Vietnam New Year marks according to the lunar calendar. It's called Tet (Tet) and is celebrated on the first day of the first lunar month in the first season of the new year. The date of the new year according to the eastern calendar moves from year to year between January 20 and February 20.
According to established tradition, the New Year according to the lunar calendar is called Chinese New Year. This is not surprising, because customs and culture came to East Asian countries from China.
In the North of Vietnam, on New Year's Eve, it is customary to install a flowering peach branch in homes or decorate them with tangerine trees hung with orange fruits, symbolizing prosperity.
At this time, peach and apricot trees, tangerines and almonds are blooming. Young blooming branches and simple bouquets of flowers decorate the streets of Vietnam for the New Year.
In the south of Vietnam, it is common to decorate houses on Tet. blossoming apricot branch Moreover, apricot flowers must have five petals. At the same time, it is customary for southerners to place watermelons on the altar, the red sweet pulp of which is a symbol of good luck in the coming year.
Regardless of their personal material wealth, before the New Year, the Vietnamese try to buy food, fruits, flowers, and sweets in order to prepare for the traditional ritual, that is, make a sacrifice at the altar of their ancestors, as well as treat relatives and guests during three holiday days.
In the evening, on New Year's Eve, in Vietnam there are mass dances the Dragon A. The most colorful processions and vibrant shows take place after dark. At night, bonfires are lit in parks, gardens or on the streets, and several families gather around the bonfires.
For Chinese New Year in Vietnam, they traditionally prepare special rice treats. In the northern part of the country these are pork legs with bamboo shoots, jellied meat, carp in salted sauce. In the south - pork in a pot, boiled in salted coconut milk, while the pork is boiled in coconut milk whole, with skin, fat and lean parts. In the finished dish, the fatty part looks transparent, and the lean part looks bright red, with the taste of coconut milk. The Southern holiday menu also includes pickled green pea sprouts with leeks, carrot slices, turnips, and bitter melon stuffed with meat. Residents of this country believe that bitter melon has antipyretic properties, is very nutritious and cures many diseases.
It is considered a traditional dish everywhere square banh chung cake, which is one of the most popular dishes in Vietnamese cuisine. It is made with pork rice, green peas and pickled onions wrapped in bamboo leaves.
New Year in Vietnam is a family holiday. At night, children and grandchildren usually congratulate their grandparents and parents and wish them longevity, good health and prosperity. Then it’s the adults’ turn to congratulate the children; it is customary to give them money for good luck. Money must be new, banknotes or coins, and packaged in new red paper or cloth bags with a red bow.
On the next day of the New Year, a traditional Tet festival. According to Vietnamese tradition, the first New Year's guest in a house bestows good luck on the house. The guest also gives money and receives from the hosts. It is not customary to give dollars and large bills. They also believe that it is better to start the first day of the New Year early. In the morning, everyone goes to the temple, where the Vietnamese eat banh ching.
In Vietnam, there is a custom in which Vietnamese women wear red and yellow colors on Tet, while men wear all black.
In mountainous areas where national minorities live, slightly different traditions, rites and rituals operate.
During Theta Buddhist temples the monks themselves hand over the money to the parishioners. Money is also placed in small red bags. This is supposedly a gift of prosperity from Buddha, from God, for luck.
In recent years, the tradition of celebrating Tet at home has become a thing of the past. Many Vietnamese go to other places, including abroad, at this time.
Tet (full name Tet Nguyen Dan) is the Vietnamese New Year according to the lunar and lunisolar calendar, the most important and popular holiday in Vietnam.
Tet is considered the first day of spring, so the holiday is often called the “Spring Festival.”
Celebrated on the first day of the first lunar month in the first season of the new year. The date of the new year according to the eastern calendar moves from year to year between January 20 and February 20.
Lunar New Year is often called Chinese New Year. This is not surprising, because traditions and culture came to East Asian countries from China.
Vietnamese New Year dates according to the Eastern calendar for the coming years:
in 2014 - January 31;
in 2015 - February 19;
in 2016 - February 9;
in 2017 - January 28;
in 2018 - February 16;
in 2019 - February 5;
in 2020 - January 25.
Customs for celebrating Vietnamese New Year
In the north of the country, a flowering peach branch is installed in a house on New Year's Eve, or the house is decorated with tangerine trees hung with orange fruits, symbolizing prosperity.
