Vietnam is a country that has thousands of years of history. Like many other countries in the world, Vietnam has a culture of its own identity that carries the most typical is the Lunar New Year. It is these features that make manners, shape and identity of the people in Vietnam.
Lunar New Year is the most important occasion in Vietnam. Lunar New Year, according to the Vietnamese called Tet Nguyen Dan. "Nguyen" is to start, "Dan" is a new day. "Tet Nguyen Dan" is to start a new year, to welcome Spring with everything in its newest appearance. A new year comes with goodluck and in the mean time, all of the badluck will be gone, together with the passed year. "Tet Ta" (Lunar new year) is affected by Chinese Lunar New Year and East Asia Traditional Circle so that "Tet Ta" comes after New Years Eve. According to the old rule: 3 even years/a month of the Lunar Calendar, so the first day of the year is never before Jan 21st or after Feb 19th. Normally, this day will come from about the end of Jan to mid of Feb. The Lunar New Year lasts for 7-8 days of the passed year and 7 days of the new year.
According to East Asian culture and history of China, the origin of Lunar New Year from Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors and change from time to time. According to folk beliefs, the New Year started from the concept "Thankfully the rain to sunshine", as well as originating from "tiet" (weather) upon under the operation of the universe, expressed in the cycle times the Spring - Summer - Fall - Winter, which, with a very special meaning for an agricultural country like Vietnam. Farmers for this is the occasion to commemorate the gods are related to agricultural land as the god of rain, thunder god, the god of water ... Farmers do not forget to thank the animals which help them farm work like cattle, poultry and they also thank others food crops, food to feed them.
The Vietnamese concept that everything in Lunar New Year must be very new and soon. So before Tet more than 2 weeks, the family prepare to celebrate. They are usually cleaning, decorating their house with apricot blossom, peach blossom, kumquat, couplets or festival painting. Preparation-work for the day of the Vietnamese New Year usually starts from December 23, the day that the Vietnamese dedicate Kitchen God. Some rural families still keep the tradition planting named “Neu”, while in the city, this custom has been forgotten. According to tradition, the tree is raised up against the devil and the ominous. the tree is often referred to hang or decorate what is considered to scare the devil as: garlic, cactus, effigies and Pandan. Before Tet, the Vietnamese also prepare chung cakes , day cake and hearty dishes to dedicate to their ancestors.
New Year's Day may be the 30th December (for full year) or December 29 (for shortage year). This day family reunion dinner together for the New Year. Between the 30th (or 29th) of December and 1 January, is the most important moment of the festival.It marked the transfer of the old year and new year, called Eve (Giao Thua). In recognition of this moment, people often make two trays. A tray of worship to ancestors at the altar in his house and a tray of worship Heaven and Earth in the front yard. Arrangements the altar of Vietnamese families usually have an altar ancestors, grandparents.The decoration and altar arrangements vary according to each house. However, on the altar every home always display two cane on either side as to the instrument for carrying on with the grandchildren and leading spirits from the sky on the lower boundary. At the same time on the altar also has a tray of five fruits expressed desire of the owner by the name, colours and their arrangement.
In addition, during public holidays are also customary forth. Many people view A day "opened" a new year. They said that on this day, if all goes smoothly, good luck for the whole year, would also be good, convenient. Right after the countdown time, anyone who steps outside into the home with new year wishes are considered to have stormed the land for their home. Moreover, referring to the lunar new year, people cannot help mentioning the continuing exodus, picking fortune, burn votive, congratulated, visiting, receiving lucky money, etc. All this rules are expressed wishes of the people of a prosperous new year, families are healthy, well off, warmth.
And indispensable in the New Year is the traditional dish. First to mention are chung cake, day cake associated with the legend of the same name. The legend tells that King Hung Vuong sixth looking for some twenty sons, one who truly virtuous to the throne should have the conditions: not necessarily the eldest son, who gratify the first king ceremony will be hereditary. The prince racing festival truly post-shopping, delicious. Lang Lieu, the son of the eighteenth, very sad for the poor, only grown accustomed to potatoes, rice, do not know where to get the ceremony delicacies like the other prince. After a night's dream, a hint gods, he took his sticky rice, green beans and pork buns in two things, the type of round, square type for father. King find delicious cakes, again express profound meaning he should take two bread ceremony Heaven, Earth and First King ceremonies, naming round cake is day cake, square cake is chung cake and throne to Lang Lieu. Since then, the chung cakes, day cakes worship ancestors become indispensable traditions of Vietnam's Tet.
