When is the Vietnamese New Year?

Interest in everything Asian grows in the world every year. More and more tourists are trying to spend New Year's holidays in Thailand, China and Vietnam. The influx of Russian tourists in late December in these countries have long been accustomed and even ready to provide a traditional program with a glass of champagne. But still a real holiday can be seen only during the celebration of the New Year by the lunar calendar. In each of the Asian countries there are not only their own traditions, but also the dates of the holiday. Today we will discuss the Vietnamese New Year, which is very different from the already familiar Chinese holiday in early February.

Vietnam is a country of great opportunities

Vietnam has not become customary for a Russian tourist, our compatriots are only discovering the possibilities of this country and are studying with interest all of its holidays. In Vietnam, it is good to relax at any time of year, but tourists traditionally prefer to visit hot countries in winter, when drifts and snowstorms are outside the window.

This approach has a lot of advantages, because it allows you to get a much needed charge of emotions and solar heat in the middle of a long Russian winter. But beyond that, you can witness a truly unprecedented and enchanting show dedicated to the celebration of the Vietnamese New Year. This holiday will be remembered for a long time, after all, as in Vietnam, it is not celebrated anywhere in Asia.

Vietnamese New Year: the number of celebrations

New Year in Asia is celebrated on the lunar calendar, the holiday begins on the first day of the first lunar month. And this means that if you want to become a party to the holiday, you need to find out the date of the Vietnamese New Year before buying a voucher. Annually the date of celebration shifts and in some cases for a few days differs from the Chinese New Year. On average, the holiday always fits in the time interval between the twentieth of January and the twentieth of February, and its offensive is calculated according to a special formula. For example, in 2017 the New Year in Vietnam came on the twenty-eighth of January, but next year the Vietnamese will celebrate it already on the sixteenth of February.

Therefore, always know in advance the expected date of the holiday, if you want to get to the Vietnamese New Year. It is best to come to the country a few days before the event itself, to watch the preparations for the holiday and take part in them directly.

What is the New Year in Vietnam?

The Vietnamese New Year has its own name, shortly it's called Tet, and completely it can sound like "Tet Nguyen Dan". It is considered a family holiday, and during this period, numerous relatives flock home from all corners of the world. According to tradition, Vietnamese try to collect the maximum possible number of family members in their home, the elderly relatives are most honored.

The holiday itself is celebrated at home, and after the onset of midnight, go out to the street with the whole family. Here the Vietnamese take part in processions and performances that last for four days. During the holiday shops and all public institutions do not work.

If you are wondering if the Vietnamese New Year is worth your attention, the photo from this extravaganza of colors and fun will convince you that this is the best period for acquaintance with Vietnam. In these four days you will be able to get a lot of positive emotions and return to a carefree childhood.

Preparation for the holiday: what must be done?

The month before the onset of Theta in Vietnam is very important. For thirty days each family is trying to make repairs in their home, full-scale changes are welcome, including the exterior painting of the house. After this, it is necessary to arrange a general cleaning and throw out all the broken things. By the approach of the holiday in the houses of Vietnamese there is order and practically sterile cleanliness.

Every self-respecting Vietnamese spends a few days in front of Thetom in stores, and there they choose not gifts for relatives and friends, but clothes for themselves. The fact is that it is necessary to meet the holiday in new clothes, but it is allowed to wear it only after the onset of midnight. Otherwise, happiness and prosperity in the new year is not expected. Shops in Vietnam before the New Year sell a lot of different outfits at the lowest prices. Therefore, tourists who arrived a few days before the holiday, will have time to walk around the local shops with great benefits for themselves.

Traditional ornaments for the New Year in Vietnamese

In Vietnam, it is customary to decorate houses at home before the holiday. As an ornament, the flowering branches of apricot are used, on the eve of the holiday they are everywhere. They decorate houses, shops, public institutions. Locals make bouquets of flowering apricots and put them in vases throughout the house. Such a spectacle strikes imagination and sense of smell, because the fragrance of flowers reigns on every street.

