New Year's Eve in Vietnam: That's how the locals celebrate

Whether New Year's Eve in Hanoi or in another region – in Vietnam you're preparing for it weeks before the turn of the year; Apartments are decorated, the windows cleaned, doors painted, and much more. Some even go so far and repaint their house. That should bring good luck. Below you will find out what makes New Year's Eve so special in Vietnam and how people spend the holiday. VIETNAM VISA ONLINE has researched for you.

Note: In the land of smiles, the New Year's festival is called Tet-Fest.

New Year's Eve in Vietnam: create order and feast

Tidying up your own four walls is an integral part of the festivities – the whole family is involved. The idea behind it: "Cleaning" frees you from all bad things in the old year and prepares you for the good things in the new year.

The family banquet party is then organized: friends and relatives are spoiled with culinary highlights (see below). And after dinner in the evening you can enjoy the beneficial effects of a herbal bath before the colorful New Year's Eve fireworks display in Hanoi or similar.

Note: The Tet festival extends over five days. Since it is based on the lunar calendar, it usually takes place at the end of January or the beginning of February.

Similar to the western world, the fireworks display marks the end of the festivities. On the first three days, people not only clean their apartment, but also themselves: they visit family, friends and acquaintances in the best outfit. Between the first three and the last day, the Vietnamese visit pagodas and temples to wish themselves health and happiness.

Good to know: In New Year's Eve, the elders and children in Vietnam are given a red envelope with luck money.

New years eve in Vietnam and the traditional New Year dishes

The Tet festival is the most important sign of your own plans, changes and progress; Vietnamese believe that their behavior on the first day of the new year determines the rest of the process. That is why people are particularly friendly at this time; they pay attention to everything they do and say.

This also applies to the food. This must be perfect in Vietnam for New Year's Eve! As a host, you prefer to serve your guests:

• Banh Chung (Chung Cake) is the country's traditional cake. It is only served on public holidays. The hearty dish consists of made from sticky rice, pork and green beans. These are wrapped in leaves (e.g. banana leaves) and cooked overnight.
• Guests are given a welcome jam. The sweet mix of apples, coconuts, carrots, etc. is said to bring good luck for the new year.
• With pickled onions you want to support the digestive system in processing the otherwise very oily, fatty food.
• New Year's Eve in Hanoi or another Vietnamese region doesn't work without fried spring rolls! These are an integral part of the national cuisine and should not be missing at the Tet festival. The delicious rolls made from rice leaves, eggs, vegetables etc. are often made in large quantities. After all, the whole family has to be fed! And the ancestor's altar is also decorated with the dish.

Lucky charm in the land of smiles

In this section we have put together some more typical customs and symbols of New Year's Eve in Vietnam for you.

• What the apricot blossom in South Vietnam is, the peach blossom in North Vietnam: a symbol of happiness and health.
• A symbolic zodiac sign is assigned to each new lunar year (like 2020 = year of the rat). There are 12 of them and each one brings luck. For this reason, appropriate advertising signs and decorations adorn New Year's Eve's streets in Vietnam. In contrast to China, the fourth zodiac sign is not the rabbit, but the cat.
• That people in Vietnam celebrate with fireworks has already been mentioned. This signals the end of the old and the beginning of the new year. Many Vietnamese watch fireworks with family and best friends to appreciate the moment.

Vietnam can also celebrate differently!

If you want to spend New Year's Eve in Hanoi – the capital of the country – you can expect a huge range of parties. The many parks and other squares are anything but traditional. Instead of cleaning up and enjoying herbal baths together, you dance to live music by international DJs. Of course, the culinary arts are not neglected either. But New Year's Eve in Hanoi has one thing in common with "traditional" locations: a colorful fireworks display that welcomes the new year.

Colorful, more colorful, Tet-Fest

The way people celebrate New Year's Eve in Vietnam is sometimes very different from the western world. If you have the opportunity to visit the country at this special time, apply online for the Vietnam visa and don't miss it! The Tet Festival is a colorful spectacle that should be seen.