance - a colorful dance procession that takes place annually on the streets of the country's cities. A large figure depicting a lion is controlled from the inside by two men. The main movements in the dance are regulated - many of them are similar to the basic elements of oriental martial arts. Dancing, the lion passes through the streets, "fighting" with evil spirits and driving them out of the city. The task of the lion controllers is to go through as many streets as possible in order to “drive out” evil from everywhere.
Tet(full title Tet Nguyen Dan ) is the Vietnamese New Year according to the lunar calendar and the lunisolar calendar, the most important and popular holiday in Vietnam.
Tet is considered the first day of spring, which is why the holiday is often called the “Spring Festival”.
It is celebrated on the first day of the first lunar month in the first season of the new year. The date of the new year according to the eastern calendar moves from year to year between January 20 and February 20.
Lunar New Year is often referred to as Chinese New Year. This is not surprising, because the traditions and culture in the countries of East Asia came from China.
Dates of the Vietnamese New Year according to the Eastern calendar for the coming years:
- in 2012 - January 23;
- in 2013 - February 10;
- in 2014 - January 31;
- in 2015 - February 19;
- in 2016 - February 9;
- in 2017 - January 28;
- in 2018 - February 16;
- in 2019 - February 5;
- in 2020 - January 25th.
Vietnamese New Year customs
In the north of the country, a peach blossom branch is planted in the house on New Year's Eve or the house is decorated with tangerine trees hung with orange fruits, symbolizing prosperity.
During this period, peach and apricot trees, tangerines and almonds bloom. The streets are decorated with young flowering branches and simply bouquets of flowers.
In the south of the country, on Tet, they prefer to decorate their house with a blossoming apricot branch, moreover, apricot flowers should have five petals. In addition, the southerners put watermelons on the altar, the red sweet pulp of which symbolizes good luck in the coming year.
Regardless of the wealth of the family before the New Year, people try to buy food, fruits, flowers, sweets in order to prepare a sacrifice on the altar of their ancestors and treat relatives and guests during the three holidays.
In the evening, on New Year's Eve, massive dragon dances take place. The most magnificent processions and spectacular events are held at night. At dusk, bonfires are lit in parks, gardens or on the streets, and several families gather around the bonfires.
It is considered honorable to spend New Year's Eve in the company of a gray-haired man who is over 70 years old. As soon as the twelfth hour of the night has come - this time is called "Zyao Tkhia" (means "meeting of times") - children, grandchildren congratulate grandparents, parents on the New Year, wish longevity, good health and prosperity. Then adults congratulate children and give money for happiness. How much money doesn't matter. The most important thing is that the money is new (new banknotes or new coins). They must be packed in new red bags (either paper or fabric) with a red bow.
On subsequent holidays, adult relatives, friends, familiar families come to visit and can also give money for the well-being of children. The custom of giving money to children on New Year's Day is obligatory these days, and not a single New Year in Vietnam passes without observing this custom. According to tradition, the Vietnamese believe that giving children some money is like the beginning of “prasadam” in the New Year, so that this beginning is multiplied many times over.
In recent years, the tradition of meeting Tet only at home has become less unshakable than before, and many Vietnamese travel to other places, including abroad.
During Tet in Buddhist temples, the monks give the parishioners money, which they also put in small red bags. It's like a gift of well-being from the Buddha, from God. This is a gift for luck. A Vietnamese aphorism says: "A bit of well-being from the Buddha is equal to a whole big basket of earthly well-being."
The next day is usually the Tet festival. On the territory of the oldest temple in Indochina, Van Mieu, the most cheerful and fierce cockfights flare up. On the Lake of the Returned Sword in Hanoi, the water puppet theater gives performances - a unique folklore troupe, the only one in the world. In the historic center of Hanoi, on Hangluok Street, old people kindly offer long bamboo poles. They must be "planted" in front of the entrance to the house - they will block the way for evil spirits.
Vietnamese women in Tet wear red and yellow, while the men wear all black.
In mountainous areas where national minorities live, the celebration is slightly different.
Tet is also the festival of flowers. Driving to the flower markets is prohibited. And it would hardly occur to anyone to interfere in this way with a happy New Year's fuss. Matcha is considered the most festive flower - a sunny flower, or oriental "aster". And these flowers, says the folk wisdom of the East, should be as many as there are people on Earth.
New Year's dishes
Special delicacies from rice are prepared on coals. In the north of the country - these are pork legs with bamboo sprouts, meat jelly, carp in salty sauce. In the south, pork in a pot boiled in salted coconut milk, while the whole pork is boiled in coconut milk, with skin, fat and lean parts. In the finished dish, the fatty part looks transparent, and the lean part looks bright red and tastes like coconut milk. On the table of southerners there are also pickled green pea sprouts with leeks, slices of carrots, turnips, bitter melon stuffed with meat.
New Year dish in Vietnam- Banthyung rice cake. It is a square-shaped cake wrapped in banana leaves and tied with flexible bamboo twigs. Pieces of pork are sometimes added to the bean filling. This seasonal filling is sandwiched between two layers of glutinous rice. The square shape of the pie is considered a symbol of the Vietnamese's gratitude for the abundance of the land, which provides them with food four seasons a year.
Information sources:
- en.wikipedia.org - Wikipedia: Tet;
- calend.ru - project "Calendar of events": Tet - Vietnamese New Year;
- vietnamnews.ru - New Year in Vietnam;