Vietnamese New Year 2019 - a year of “Pig” that Brings Wealth & Good Fortune

People all over the world over wait and prepare to welcome and celebrate the NEW YEAR. New Year in Vietnam is a little different as compared to some countries. After the Vietnamese people were freed from the Chinese, they prepared their own lunar-solar calendar and the first lunar is celebrated as TET or Tet Nguyen Dan. 

Vietnamese individuals commend the Lunar New Year every year, which depends on a lunisolar timetable computing both the world's development around the sun and the moon around the earth.  Vietnamese New Year is the most important festival in Vietnamese culture. The word is an abbreviated type of Tet Nguyen Dan, which is Sino-Vietnamese for "Devour of the First Morning of the First Day".  

In most of Vietnam, Lunar New Year celebrations last for at least three days. During this time, the People there  spend time with family and friends while reminiscing about the past year.  Numerous Vietnamese get ready for Tet by cooking extraordinary occasion nourishment and cleaning the house. Food includes banhchung, banhday, dried youthful bamboo soup can mang, gio, and sticky rice. Numerous traditions are worked on amid Tet, for example, going to a man's home on the main day of the New Year xongnha, predecessor love, wishing New Year's welcome, giving fortunate cash to youngsters and elderly individuals, and opening a shop. 

According to Vietnam zodiac, Vietnamese New Year 2019 is a year of the “pig”. The Pig is the last animal sign on the Vietnamese zodiac. A Dog year always comes before a Pig year, and a Rat year always comes afterward in the next 12-year Chinese zodiac animal cycle.  

Pig is a mild and a lucky animal representing Care-Free Fun, Good Fortune and Wealth. It is theorized that a person’s characteristics are decided by their birth year’s zodiac animal sign and element. So there are five types of Pigs, each with different characteristics: 

During the week before the Lunar New Year in  Vietnam, the entire family works together to clean every part of the home. Exterior walls are scrubbed, floors are swept, furniture is dusted, and windows are washed. Once the home has been thoroughly cleaned, it will be decorated with various celebratory items. 

Following the spring theme of the Lunar New Year celebrations, Vietnamese people will place a plant in the rooms of their homes. Some of the most common plant choices include marigolds, chrysanthemums, and bonsai trees. In central and south Vietnam, hoa mai and kumquats are placed in the central rooms of homes. In the north, a peach flower, or hoa ban, is used. At the center of the home decorations is a holiday tree made from a bamboo pole. This bamboo pole is decorated with various charms, cactus branches, and other objects. It is also a common practice for Vietnamese families to purchase new clothes to wear during the holiday and the upcoming year. While traditional garb may be worn, it has now become more common for people to buy modern clothes that can be used on a regular basis. While these practices of preparing for the New Year allow people to pay respects to ancestors, they also serve the purpose of tidying up the home when there are no other commitments. 

Starting a New Business

The Vietnamese Lunar New Year is a time of good fortune and new beginnings. Because of this, it has become a custom of many Vietnamese people to start a new business or expand their existing enterprises. A small party will usually be held by a business person to celebrate the opening of their newest shop. 

Giving Lucky Money

Similar to the tradition in China, it is a custom of parents in Vietnam to give children a small sum of money to enjoy during the beginning of the New Year. This practice encourages children to give respect to their parents throughout the New Year. 

Decoration of Public Places

Private homes are not the only places that are decorated to celebrate the New Year. Many businesses and public facilities are covered with artsy banners with calligraphy.