Vietnamese New Year in Vietnam

Meaning and timing

Tết follows the lunar calendar, so its Gregorian date changes each year; it usually falls in late January or early February. Vietnam’s tourism authority describes the festival as a fresh start associated with family, luck, prosperity and health.[2][4]

The tourism authority links Tết’s early meaning to the rice-growing cycle of Vietnamese settlements in the Red River Delta. Today, the celebration’s meaning extends beyond farming and focuses on beginning the year well with family and loved ones.[2]

A paid public holiday

Vietnam’s Labour Code provides employees with five fully paid days off for Lunar New Year. The law also gives foreign employees working in Vietnam an additional day for their own traditional New Year holiday and an additional day for their country’s National Day.[1]

If a statutory holiday coincides with an employee’s weekly rest day, the employee is entitled to a compensatory day off on the next working day.[1]

Family customs and regional food

Families prepare by cleaning and decorating their homes, often with flowers or kumquat trees. Tết is also a time to honour ancestors; households make offerings, and families may visit the graves of deceased relatives.[2][3]

Bánh chưng, a square cake made with glutinous rice, mung bean and pork, is closely associated with Tết. Meals vary by region: the tourism authority describes northern dishes including bánh chưng and whole boiled chicken, while southern meals may include caramelised pork and bitter melon soup.[2][4]

New Year visits and greetings are part of the celebration. Elders traditionally give younger family members red lì xì envelopes, and the first visitor to a home is specially chosen because that person is believed to influence the household’s luck for the year.[2][4]

Closures and travel

The public holiday is one part of a longer celebration. Many people return to their hometowns, and businesses and restaurants typically close for at least the first few days. Travellers may find fewer dining and shopping options, while demand for bus, train and plane tickets and hotel rooms rises.[2]

Check opening hours and book transport and accommodation well ahead of travel around Tết. The length and exact dates of business closures can vary; the five-day paid leave entitlement is set by law, while individual businesses may have their own schedules.[1][2]