During this period, peach and apricot trees, tangerines and almonds bloom. The streets are decorated with young flowering branches and simply bouquets of flowers.
In the south of the country on Tet they prefer to decorate their home with a blooming apricot branch, and apricot flowers must have five petals. In addition, southerners place watermelons on the altar, the sweet red flesh of which symbolizes good luck in the coming year.
Regardless of the family's wealth, before the New Year, people try to buy food, fruits, flowers, and sweets in order to prepare a sacrifice for the altar of their ancestors and treat relatives and guests during the three holiday days.
In the evening, on New Year's Eve, mass dragon dances take place. The most magnificent processions and colorful events take place at night. At dusk, bonfires are lit in parks, gardens or on the streets, and several families gather around the bonfires.
It is considered honorable to conduct New Year's Eve in the company of a gray-haired man who is over 70 years old. As soon as twelve o'clock in the morning has arrived - this time is called "Giao Thya" (meaning "meeting of times") - children and grandchildren congratulate their grandparents and parents on the New Year, wishing them longevity, good health and prosperity. Then the adults congratulate the children and give them money for good luck. How much money doesn't matter. The most important thing is that the money is new (new bills or new coins). They must be packed in new red bags (either paper or fabric) with a red bow.
On subsequent holidays, adult relatives, friends, and family acquaintances come to visit and can also give money for the well-being of children. The custom of giving money to children for the New Year is obligatory these days, and not a single New Year in Vietnam passes without observing this custom. Traditionally, the Vietnamese believe that giving children a little money is like the beginning of “prasadam” in the New Year, so that this beginning will be multiplied many times over.
In recent years, the tradition of celebrating Tet only at home has become less unshakable as before, and many Vietnamese go traveling to other places, including abroad.
During Tet in Buddhist temples, monks give money to parishioners, which is also placed in small red bags. It is like a gift of well-being from Buddha, from God. This is a gift for luck. A Vietnamese aphorism says: “A little prosperity from the Buddha is equal to a whole large basket of earthly prosperity.”
The next day is usually the Tet Festival. On the territory of the most ancient temple in Indochina, Van Mieu, the most fun and fierce cockfights flare up. On the Lake of the Returned Sword in Hanoi, the water puppet theater gives performances - a unique folklore troupe, the only one in the world. In the historical center of Hanoi, on Hangluoc Street, elderly people kindly offer long bamboo poles. They need to be “planted” in front of the entrance to the house - they will block the way for evil spirits.
Vietnamese women wear red and yellow colors during Tet, while men wear all black.
In mountainous areas where national minorities live, the celebration is slightly different.
Tet is also a festival of flowers. Car access to flower markets is prohibited. And it’s unlikely that anyone would think of interfering with the happy New Year’s bustle in this way. The most festive flower is considered to be matcha - a sunny flower, or eastern “aster”. And these flowers, says the folk wisdom of the East, should be as many as there are people on Earth.
New Year's dishes
Special rice delicacies are cooked over coals. In the north of the country, these are pork legs with bamboo shoots, jellied meat, carp in salted sauce. In the south - pork in a pot, boiled in salted coconut milk, while the pork is boiled in coconut milk whole, with skin, fat and lean parts. In the finished dish, the fatty part looks transparent, and the lean part looks bright red and tastes like coconut milk. Southerners' tables also include pickled green pea sprouts with leeks, slices of carrots, turnips, and bitter melon stuffed with meat.
The New Year's dish in Vietnam is banh tiung rice cake. It is a square shaped cake wrapped in banana leaves and tied with flexible bamboo rods. Pieces of pork are sometimes added to the bean filling. This seasonal filling is sandwiched between two layers of glutinous rice.
06.07.2019 17:16
Vietnamese New Year is very beautiful, spectacular and colorful! Why do sidewalks disappear for two weeks during the preparation for Tet in Vietnam? What happens to the tangerine tree after the holiday? What is the nicest gift for a Vietnamese teenager?
1. Decorations on the Nha Trang embankment
Vietnamese new year does not have its own unique date, like ours, for example, December 31. For them, everything depends on the phases of the moon, which at certain times signals the approach of spring.
On the first day of the first lunar month of the new season, the same Tet or Tet Nguyen Dan is celebrated, that is, the Vietnamese New Year. Determining the date of the next holiday according to our calendar is not so easy - it “floats” between mid-January and mid-February.
