The Meaning of Tết in Vietnam and Why Vietnamese People Value It

Imagine an entire country pausing at once. Streets clear, offices close, and millions head home for Tet – Vietnam’s grandest, most sacred holiday. From the fragrant blossoms of hoa đào and hoa mai to the comforting aroma of freshly steamed bánh chưng, Tet in Vietnam reveals the heart of the culture.

Once you've explored how to say Happy New Year in Vietnamese, it's time to delve into the significance of this celebration in Vietnamese culture. Far more than just a change of calendar, what makes Tet so special to Vietnamese people? How to pronounce Tet correctly? What are some Tet customs and wishes? Keep reading to find out.

What is Tet in Vietnam?

Tết - The Vietnamese Lunar New Year

Tết is the most important celebration in Vietnamese culture. It is the official and common term for the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, though in a formal context or with an intention to emphasize its significance, people may use the full term from Sino-Vietnamese Tết Nguyên Đán (Feast of the first day).

In fact, Tết itself only means "festival", so you may hear many Tết-relating festivals in Vietnam throughout the year, such as Tết Trung Thu (Mid-Autumn Festival – 15th day of the 8th lunar month), Tết Nguyên Tiêu (Lantern Festival – 15th day of the 1st lunar month), Tết Thanh Minh (Tomb-Sweeping Day – early April). However, when you say Tết in general, local people instantly link it to the Lunar New Year.

Here are some variants for Tết:

• Tết Ta (meaning "Our Tết", as opposed to the Western New Year "Tết Tây")

• Tết Âm Lịch (Lunar New Year)

• Tết Cổ Truyền (Traditional Tết)

Example:

• Lịch nghỉ Tết Nguyên Đán 2027 dự kiến kéo dài 10 ngày. (The 2027 Vietnamese Lunar New Year holiday schedule is expected to last 10 days.)

• Tết Cổ Truyền miền Bắc thường diễn ra với tiết trời se lạnh, có khi kèm theo mưa phùn. (Traditional Tết in the North usually takes place amid cool, brisk weather, sometimes accompanied by light drizzle.)

The pronunciation of Tet

How to pronounce Tet in Vietnamese? Let's take a look at the phonetic breakdown of this word:

Âm đầu (initial consonant)	Vần (final)	Dấu thanh (tone mark)
T	êt	/ (thanh sắc: rising tone)	Tết

Please note "t" in Vietnamese is an unaspirated (very little puff of air), different from /t/ in English at the start of a stressed syllable ("top", table", "tea"). And 't' in the final is never pronounced clearly, meaning there is no final aspiration.

Zodiac animals and special names for Tet days

▸Vietnamese New Year animals

Like other countries that follow the lunar calendar, Vietnam celebrates Tet according to a 12-year zodiac cycle, with each year represented by a different animal. So, each year's name of the lunar new year will follow the pattern: Tết + Zodiac Animals + Heavenly Stem.

The Vietnamese lunar calendar uses a combination of 10 Heavenly Stems (Thiên Can: Giáp, Ất, Bính, Đinh, Mậu, Kỷ, Canh, Tân, Nhâm, Quý) and 12 Earthly Branches/ zodiac animals (Địa Chi/ con giáp: Tý, Sửu, Dần, Mão, Thìn, Tỵ, Ngọ, Mùi, Thân, Dậu, Tuất, Hợi), which together create a 60-year cycle before repeating.

Example:

• Tết Bính Ngọ 2026 (year of the Horse)

• Tết Đinh Mùi 2027 (year of the Goat)

• Tết Mậu Thân 2028 (year of the Monkey)

• Tết Kỷ Dậu 2029 (year of the Rooster)

• Tết Canh Tuất 2030 (year of the Dog)

▸Vietnamese "mồng" for Tet days

Mồng* is a word used to refer to the early days of a lunar month. In particular, mồng is commonly used during Tet in Vietnam to refer to the days from the 1st to the 10th.

Example:

• Người Việt thường đi lễ chùa vào mồng 1 để cầu bình an. (Vietnamese people usually visit pagodas on the 1st day to pray for peace.)

