To regard Tet simply as New Year’s
Day, as one would in the West, would display a poor knowledge of the
people of Vietnam.
In spite of its impressive credentials, the Gregorian New Year has not
been generally accepted in Vietnam, in the countryside in particular.
Our people pay it a courteous homage but reserve their heart and soul
for the traditional Tet.
Tet falls sometime between the last ten days of January and the middle
part of February.
Based on Vietnamese tradition,
Feast of the Kitchen Gods, this holiday
falls on the twenty-third of the twelfth month of the lunar year. The
holiday marks the day on which the spirits of the kitchen, a female
goddess, and 2 other gods, leave the kitchen-hearth to report the
year's events in the household to the Jade Emperor at the heaven court.
They are
sent off with a feast (including burning sacrificial gold paper and
offering a fish-carp skeleton for them to ride on their journey to
heaven), which will hopefully influence their report favorably. The
next day, a bamboo pole, (New Year's Tree — Cây Nêu) stripped of its
leaves except for a tuft on top, is planted at the front yard. Red
paper and clay bells decorate the tree. It is supposed to ward off
the evil spirits during absence of the Kitchen Gods who leave the
family at this time to visit the palace of the Jade Emperor.
Tet is a time for family reunions, exchanging gifts, best wishes,
forgiving others, paying debts; in short, to start the new year with a
clean slate, or else bad luck curse will remain with your for the coming year.
Literally, Tet Nguyen Dan means the first morning of the
first day of the new period. Officially, it marks the beginning of a
new year on the lunar calendar. In reality, it is a friendly, festive,
family holiday. Painstaking care is given to starting the year out right,
since it is believed the first day and the first week of the new year
will determine the fortunes or misfortunes for the rest of the year.
The entire house should be cleaned before New Year's Day. On New Year's
Eve, all brooms, brushes, dusters, dust pans and other cleaning
equipment are hidden away. Sweeping or dusting should not be done on
New Year's Day and the next two days for fear that good fortune will
be swept away. After the first three days, the floors may be swept in
a special routine. Beginning at the door, the dust and rubbish are
swept to the middle of the parlor, then placed in the corners and not
taken or thrown out until the fifth day.
GIAO THUA is the transition moment between the old year and the new year.
It is one of the most important times during the TET holidays.
It occurs at the midnight hour on New Year's Eve. GIAO THUA is the time when a
family ushers out the spirits of the old year, a ritual called LE TRU TICH.
Drums, gongs, firecrackers banners, fireworks, announced the hour of LE GIAO THUA.
All members of the family gather in the living room, pray together,
then congratulate the New Year and wish each other the very bests for
the coming year. Shortly after midnight, many Buddhists go to their
favorite pagoda to pray for a good year and to get a fortune reading for
the whole year. Midnight is marked by a tremendous barrage of
firecrackers, every family setting of strings to scare off the evil
spirits and give applause to the new year. This is also the time for
the Kitchen Gods to return before the last moment of the old
year comes.
Either after coming back from the temple, or early next morning,
the first person of year to enter the house is the most significant,
being a portent of the coming year's fortune, usually, it is a member of
the family or a relative, but sometimes a special guest may be invited
if he or she is considered to be a lucky person.
After Giao Thua, the next morning, the visiting starts, people filling the
streets.
The first day of Tet is reserved for visiting family and relatives, the
second day for special guests and close friends, and the third day for
teachers, friends and business associates. After the initial
greeting, visitors are served candied fruits and dried watermelon seeds.
Tea, coffee, beer, champagne or whiskey are also offered, as well as
more substantial fare, such as banh chung or banh Tet with pickled green
onions, etc...
Children are especially favored. Besides presents,
they receive li-xi,
or lucky money, in red envelopes from their parents, grandparents, and older relatives
.Mung tuoi (New Year wishes) is one of traditional customs in Tet
holidays. In return, the younger family members (kids) wish the elders,
with best wishes, for instance, good health, longevity,
happiness, etc. In each family, the wishing well moment is the most cheerful and
exciting for the children.
During Tet, all kinds of entertainment and activities are going on.
Comedy plays, theatrical singing, drama plays, unicorn dancing, concerts,
puppets performance, etc... are a few examples of the what's going on
during Tet.
Khai Ha Ritual
Tet officially lasts for seven days and ends with LE KHAI HA ritual
during which CAY NEU (bamboo pole) is taken down.
To the Vietnamese's thinking, on Khai Ha, if the
weather is warm and sunshine, man will be healthy and fortunate all the
year round.