According to the lunar calendar, the dates of the Vietnamese New Year are:
In 2018 - February 16;
In 2019 - February 5;
In 2020 - January 25.
How is Tet celebrated in Nha Trang?
This year Tet fell on February 28 and a month before the holiday, the city streets began to prepare for this event. “Was it the European New Year there?!” - you say. Yes, he was, but the Vietnamese are indifferent to him.
2 weeks before Theta they started putting them on the streets tangerine trees, bonsai, peach trees and other living bushes in pots, as well as flowers for offerings. On the streets - this means on the sidewalks, which are already filled with bikes (this is normal for Vietnam, because you can’t park on the road!). Of course, only a few sales points appeared in the European quarter, but if you walked further, you could find yourself in a fairy tale! 
2. New Year's decorations for Vietnamese Tet
Here is a whole alley of tangerine trees with bitter little fruits. The trees grow from half a meter to three-meter hulks. On the other side of the street they sell peach trees of different sizes and for every budget. It seems that there are bare twigs sticking out in the pots, but this is a full-fledged living organism, only still sleeping. On Tetu, beautiful yellow flowers will bloom on the trees! 
3. Tangerine trees 
4. Peach trees 
5. Large peach and small tangerine trees
On the ring there are about six benches with red paper lanterns, money bags, plastic, “gold” New Year’s decorations. Near the fence kindergarten they sell chrysanthemums and flowers, the names of which I don’t know, but I’ve seen some in Russia as indoor flowers. 
6. Trade in paper lanterns and a place for New Year photo sessions in national costumes! 
7. Flowers 
8. Vietnamese New Year festive decorations 
9. Bazaar of roses and chrysanthemums
We go further, deeper into the city, away from the embankment. There is a market with citrus trees (like pomelo) and watermelons, on which skilled craftsmen knock out congratulations in ancient Chinese. On the right you can see a street where all the sidewalks are littered with yellow watermelons, potted marigolds and painted willow. And here, before turning into the alley, they sell fresh banh tiung rice cake - a traditional dish Vietnamese holiday table, like a Russian - Olivier salad! 
10. Gift watermelons 
11. We gave this watermelon to the owner of our Lanh apartment for Tet. 
12. Watermelons to the table 
13. Compositions from dry dyed grass 
14. Willow 
15. Coconuts 
16. Wooden figurines 
17. Bonsai 
18. More bonsai 
19. Tree with a broom
The street on the other side of the Cathedral is lined with freshly cut lilies. They were recently brought from the mountainous Dalat. Vietnamese women place such flowers in vases at the altars of their ancestors. 
20. Delivery of New Year's peach tree
Perhaps we can finish our walk for today. Max enjoyed watching the bright colors from the ergo backpack, sometimes jumping off the hands and moving between huge vases of bonsai or flower pots.
Now they invite you to go to supermarket. At the entrances to all major or other institutions in the city there is a hao-mai - these are branches of a peach (or other) tree with small yellow plastic flowers strung on it. Under the tree, like in Russia under the Christmas tree, there are rice cakes. On both sides of the front door there are either huge tangerine trees or bowls of chrysanthemums. There may also be huge bonsais, but this all depends on the wealth of the owner of the establishment.
The Vietnamese start celebrating spring 10 days before Tet. It is then that prices rise in supermarkets and fruit shops, as shopping queues grow significantly. At this time, luxurious offerings in the form of fruits and sweets are made to the ancestors.
Here is a Vietnamese family on a shopping spree. In the cart there is rice, a lot of apples, kiwi - these are imported fruits, a delicacy. There are also some vegetables and lots and lots of greens, ready-made fried chicken, baguette, nuts, chips, yogurt and cheese. I bought a new cotton set of polka dot pants and a long T-shirt (very similar to pajamas) for my mom, jeans for my dad, and a huge pile of new clothes for my teenage daughter: dresses, T-shirts, shorts, skirts, flip-flops, socks. It was clear that the girl was incredibly happy with the new clothes
Children to Tet They try to buy everything new, because they believe that this contributes to their success in the new year. In fact, the Vietnamese are also consumers and shopaholics, so for the Spring Festival they can update not only their wardrobe, but also household appliances, for example.
