What is Tet?
This Vietnamese New Year celebration is known as Tet Nguyen Dan, or Tet for short, and it is considered as the most important festival of the year in Vietnam.
For the people of Vietnam, Tet concludes the winter season and marks the beginning of spring, as well as the beginning of the new year.
Why is Tet significant?
Traditionally, people also believed that the first day and week of Tet determines a person’s fate for the year ahead. Therefore, Vietnamese people often take extra care to kick the new year off right to draw prosperities and avoid misfortunes.
Tet is the time when sons and daughters, no matter how far away from home, will go back to visit their family, pay homage to their ancestors, and have a joyous reunion.
Additionally, people usually rather focus on positivity in relationships and avoid starting arguments. In such a sacred time as this, everyone tends to treat each other more generously, settles their debts, and forgives their differences of old before and during Tet. There will be lavishing exchanges of best wishes and blessing as people greet one another during Tet.
When is Tet this year?
Most countries follow the Gregorian calendar, but Vietnam (among other Asian countries historically observed the lunar calendar) has their New Year celebration on a different date each year, falling between mid-January and late February.
This 2022, Year of the Tiger, Tet Festival will fall on Tuesday, February 1st and celebrations can last from 3 days and continue for up to ten days.
How Do You Wish Someone a ‘Happy New Year’ in Vietnam?
Since Tet is a time to wish everyone prosperity and good fortune, it is fitting to know how to wish people “Happy New Year” properly.
Here some traditional Tet greetings:
- “Chúc Mừng Năm Mới.” – Happy New Year.
- “Vạn sự như ý.” May many things go according to your will.
- “Sức khỏe dồi dào.” – Plenty of health.
- “Cung Chúc Tân Xuân.” – Gracious wishes of the new spring.
- “An khang thịnh vượng.” – Security, good health, and prosperity.
We at PureVN wish you “An khang thịnh vượng” this 2022. Thank you for your generosity that enables us to keep creating solutions for children at risk. Our transition homes will be homes that our sons and daughters can always come home to.
