Tet Through the Eyes of Foreign Visitors

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Mikhail Osin experiences the tradition of writing New Year wishes.

MIKHAIL OSIN (STUDENT OF VIETNAMESE STUDIES, ASIA-AFRICA INSTITUTE, MOSCOW STATE UNIVERSITY, RUSSIA): Tet in the Village is Amazing!

As a Vietnamese studies student in Russia, I had the opportunity to explore Vietnamese culture, especially Tet Nguyen Dan.

My visit to the Vietnamese Tet Village in Son Tay, a suburb of Hanoi, left me with lasting impressions. The moment I stepped off the bus, I was immediately captivated by the festive atmosphere. Every road in the village was beautifully decorated with blooming peach branches and red couplets, creating a joyful and warm scene. Everywhere I looked, there were peach blossoms and people dressed in beautiful, colorful ao dai (traditional Vietnamese dresses).

I was especially delighted by traditional activities such as lion dancing and writing New Year wishes. Each greeting and hug was filled with warmth and affection. I also participated in folk games such as rope skipping and the "gourd crab fish tiger" game (a traditional Vietnamese game). This gave me a sense of closeness and familiarity with Vietnamese culture.

Rin Keo (third from the right) celebrates Lunar New Year (Tet) with his family in Vietnam.

RIN KEO (CAMBODIAN DIPLOMAT AT VOV5, VIETNAM): Everyone Smiles

I first came to Vietnam in 1990 as a student at the Friendship School 80 in Son Tay, Hanoi. It was also the first year I participated in Vietnam's traditional Tet celebration. In addition to candies and Tet gifts, we enjoyed a New Year's meal together. I will never forget the taste of bánh chưng (square sticky rice cake) and boiled chicken with salt and lemon prepared by the school. We celebrated the New Year with a sense of novelty and joy as we discovered new things.

After graduating, I stayed in Vietnam to work and build a family. I have spent 25 years celebrating Tet in Vietnam with teachers, family, and friends. To me, what impresses me most about Vietnamese Tet is that everyone always smiles, no matter where they are or what circumstances they face. On Tet days at my maternal grandmother’s house, the sound of children's laughter is heard everywhere, filling both the house and the yard. This is a time when families gather, friends meet, and exchange well-wishes and meaningful gifts. Everyone is happy, hoping for a peaceful new year.

Deputy Director of FLY Y Travel and Trade Investment Co., Ltd. Deng Gou Jian.

DENG GOU JIAN (GUANGXI, CHINA, LIVING IN HANOI, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF FLY Y TRAVEL AND TRADE INVESTMENT CO., LTD): The Glorious Flower Markets

I came to Vietnam in March 2010, initially planning to study for just one year. However, after graduation, I decided to stay and work.

Tet in Vietnam and China share many similarities. Both countries prepare lavish meals, honor ancestors, give lucky money to children, and visit friends and family to wish them well. However, what impresses me most about Vietnamese Tet is the vibrant, colorful atmosphere of the spring flower markets.

About a month before Tet, the streets, squares, and markets are filled with all kinds of flowers. In the North, flower stalls sell vibrant red peach blossoms and pale pink peach flowers, while the South is awash with the golden hues of apricot blossoms. In addition to peach and apricot flowers, orchids, chrysanthemums, marigolds, and kumquat trees also contribute to the festive atmosphere.

Every Tet, I usually take my family to the flower market to choose a few types of flowers to decorate our house. The atmosphere there is so lively, with people bargaining, laughing, and the fragrance of flowers filling the air. It’s easy to feel the excitement of everyone around. Families walk together to admire the flowers, children run around kumquat trees, and many people stop to take pictures.

One year, I bought a small peach tree and decorated it myself with red couplets and lucky money envelopes. Watching the peach blossoms bloom in my house made me truly feel the essence of Tet. Those moments deepened my love and appreciation for t in Vietnam.

Tet in Vietnam is not just a holiday for me, but a precious time for family reunion, sharing, and slowing down. This is something I always cherish.

Souphalak Soukpanya travels in the Blue Smoke Valley, Da Lat, Lam Dong, Vietnam.

