Every year
after the hype of Christmas and January 1st holiday passes, the real excitement
begins in Vietnam. The people in Vietnam start getting ready for lunar new
year. What is much more important holiday for them?
You think
Christmas and January first week is important holiday for Vietnam. But wait
minute,the real deal for Vietnamese people is Tet Festival.Tet is real deal for
them.
Tet like
Christmas,New year's eve,Easter and a big birthday party all rolled into
one.Before Tet officially starts through,there is lot to be done.Let's have
look at what the Vietnamese are up to in their preparation for Tet.
Vietnamese new year (Tet Festival) customs-
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Tet Festival Customs 1
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Clean and decorate the house.
One of the
first preparation steps to welcome Tet holiday is cleaning house.Homes are
often cleaned and decorated before new year's day.It is common belief that
cleaning in the house will get rid of the bad fortunes associated with the old
year.Some people also paint their house and decorated with festive items.As in
the most Asian countries,the luckiest colors are red and yellow and this
reflected in the traditional decoration for Tet.People would decorate the
inside and outside of their homes, and business adorn their shop front windows.
Potted
plants,lanterns and other Snick knacks fill the markets to brim weeks before
Tet.
Most
Important every home and business need a Tet Tree.The Vietnamese version of the
Christmas tree.In south trees, yellow blossoms are normal and in the north
,pink is preferred.
Ornaments
are hung from their branches and with little luck,the flower will blooms day by
new year's day.
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Cleaning of the House
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Decoration For House
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Poster on the wall of house |
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Tet Festival custom 2
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Getting
New Clothes.
This is
properly most exciting part of Vietnamese new year among the children.Usually
purchase new new clothes and new shoes for their children.However children
cannot wear their new clothes until the first day of new year.The best outfit
always wear on first day of year.
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New Clothes
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Best Outfits |
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Test Festival Custom 3
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Farewell
Ceremony For Kitchen Gods (ONG TAO)
Seven days
prior to the Tet.Vietnamese family offers a farewell ceremony for Ong
Tao(Kitchen Gods)to go up to Heaven Palace.His task is to make annual report of the families affairs throughout the year and gives report to jade emperor.Interesting vehicle
for god is Carp Fish.People said that the bigger is carp is the faster he could
reach up the heaven.
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Jade Emperor
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Corp Fish
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Corp Fishes
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God Of Kitchen |
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Tet Festival Custom 4
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Plate Of
Five Fruits
five fruits sites on the ancestor's altar in
every Vietnamese home during the Tet Holiday.The Fruit are Colorful and
meaningful,They make new year more lively and sacred.In Asian Methodology.world
is made up of five elements metal,wood,water,fire and earth.so the plate of
fruit is one of several ways to represent this concept.Traditionally consist of
5 to 8 type of fruits- A bunch of bananas,pomelo,"Buddha's
hand"fruit,lemons,oranges,tangerines,apples or persimmons.People choose the
best looking fruits and arranged them in pyramid
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5 Elements of Earth
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Bananas
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Pommelo
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Buddha's Hand Fruit
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Oranges
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Lemons
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Bunch Of Fruits
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Tangerines
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Apples
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Persimmons
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Tet Festival Custom 5
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XONG DAT(First Greetings)
XONG DAT
IS most sacred time of the year Therefore to offer the first greeting is very
important.Since the Vietnamese believes that the first visitor family receives
in the year determines the fortune for the entire year.some people would never
enter any one house on the first day without being invited.The act of the first
person to enter into a house is called Xong Nha or Xong Dat.According to
Vietnamese family ,if good things comes to family on the first day of the lunar
new year,the entire following year will also be full of blessings.Usually
person with good temper,morality and success will be invited in the house
first.However just to be safe ,the owner of the house will leave the house a
few minutes before a midnight and return home just as clock strikes midnight to
prevent anyone entering the house first who might potentially bring an
unfortunate events to the household.
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Xong Date (First Greeting)
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Greetings First
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Making a
Healthy Holiday Special Traditional Foods.
Making a healthy special holiday food is one of the important custom in Tet Festival.Banh chung is main traditional food is in Tet Festival..Banh chung is square in shape.Square shape of Banh Chung food represents earth.Banh Chung is the sticky rice cake with the pork fillings.Vietnamese desserts are also very famous in the world.If you want to know complete recipe of Traditional Banh Chung Food Click Here-BANH CHUNG.
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Banh Chung
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Sticky Rice Cake with Bean and Pork Fillings
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Tet Festival Custom 7
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Buying
salt
You think Why so?
The proverb of " new year buying salt ,year end buying lime" reflect the ancient
tradition Ending a
year to move to the new year,
many people often buying bags of salt wishing
relationships are salty,strong and tight.
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Salt Packets
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Tet Festival Custom 8
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Giving Red
envelops
This
culture practice that has been maintained for generations,It is very common to
see older people giving red envelops to younger people.Red envelope symbolise
luck and wealth.However always remember to give an small amount of money that
ends with even number.Because odd number considered horrible omen for the new
year since the traditionally reserved for funerals.
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Wishes(Happy Family)
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Red Envelops
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Tet Festival Custom 9
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Visiting
PAGODAS AND TEMPLES
Tet is
also one of the best time for Vietnamese people to spend time on their
spiritual life and pay respect to the religious institutions.Visiting pagodas
on the first days of the year has been deep rooted tradition.in Vietnam custom
is called Le Chua in which le means not only visiting but also showing in all
sincerity to Buddha and gods of temples and pagodas.Mixing one soul with the
spiritual spaces,breathing in the aroma of burning incense and flowers help
demolishing all stresses and worries of previous years
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Religious Institutions
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God
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Temples In Vietnam
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Small Cute Child Praying to God
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