Many people think that Tet Nha Trang is overcrowded with Chinese. Um, are you able to distinguish a Chinese from a Vietnamese, or a Korean from a Hong Kong person? Me not. We asked the owner of our apartment if it was true that in the city Tetu and Chinese New Year, which most often coincide, many tourists from the DPRK appear. To which Lanh replied that there are many different tourists in Nha Trang, but it is the Vietnamese who come to Tet (which we saw in Mui Ne. There they also told us that Vietnamese youth strive to travel around the country in the New Year, so many hotels are full)
By the way, the influx of locals in resort town on Vietnamese New Year is also noticeable in the number of cars. Many come by car from Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.
On Christmas Eve, the Vietnamese take pictures in front of the chic flower arrangements that are placed on the embankment and in mini parks, stroll there, eat chips, listen to concerts of local celebrities, sitting on a bike.
How did we celebrate Tet?
We liked the sincere and colorful atmosphere of the holiday so much that we decided to make a parody of a peach tree in our apartment. We found a dry branch in the park, bought plastic yellow flowers, decorated them and stuck them at the entrance to the apartment (there was nowhere to put them inside and Max was greatly provoked by such beauty). Then we bought a bouquet of lilies, which filled the apartment with intoxicating odors for two weeks, even with all the windows open! We also bought the same rice in a banana leaf - a delicious thing made from glutinous rice, pork, peas and black pepper. We also bought new things for the whole family :) 
21. Our Hao-mai
Traveling to Nha Trang for Vietnamese New Year with a child I absolutely I recommend! This is just such a free immersion into the atmosphere of the New Year of another country, and again, after ours.
The disadvantages of Vietnamese Tet easily turn into advantages:
- Shops that are closed on the first day (usually three or four days) of the Vietnamese New Year are a reason to shop in advance;
- Closed cafes after Christmas Eve are a reason to stock up in advance. By the way, after lunch in the European quarter everything is already working!
- Increasing prices for fruits and vegetables... Here, either move the dates of your trip, or accept it as is. The price increase is not that significant if you are on vacation. For example, freshly squeezed juices cost 12,000 dong, and steel ones cost 25,000.
- Noisy shows or carolers are a reason to go for a walk, and not sit in your room. You can also choose a higher floor. At night, by the way, they are not that loud. Daily karaoke even causes more discomfort
- You can buy a tour in advance, sometimes it’s even cheaper;
- Queues of locals at the same Vinpearl. Accept, understand that they already have few days off, so they strive to use Tet to the fullest. In our supermarkets there are also huge queues before the New Year.
22. Masterpieces made of wood
After New Year's celebrations The Vietnamese are slowly eliminating dried chrysanthemums and tangerine trees. In Vietnamese Nha Trang, garbage collection is separate, and garbage collectors do not work only two days a year (on New Year's Day and the day after). Therefore, after Tet, it is impossible to find dumps of holiday trees and bushes. Everything is sorted and taken away on time.
New Year holidays combined with quality beach holiday no one has been surprised for a long time now. Tours to hot countries, when frosts and snow storms reign in Russia, are very popular among exotic lovers and not only among them.
In winter, we all often remember with nostalgia the events of the past summer, so why not take care of returning to sunny days in advance? summer days in the coldest time of the year and you can’t celebrate the New Year in Vietnam, on the shores of the warm South China Sea, where a weak warm breeze blows and the impenetrable jungle delights the eye with lush emerald greenery.
Christmas in Vietnam
Residents of different regions of Vietnam are followers of many religious cultures, but prefer to pray in Buddhist temples, of which there are a lot in Vietnam, despite the very small number of followers of the Buddha's teachings themselves.
December is dedicated to preparations for Christmas, a holiday loved by all Vietnamese people, regardless of their religion. They decorate their homes, buy gifts and treats, and on Christmas Eve, December 24, set a festive table, which usually features roast turkey, chicken soup, and Christmas rice dishes.
On the streets in every corner of the country you can see Santa Claus with a traditional sack - in Vietnam this character has been loved since the times of French colonization. The custom of placing shoes at the entrance for gifts was also borrowed from Europeans, but unlike the latter, on the morning of December 25, the holiday ends and everyone goes to work.
Tourists, as a rule, celebrate Christmas in hotels, where tangerine trees are decorated for this occasion and festive banquets with traditional Christmas dishes are held.