Another decoration of the New Year's holiday is an orange tree. After him, the Vietnamese go to special bazaars, they can be compared to traditional Christmas markets in any city of Russia. Orange tree must necessarily be with fruits - they symbolize prosperity, so every Vietnamese resident tries to buy a tree with a lot of fruits. Secured Vietnamese buy several trees, decorating their rooms and yard around the house.

Features of celebrating the New Year in Vietnam

Before the holiday, every Vietnamese should sacrifice three gods:

• Master Craftsman.
• To the kitchen god.
• Spirit of the Earth.

As a sacrifice, fruits and various traditional dishes serve. The gods need to be placated for a few days, because only after that the Kitchen god goes to heaven and tells the Jade Emperor about everything that happened in the house for the whole year. The success of the family depends on this report in the coming year, that's why the Vietnamese try to appease the deity with all their might to improve their position and material condition.

Many well-off Vietnamese families buy live carp in the markets and release them into the river. This custom is also associated with the Kitchen God who goes to heaven on horseback on carp. Vietnamese believe that many fish released into the river will greatly facilitate the journey of the deity along the celestial path.

In the evening before New Year's Day, there are growth dolls depicting dragons. They always have a bright color, red and orange colors prevail in the attire of street dancers. In this same range, flashlights are made, which are taken in large quantities to hang on houses and trees in the garden.

Vietnamese New Year: holiday scenario

The New Year's holiday in Vietnam is painted literally by the hour, these traditions are already several hundred years old, and they are observed by all the local residents without exception. Gathered at the table, family members give each other money. Usually new bills and coins are wrapped in red gift paper or velvet bags of the same color.

With the onset of midnight, all Vietnamese change their clothes and leave the house to enjoy a festive carnival. If an unexpected guest appears in the house at night, then this is a good omen. It is sure to be fed and given money. After the festive procession everyone goes home, and early next morning they go to the temple.

All four days of the holiday residents of Vietnam go to visit and exchange cash gifts, even monks in churches try to give someone a treasured bag with several coins. And to give large sums of money or large bills is considered a bad form.

If you want to arrange a holiday in a Vietnamese style, make sure to prepare bright clothes of warm shades of red, orange and yellow. Take care of gifts for loved ones, putting them in red bags. In order to create the atmosphere of Vietnam, the dolls and images of dragons are suitable. This tradition is very similar to the Chinese New Year, which is not surprising, because the peoples of East Asia have common roots. Do not forget about the traditional Vietnamese dishes, which are necessarily present on every table on the eve of Theta.

Dishes of the New Year's table

No festive table can do without a Vietnamese pie of bathing. It is made from bamboo leaves, into which rice, pork, pickled onion and green peas are wrapped. This pie is accepted and the next day after the holiday, they take it with them to the temple and treat the monks.

Fruit is an integral part of the New Year's table, great respect is enjoyed by watermelon and melon. They are considered a symbol of prosperity and well-being. The holiday is also possible without pork, it prepares in different parts of the country in its own way. But in any case this dish is the most important. In the southern provinces of Vietnam, pork is boiled in coconut milk, and the whole carcase is prepared and cut only before serving. In the north of the country pork is stewed with bamboo and peas, in addition to it baked carp in a salt shell. This dish is very common in Asia due to its simplicity and surprisingly delicate taste.

Very surprised tourists cold meat, which has always been considered a traditional Russian dish. But the Vietnamese quite often cook it and eat it with pleasure.

Vietnamese New Year is able to surprise even jaded tourists. The holiday is filled with a lot of colorful shows and incendiary music, which calls to take part in the street procession. And if you want to surprise your loved ones, then remember how the phrase "Happy New Year!" Is pronounced in Vietnam. - in Vietnamese, it sounds like "Chung Chuk Tang-Huang". Now you can safely go to Asia and feel the beauty of the New Year celebration under palm trees and orange trees.