• Mồng 10 là ngày vía Thần Tài. (The 10th day is the Day of the God of Wealth.)

*In Southern Vietnamese, people use mùng (literally meaning "mosquito net") instead of "mồng."

The significant meaning of Tet in Vietnam

The Lunar New Year holiday is believed to have arrived in Vietnam during Chinese rule, after the Han Dynasty formally conquered Vietnam in 111 BC and continued governing Vietnam for over 1,000 years. Even today, Vietnamese Lunar New Year still follows the lunar calendar and keeps some original Chinese customs, like giving lucky money in red envelopes. Over time, however, Vietnam also developed its own unique traditions.

Occurring in late January or early February, Tết stands as the most significant holiday in Vietnamese culture. Tet in Vietnam is not only a holiday, it is an occasion devoted to family reunions, renewed hope, and good fortune for the year ahead.

Nowadays, Tết is seen as a day of 'renewal' — a time when people can hope for a peaceful, prosperous, and smooth year ahead, while leaving behind all the misfortunes of the past year. That's why, during Tết in Vietnam, every household is busy cleaning, shopping, and decorating their home beautifully.

Tết is also a time for family reunions. When Tết arrives, no matter what job people do or where they are, everyone longs to return home and gather under the family roof, together lighting incense to remember and give thanks to their grandparents and ancestors for watching over them throughout the past year. In Vietnamese, people say Về quê ăn Tết (coming home for Tết), and this has become a way of life, a beautiful and enduring tradition.

Understanding customs and traditions of Tet in Vietnam

How do Vietnamese people celebrate Tet? When it comes to Tet in Vietnam, celebrations actually begin long before the new year itself arrives. Though the actual customs and traditions vary by region, the underlying spirit of Tết remains the same across all of Vietnam. Here are some useful notes for understanding Tet in Vietnam.

1. Cúng ông Công, ông Táo (worshipping the Kitchen Gods)

In Vietnamese belief, the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month is the day the Kitchen Gods return to heaven to report to the Jade Emperor on everything that happened in the household throughout the year. That's why on this day, Vietnamese families clean their kitchens thoroughly and buy golden carp to offer as a means of sending the Kitchen Gods off to heaven.

2. Gói bánh chưng (wrapping sticky rice cakes)

Bánh chưng is a traditional dish dating back to the time of the Hùng Kings and remains an essential part of Tết for Vietnamese people today. Families usually wrap bánh chưng two or three days before Tết, and the cakes also make a meaningful gift to relatives and friends during this time.

3. Chưng hoa during Tet in Vietnam (displaying flowers)

Hoa đào (peach blossoms) in the North, hoa mai (apricot blossoms) in the South, and cây quất/ cây tắc (kumquat trees) are among the plants that symbolize luck, happiness, and prosperity for the family. Today, many other beautiful flowers are also popular for home decoration to welcome the new year, such as orchids, lilies, chrysanthemums, and narcissus.

4. Chưng mâm ngũ quả (displaying the five-fruit tray)

https://youtu.be/9Plwn3RQY2g?si=LnvMpmdPnG0hIeyG

Placing a five-fruit tray on the ancestral altar is an essential custom during Tet in Vietnam, meant to pray for a peaceful, lucky, happy, healthy, and prosperous new year. The tray consists of five different kinds of fruit, though this traditional custom varies between the Northern, Central, and Southern regions.

5. Thăm mộ tổ tiên (visiting ancestors' graves)

Family members go together to visit and clean the resting places of their grandparents, ancestors, and loved ones. This is a common Vietnamese custom that reflects filial piety and respect toward one's parents and deceased ancestors.

6. Cúng tất niên và đón Giao thừa (year-end offering and welcoming the New Year's Eve)

On the afternoon of the 30th day of the lunar year, Vietnamese families prepare a tray of food and light incense to invite the deities and ancestors to celebrate Tết with the family, marking the end of the old year and preparing to welcome the new one.

Giao thừa is the moment of transition between the old year and the new year. The New Year's Eve offering, also known as lễ trừ tịch, takes place in the final minutes of the year and symbolizes letting go of all the bad things from the old year to welcome the good things of the new year.