New Year in Vietnam - customs and traditions
New Year in Vietnam can be celebrated twice, if time permits. An internationally accepted date with a luxurious feast, an abundance of delicious treats, wine and strong alcohol is celebrated for tourists. The Vietnamese themselves celebrate the New Year, or Tet, as this holiday is commonly called, according to the lunisolar calendar, which is slightly different from its Chinese lunar counterpart. There is no fixed date for the celebration.
In 2018 New Year in Vietnam begins on January 28. Vietnamese New Year differs by one hour and, like in China, is celebrated according to the lunar calendar. Before the holiday, the streets and squares of cities and towns, decorated with flowers and bright illumination, are completely transformed, festivals are held and fairs are held, where local residents buy products needed for New Year's dishes and a huge number of gifts.
Every family home has an altar dedicated to their ancestors, which the Vietnamese treat with great respect. On the eve of Tet, the altar becomes the main shrine, which must be decorated and a vase with fruits placed in front of it, different in each region of the country: in the north - banana, tangerine, peach, pomegranate, persimmon, etc., in the south - mango, pineapple , grapes, watermelon, coconut.
Following an ancient tradition, the Vietnamese celebrate the holiday at home, with their family. Even those who permanently live and work abroad try not to be late for the festive table, decorated with boiled banh tiung rice cakes with mung beans, pork wrapped in banana leaves, and fruits.
Particularly noteworthy are the carnival processions, where sacred animals from the eastern calendar pass through the entire city, dancing and singing to music.
Traveling around Vietnam in New Year holidays will be extremely diverse and rich in vivid impressions anywhere in the country. Luring curious tourists with narrow streets and colorful buildings historical center Hanoi, and just 10 km from it lies the legendary Snake Village, whose inhabitants have been catching and breeding snakes for almost 1000 years from generation to generation.
The Fragrant Huong River slowly flows through ancient Hue and the central regions of Vietnam. On the banks of the country’s main artery, fragrant with the aromas of calamus root and flowering gardens, there are many attractions, including Royal Palace in Hue with the Purple Forbidden City, Imperial Tombs, Tien Mu Pagoda of the Heavenly Woman.
Vietnam is famous for its magnificent beaches, beautiful bays, and picturesque islands randomly scattered in the waters of the South China Sea.
Vietnam is not the most popular tourist destination, which has not yet received a decent rating. Tours to Vietnam at any time of the year are highly expensive, therefore, according to experienced tourists, they have many advantages independent travel to this country, whose picturesque landscapes leave no one indifferent.
Local residents are friendly and responsive, prices for food and consumer goods are pleasingly affordable, thanks to the efforts of Vietnamese law enforcement agencies, the country has a fairly low crime rate.
True, tourists often run the risk of being robbed, but this is the biggest trouble that can be easily avoided if you adhere to certain safety rules that are common anywhere in the world - do not carry large sums of money with you, do not demonstrate your wealth to everyone around you, do not leave in your room and at any other place of residence, bank cards, cash, jewelry. As for jewelry, it is generally better to leave them at home; it is unlikely that there will be a pretentious event in Vietnam to display them.
The national currency of Vietnam is the dong. IN tourist centers It will not be difficult to find ATMs where you can get cash in rubles or dollars, and then exchange them for dongs at the current rate. The Vietnamese are suspicious of the euro. Experienced travelers claim that the most reliable exchange points are jewelry stores.
Many people prefer to take cash with them, but in any case, you should make a rough plan of your expenses before traveling, including accommodation, meals, excursions, shopping, entertainment, health and beauty spa treatments. It is necessary to include in this list a small amount for unforeseen expenses - the countries of Southeast Asia are “famous” for all kinds of creeping, flying and biting animals, the treatment of bites of which will require some financial costs.
As a result, you can be sure that air tickets are the most expensive, which are best booked long before the intended trip. If you are planning a vacation in the northern regions of the country, you should buy tickets to Hanoi, in the southern regions - to Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon.
Profitable to fly Turkish Airlines via Istanbul or buy tickets for a flight to Bangkok, and from there fly to Vietnam.
Where to live?
Inexpensive and quite acceptable accommodation from local owners can be found using sites like airbnb, you can also book a room in a 2-3* hotel in advance - in Vietnam, star rating is often not an indicator high level service. You can rent a room during your stay in guest house or an entire villa with a pool on the seashore.
You should also take into account the fact that Vietnam in December is especially attractive to tourists: the weather is wonderful - dry, sunny, not hot, the high tourist season begins, when prices rise, and you won’t be able to save money if you suddenly decide to go on a trip.
