Tet Nguyen Dan is the most important celebration of Vietnamese culture. Translated to mean “the first morning of the first day”, Tet (in short) is the Vietnamese version of the Lunar New Year and can be considered an all in one festival. It features aspects of the western Thanksgiving, New Year’s Day, Halloween and Birthday. Many East Asian countries celebrate the Lunar New Year which originated from China. However, like Vietnam, each of these countries have incorporated characteristic rituals and celebrations that are indigenous to their regions, and are harmonious with their cultural history and geographical climate.
In a land where agriculture is still of great importance to the livelihoods of many, Tet is a perfect way to celebrate the union of nature, human, culture, the living and the dead. Through the beliefs in the symbolic representation of plants to future happiness and fortune; through the gifts and respect plants represent to ancestors and gods; and through the foods meticulously prepared that brings families together in gastronomic enjoyment – the rituals and celebrations of Tet is holistic, and always mindful of the connection between humans and their natural and spiritual world.