7. Hái lộc on the first day of Tet in Vietnam (picking lucky branches)

Hái lộc refers to the custom of breaking off a small branch (called a "lucky branch") and bringing it home to bring good fortune in the early days of Tet in Vietnam. These branches are usually taken from banyan, bodhi, or ficus trees — species known for their strong vitality and year-round greenery and new growth.

8. Xông đất (first-footing)

After the moment of giao thừa, the first person to step into a home in the new year, offering New Year's greetings, is considered the người xông đất (the first-footer).

According to Vietnamese belief, the first-footer plays a very important role, so families often choose someone whose age is compatible with the household, who is kind-hearted, has a happy family, is successful in business, and has a cheerful personality to be their first-footer.

9. Chúc Tết và mừng tuổi (New Year greetings and lucky money)

Vietnamese people have a custom of visiting relatives and friends to exchange New Year greetings during Tet in Vietnam. Typically, on the morning of the first day of the new year, children and grandchildren visit to wish their grandparents and parents long life and happiness. In return, the elders give the younger generation lì xì (some money tucked into red envelopes) for good luck, along with wishes for them to grow up quickly, study well, and enjoy a happy new year.

Must-know words for Tết

If you want to talk about the lunar new year like a local, here are some essential words and phrases relating to Tet in Vietnam:

Vietnamese words	Pronunciation	Translation	Examples
chúc Tết		to wish s.o a happy new year	Hằng năm, cả nhà tôi đều đi chúc Tết ông bà vào sáng mồng một. (Every year, my whole family visits and wishes my grandparents a happy new year on the morning of the first day of Tết.)
ăn Tết		to celebrate the Tet holiday	Năm nay tôi về quê để ăn Tết cùng gia đình. (This year, I'm going back to my hometown to celebrate Tết with my family.)
Ngày Táo Quân		Kitchen Gods' Day	Ngày Táo Quân là ngày 23 tháng Chạp âm lịch. (Kitchen Gods' Day falls on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month.)
tiệc tất niên		year-end gathering	Tối 30 Tết, chúng tôi cùng nhau dự tiệc tất niên. (On the evening of the 30th day of the lunar year, we gather for the year-end gathering.)
hoa đào		peach blossoms	Miền Bắc thường trang trí nhà bằng hoa đào vào dịp Tết. (In the North, people usually decorate their homes with peach blossoms during Tết.)
hoa mai		apricot blossoms	Ở miền Nam, mọi người chuộng hoa mai hơn vào ngày Tết. (In the South, people prefer apricot blossoms for Tết instead.)
mâm ngũ quả		five-fruit tray	Mẹ tôi bày mâm ngũ quả lên bàn thờ tổ tiên. (My mother arranges the five-fruit tray on the ancestral altar.)
Giao thừa		New Year's Eve	Họ cùng nhau thức đón giao thừa lúc nửa đêm. (They stay up to welcome New Year's Eve at midnight together.)
cây quất / cây tắc		kumquat tree	Trước cửa nhà tôi có một chậu cây quất rất đẹp. (In front of my house, there's a beautiful kumquat tree.)
lì xì		lucky money; to give s.o lucky money	Trẻ em rất thích được nhận lì xì vào ngày Tết. (Children love receiving lucky money during Tết.)
thăm họ hàng		to visit relatives	Mồng ba Tết, chúng tôi thường đi thăm họ hàng. (On the third day of Tết, we usually go visit relatives.)
xem pháo hoa		to watch the fireworks	Đêm giao thừa, mọi người ra phố để xem pháo hoa. (On New Year's Eve, people go out into the streets to watch the fireworks.)
người xông đất		the first-footer	Năm nay, ai sẽ là người xông đất nhà bạn? (Who will be your family's first-footer this year?)
bánh chưng / bánh tét		sticky rice cakes	Ngày Tết mọi người quây quần bên nhau để gói bánh chưng. (During Tết, everyone gathers to wrap bánh chưng.)
mứt trái cây		dried candied fruits	Khách đến chơi nhà thường được mời mứt trái cây. (Guests who come to visit are usually offered dried candied fruits.)
trang trí nhà cửa		to decorate the house	Trước Tết, cả nhà cùng nhau trang trí nhà cửa. (Before Tết, the whole family decorates the house together.)
đi lễ chùa		to visit pagodas	Sáng mồng một, nhiều người đi lễ chùa để cầu may. (On the morning of the first day, many people visit pagodas to pray for good luck.)
chợ hoa xuân		spring flower market	Bà tôi thích dạo chợ hoa xuân trước Tết vài ngày. (My grandma likes to stroll through the spring flower market a few days before Tết.)
chơi bài		to play cards	Đêm giao thừa, anh em tôi thường chơi bài cho vui. (On New Year's Eve, my siblings and I usually play cards for fun.)
sum họp gia đình		family reunion	Tết là dịp để sum họp gia đình sau một năm xa cách. (Tết is a time for family reunion after a year apart.)
hạt dưa		roasted watermelon seeds	Chúng tôi vừa nói chuyện vừa cắn hạt dưa. (We chat and crack roasted watermelon seeds at the same time.)
củ kiệu		pickled small leeks	Trên mâm cỗ Tết luôn có một đĩa củ kiệu chua ngọt. (The Tết feast tray always includes a plate of sweet-and-sour pickled small leeks.)
dưa hành		pickled onion	Món dưa hành ăn kèm bánh chưng rất ngon. (Pickled onions eaten with sticky rice cakes taste delicious.)