Communication problem
A seemingly complex communication problem can be solved using mobile applications. With English in Vietnam, the situation is approximately the same as in Russia, that is, it doesn’t matter, although if you wish, you can explain even at the most primitive level, helping yourself with gestures, what exactly is required - the Vietnamese are patient and always ready to help.
In large tourist areas, some local residents speak Russian, at least if they don’t speak it, they understand it.
Vietnamese cuisine is a mixture of Eastern and European, in particular French, culinary traditions. In general, local delicacies may not be to the taste of all Russians - the descendants of the Vietnamese follow the old tradition of eating everything that flies, except airplanes, everything that crawls, except trains, everything that floats, except ships.
Of course, no one will force fried dragonflies and rotten eggs into the mouth of a guest from a foreign country, but it should be noted that in snack bars, inexpensive restaurants or cafes, spicy, fatty dishes predominate, and besides, it is quite expensive to eat in such places every day.
The most economical, healthy and delicious way is to buy food at local markets and cook it yourself, asking permission from your owners. The cost of food can unexpectedly increase significantly if you include alcoholic beverages in your diet, so it is advisable to reduce your communication with the “green serpent” to a minimum or completely abandon it. Although on New Year's and Christmas nights you can relax a little.
It is preferable to travel around the country by trains or intercity buses, which are inexpensive. Prices for air tickets on domestic Vietnamese airlines are quite reasonable.
There are car rental agencies, but to use their services, you must have an international license or obtain a temporary Vietnamese license by passing a simple exam. Whether it is worth burdening yourself with such problems is up to each tourist to decide. In addition, there is such chaos on the roads that it will not be possible to quickly get used to the local specifics.
It is impossible not to succumb to the charm of Vietnam, and having celebrated the New Year in one of the most beautiful countries of the Indochina Peninsula, no matter what calendar, you will definitely want to return there to see what you didn’t have enough time for. Have a good trip, wonderful experiences and Happy New Year to all travelers!
Vietnam celebrated its most important holiday. Tet is the Vietnamese New Year, which is celebrated this year on the night of January 27-28. Tet symbolizes the first day of spring. So, happy spring to you, ladies and gentlemen! For about two weeks, the Vietnamese carefully prepared for Tet. Now it has become clear why Vietnam practically ignores our New Year on December 31st. We have already told you how our New Year is going in the article.
New Year's decorations in Vietnam
Preparing for Tet
2 weeks before Tet in Nha Trang they begin to slowly display all kinds of trees in pots. Tangerine trees are medium sized. Pots with tall yellow flowers are also popular. The more pots you buy, the better the coming year will be for your family, as the Vietnamese believe.
In our hotel, in addition to the usual tree, there is a pot of flowers and the most important prop of the Vietnamese New Year - a tangerine tree.
Without a tangerine tree it’s like our New Year without a tree
The tree on which small and very tasty tangerines grow is an analogue of our Christmas tree. You sit on New Year's Eve and pick the harvest right in the house.
Kidding. We have never seen the Vietnamese do this. Maybe after the holidays they will eat tangerines. We bought half a kilo of these tangerines. Tangerines cost 60 dong per kg ($3). Expensive, but very tasty.
Such trees are transported by thousands of Vietnamese every day. But for some reason this practice does not exist in tourist Nha Trang. But in central and northern Vietnam, every second biker carries a tree.
Interesting Vietnamese tradition. Looks nice. Somehow even childish
What to cook during Tet in Vietnam
The Vietnamese do not eat any Olivier salads or sandwiches with red caviar. There are different taste preferences here. It is generally accepted that most dishes served on this day are vegetarian. Since in Tet it is forbidden to kill animals and cause them suffering. However, the Vietnamese prepare pork belly stew with rice, soup with dried pork skin and fruits. And the table must also have traditional Vietnamese sweets wrapped in a banana leaf.
Where can I order a transfer from the airport?
We use the service - KiwiTaxi
We ordered a taxi online and paid by card. We were met at the airport with a sign with our name on it. We were taken to the hotel in a comfortable car. You've already talked about your experience In this article
How the Vietnamese celebrate New Year
They begin to celebrate the upcoming holiday 10-12 days in advance. Near your hotels, guesthouses and shops you can often hear evening chants and screams of drinking residents. Mostly these are men.
