Tet, also known as Lunar New Year is the important time for Vietnamese to reunite, vacation, and visit relatives and friends. 

If you are visiting Vietnam this time, don't forget to learn about our fascinating customs and the reason behind them.

Lucky money

If you're in Vietnam around this time of year, you're most likely to come across "lucky money," or "li xi" as it's known in the south. Instead of candy-filled stockings, kids are given in the western customs; red envelopes holding cash, which is always distributed in an even amount of notes. The red represents fire, and fire means brightness, warmth, the sun, and good fortune.

Cay neu 

In many ways, "cay neu" is similar to a Christmas tree, and like Christmas trees, there are several methods to decorate them based on area and religion. Vietnamese households decorate and put it outside, and meaningful items are hanging on the tree, such as lixi, bells, and bows.

In addition to luck, red wards against evil spirits, especially during the Kitchen God's seven-day absence. The tree's removal also serves as a major ceremony to commemorate the end of Tet. This occurs on the seventh day of the Tet festival.

Sticky Rice Cake known as “Banh chung” or “Banh tet” 

According to legend, one of the types of Tet festival food, "banh chung" or "banh tet," was made over 2000 years ago by a man named Lang Lieu during the time of the Hung Dynasty. In order to choose an heir to the throne, the King held a culinary competition to test who could best respect his forefathers. Lang Lieu determined to develop his recipe to win. The kid was named Prince when the King sampled his new dish. Banh tet and banh chung use sticky rice, mung beans, and pork as an ingredient to cook.

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