Best Tet wishes in Vietnamese

Tet in Vietnam is all about family reunion, so this is the perfect time to send out best wishes to loved ones. Explore some wishes for relatives and friends below.

1. Tet Wishes for parents in Vietnamese

• Chúc bố mẹ sống lâu trăm tuổi. (Wishing you a long life of a hundred years.)

• Chúc bố mẹ mãi sống khỏe, sống vui bên con cháu. (Wishing you eternal health and happiness alongside their children and grandchildren.)

• Chúc bố mẹ luôn mạnh khỏe, hạnh phúc và sống an nhiên bên con cháu. (Wishing my aunt and uncle good health, happiness, and a serene life with their children and grandchildren.)

• Chúc bố mẹ vạn sự như ý, sức khỏe an khang và tràn đầy hạnh phúc. (Wishing you that everything goes as they wish, along with good health and abundant happiness.)

• Chúc bố mẹ mạnh khoẻ để gia đình ta bên nhau đón thêm nhiều cái Tết nữa. (Wishing you good health, so our family can be together to welcome many more Tết to come.)

These wishes are suitable for younger family members to say to their elders, so you can use them for your grandparents, aunts, uncles, or any older relative. Just remember to adjust the pronouns to address yourself and other speakers accordingly.

2. Wishes for children 

Tet wishes extend beyond elders to children as well. Elders are wished a long and healthy life, while children are wished to grow up well, behave nicely, and do well in school.

• Chúc con năm mới học hành tấn tới. (Wishing you good progress in your studies this new year.)

• Chúc con học giỏi, nghe lời ông bà cha mẹ. (Wishing you excellent grades and to always listen to your grandparents and parents.)

• Năm mới chúc con nhiều quà, nhiều lì xì. (Wishing you lots of gifts and lucky money this new year.) 

• Chúc con mau ăn, chóng lớn, khỏe mạnh, thông minh. (Wishing you to eat well, grow up fast, stay healthy, and be smart.)

3. General wishes during Tet in Vietam  

If you're looking for basic phrases for beginners, here are some that work well in all situations and can save you from embarrassment of saying the wrong message.

• Vạn sự như ý. (May everything go as you wish)

• An khang thịnh vượng. (Peace, good health, and prosperity.)

• Sức khỏe dồi dào. (Abundant health.)

• Bình an cả năm. (Peace and safety throughout the year.)

• Mọi sự hanh thông. (May everything go smoothly.)

• Năm mới bình an, ấm áp và đủ đầy. (A peaceful, warm, and fulfilling new year.)

.

More than saying Chúc mừng năm mới, learning some words and phrases relating to Tết in Vietnam and its traditions will help you connect more deeply with the culture and the people around you during this special time. Whether you're greeting elders or simply joining in the festivities, sharing the right wishes lets you connect with genuine warmth and respect.