SOUPHALAK SOUKPANYA (SECOND SECRETARY, SECRETARY OF THE AMBASSADOR, EMBASSY OF LAOS IN VIETNAM): Tet feast: full of delicious taste, beauty, and cultural richness

For me, besides the uniqueness of the festival culture, I am especially impressed and love the typical dishes of Vietnamese cuisine on New Year's Day. Tet feasts are often carefully, lovingly prepared by families with sophisticated, beautifully presented, attractive dishes, full of colors: green Banh Chung, bright red sticky rice, yellow bamboo shoot soup, silky white spring rolls... Many generations gather for the feast. A friend of mine said: "No matter how busy you are, everyone tries to gather together for at least one time at the family dinner when Tet comes in springtime,". I enjoy Vietnamese Tet dishes such as Banh Chung, braised pork, spring rolls, and fried spring rolls.

On the Lunar New Year 2025, many of my Lao friends and I will celebrate Tet in Vietnam. We plan to light up fireworks, enjoy peach blossom arrangements and delicious food here.

Suda Takuya (second from left, second row) celebrates Tet in Vietnam in 2008.

SUDA TAKUYA (42 YEARS OLD, SAIJO, EHIME PREFECTURE, JAPAN): Peace in Spring

In 2010, I celebrated Tet with my colleagues and friends in Vietnam as we supported foreign tourists here during the occasion.

I was surprised when on the 1st and 2nd day of the New year, shops, restaurants, and cafes were closed. The streets of Hanoi are no longer crowded. Instead of the typical congestion, only a few cars and motorbikes moved slowly. The streets these days bring a sense of peace.

I can lay back and relax so I especially like that atmosphere.

I know that in recent years, during Tet holiday, many shops are still open, and the roads have been crowded with people. I miss the peaceful atmosphere of many years ago. However, if I have the chance, I still want to celebrate Tet in Vietnam.

John Sikorski (far right, second row) welcomes his parents from Florida, USA to Vietnam during the Lunar New Year.

JOHN SIKORSKI (ENGLISH TEACHER TRAINING & MANAGER AT THE WASHINGTON ENGLISH CENTER): Love and reunion

The first time I celebrated Tet in Vietnam was in 2008, when I came here to visit my fiancée's family. It was an experience that I would never forget. I find the peace and quiet atmosphere of Tet surprising. The Hanoi streets are less crowded with less vehicles and pedestrians, far from the usual hustle and bustle.

I reckon that Tet holiday is quite similar to Christmas holiday in the US. The difference is that Tet is a way to reunite families in a much deeper way. In my home country, holidays usually revolve around intimate families, including grandparents, parents, and children. Everyone will gather to have a feast on Christmas Eve. Tet holiday brings together a large family, including cousins, uncles, and even relatives whom you rarely have the opportunity to meet throughout the year.

My favorite custom is to Tet good luck wishes. A memory I will always remember is when my wife asked me to make the “first footing” to her parents' house. She explained that my first footing is to bring in the good luck, especially to walk on my right foot. I did not think the small details are so important, but it makes me gain deeper feeling for the sophistication of Vietnamese culture.

Regarding Tet dishes, I have never done Banh Chung wrapping myself because my wife's family often orders cakes in advance. But I really like the way my mother-in-law prepares fried Banh Chung. At first, I had no idea how it would make the taste better, but after trying it, I was completely hooked. Now, every year, I make fried Chung cake for my family. I used to find it quite difficult to use chopsticks to pick up food, but now I have mastered using them daily.

Paddy Donoghue and his family.

PADDY DONOGHUE (AUSTRALIAN): Great hospitality

When I was single, Tet was an opportunity for me to hang out with friends and enjoy a slow, empty Hanoi. The meaning of Tet changed since I met my Vietnamese spouse, and it has become a gathering day for family and relatives. The first Tet with my wife's family I feel quite "pressured", but people here are always welcoming and kind. Everyone was understanding and helpful when I was shy and could not quite communicate. Thanks to my wife, I learned to say some New Year's greetings in Vietnamese, prepare gifts and red packets, and give red envelopes to the elderly and children.

After a few years of living in Vietnam, in 2020, we returned to Australia. There are not many Vietnamese in our area. The Southern Hemisphere part of Australia gets quite hot during Tet. Although there are many differences, our family celebrates Tet every year.

For our Tet celebration, we will go to the Asian market, cook Vietnamese food and invite the whole family to dinner. My parents and Australian friends were all excited to participate. They love to learn about Vietnamese customs and food for Tet. I believe we have succeeded in making Tet a common holiday for the whole family.

This year, my wife and I plan to bring our 1-year-old son back to Vietnam to celebrate Tet holiday. We are very excited. These will be my son’s first memories of Tet in Vietnam.

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