And on Tet day, the Vietnamese people light up already during the day. A motorbike biker can drink beer and immediately shout to you that he will take you to the city center, barely standing on his feet. Someone already feels good in the morning and sits on the asphalt catching butterflies. And next to it is a bottle of beer.
In the evening, closer to 9 o’clock, the Vietnamese have a feast, turn on their programs and concerts on TV, like our blue light, talk loudly in their usual manner, sing songs, congratulate each other and have fun until the morning.
It’s not much different from our Russian feast at 12 o’clock on New Year’s Eve. Just now, the dishes are different and the songs are different. The tradition of celebrating Tet with family is the same as ours.
Holidays last at least 3 days, but in fact even longer, up to two weeks.
Gifts for Tet
It is customary to give red envelopes. They put money in envelopes and give it to loved ones, acquaintances and relatives. And as it turned out, even for tourists. By the way, on the eve of Tet, such envelopes are distributed in supermarkets when buying groceries, as well as in the Lottery fast food restaurant. Parents buy clothes for their children so that the child will wear new things in the new year. Adults should buy one too new clothes for the holiday.
New Year Vietnamese red envelopes
Difficulties for travelers during Vietnamese New Year
Of course, the Vietnamese New Year is so interesting and beautiful, but many travelers try to leave Vietnam before Tet. Why?
Increase in prices for hotels, buses, planes and taxis. Many Vietnamese from all over the country come to celebrate the New Year in southern seaside resorts. Therefore, everything in Mui Ne and Vung Tao will cost almost 2 times more during the holiday week. If your trip falls on Tet days, book your hotel as early as possible.
In Vietnam, transport prices also increase 2-3 times in the New Year. All intercity buses are becoming more expensive and even metered taxis are now more expensive. Moreover, the rise in price begins not on the day of Tet, but about a week in advance. And these elevated prices remain for two weeks after Tet.
For example, a bus, which normally costs about 220 dong ($10), now costs 600 dong ($27)
Difficulties with housing. Apart from increased hotel prices, travelers will also face another problem when all the hotels and apartments are full.
Our apartment in Nha Trang was booked, so we could not stay there for the second month. Searches for others were unsuccessful. There are no places available until the beginning of February. Only in one complex there were 2 vacant apartments for the Tet period, but they honestly admitted that on holidays a night would cost $35, despite the fact that common price 20$.
This is what the situation with hotels in Nha Trang looks like now - 94% of hotels are booked:
On Tet days, shops, cafes, banks, and markets are closed. Yesterday we walked around our area looking for a cafe, but didn’t find anything. In general, everything is closed. We only saw a couple of cafes, but only Vietnamese sat there. Even large supermarkets such as Big C and are closing for 3 days.
Somehow it doesn't seem logical. On our new year holidays everything works until late. Shopping centers, restaurants and movie theaters make a month's worth of revenue during the holidays. But in Vietnam, on the contrary, some kind of post-apocalypse begins, when there is nowhere to even buy water, you have to wander around the city in search of an open shop
How we met Tet
Tet was no longer met in Nha Trang, but in another city in Vietnam. There was a stir in Nha Trang, also caused by the fact that this year the Chinese New Year coincided with Tet. Moreover, we were left without an apartment. We decided to move to where we thought it would be quieter. It turned out that in the new place preparations for the holiday were even more intense.
On January 27, we did not go to the epicenter of all the events in the evening, we stayed at the hotel and ate tangerines.
In the morning we went down for breakfast. The hotel owners congratulated us on the Vietnamese New Year. It was so funny to hear Happy New Year again when it's almost February. We also learned congratulations in Vietnamese and pleased the Vietnamese with the expression: Chuc Mun Nam Moy.
We were even given traditional envelopes with money. We could not have foreseen this in any way and also burst into gratitude, thanking them in Vietnamese.
The owners of our homestay even invited us to the table to taste traditional New Year's dishes and sweets with pork. But we decided to refuse in order to avoid gastronomic torment, realizing that we would not be able to cram such treats into ourselves anyway.
This is how we celebrated Tet 2017. We have expanded our list of holidays in Vietnam, which includes May 9 in Mui Ne, Slavin’s Birthday in Nha Trang, New Year in Nha Trang, and now Tet in...
Well, as always, you will find out what city we are in now very soon. Or maybe you can guess it just from the photo alone
