20/05/2014
More commonly known as Tet, or Vietnamese New Year, is the most important and popular holiday and festival in Vietnam. It marks the arrival of spring and it takes place from the first day of the first month of the Lunar calendar (around late January or early February) until at least the third day. Most Vietnamese prepare for Tết by cooking special holiday foods for several days, opening windows to let out the spirits of last year, cleaning the house, and visiting ancestral graves. There are many other respected customs practiced during Tết, such as visiting a person's house on the first day of the new year wishing New Year's greetings, giving lucky money to children and elderly people, and opening a new shop.
Although Tết is a national holiday among all Vietnamese, each region and religion has its own customs. Tet is a time when most Vietnamese travel to be with their families and loved ones. Many small shops and restaurants close during Tet itself. And the streets are filled with spectacular decorations and festive lights and flowers.
We have scheduled our JAUNT specifically to arrive in Vietnam just at the closing of Tet so that everything will be reopened when we are there but all of the magnificent decor will still be up for the entire time of our visit to this already beautiful land.
