SPRING, TET HOLIDAYS AND VIETNAMESE FESTIVAL

Spring, the starter of a new-year

When spring comes back to the country

Spring is the most beautiful season in a year for Vietnamese. In the North of Vietnam, spring’s weather is normally cool and drizzle. On the other hand, it is warm and dry in the South. Due to the ancient belief, peach blossom represents luckiness in the spring of Northern people. Therefor, Northern residents want a carefully selected branch of peach blossom for show at their home, under a wish for a peaceful and happy year for the family. Different from the cool climate of the North, Southern Vietnam often welcomes a warm new year with yellow apricot flowers shining brightly under the new year sun. Southern people consider apricot as a symbol for longevity and five-blessing (happiness, wealthiness, longevity, good health, good soul). And for the last days before Tet of the Central Vietnam, streets and villages are decorated with colorful daisy, marigold flowers and paper flowers. 

Spring, the season of "begin"

Obviously, spring starts a year and Tet Festival is the most important event in Vietnam. According to Asian concepts, the New Year’s Eve of the Lunar Calendar, is the start of a new year. Vietnamese people always save the best wishes for each other during these very first days, with only the hope for a blessed new year.

Spring, festival season

New year Festival that are being awaited

1. Perfume Pagoda Festival (6^th of January – March of Lunar Calendar)

Perfume Pagoda Festival (My Duc Ward, Hanoi City) is a popular spring festival of the North, operated from 6^th January to the end of March due to the Lunar Calendar. This is one of the most crowded and long festival in Vietnam. Perfume Pagoda is the combination of pagoda and caves in one complex, along with hill, mountains, caves, green forest and pagoda towers. Visitors of Perfume Pagoda are not only attending a Buddhism pilgrimage but also emerge in the boundless nature of mountains and river when boating along. Visit the Perfume Pagoda in the new year is for both enjoying the peaceful atmosphere and to wish for a lucky new year.

2. Ba Den Mountain Festival in Tay Ninh province (from the 4^th day of the Lunar New Year)

This is one of the biggest Spring Festival of the Southern Vietnam occurs since the 4^th day of the Lunar New Year. Every year, from the last day of the previous year to the January and February of the Lunar New Year. On the way to climb the mountain, visitors can stop for a break at Linh Son Thanh Mau Pagoda and Son Than Temple. Visitors often come here to practice their spiritual belief and to witness the beauty of Ba Den Mountain.

3. Tran Temple Festival, Nam Dinh Province (from 11^th  to 16^th  January of the Lunar Calendar)

Tran Temple Festival in Nam Dinh is considered one of the biggest Spring Festival in Vietnam. Most of visitors here always want to buy or to beg for a stamp sheet with the belief to get good news in occupation fields. The Tran Temple Festival this year is operated from the 11^th to the 16^th of January, due to the lunar calendar with the highlight of the stamp sheet open ceremony at the 14^th night and the deliver of stamp sheets during 6 days after. Besides, there are traditional festival activities such as Dragon and Tiger dancing, Cheo and Chau Van folk singing, human chess game, wrestling, martial art performance at the Five-gate Door, etc.

4. Hung Temple Festival at Phu Tho province (from 5^th to 10^th March of Lunar Calendar)

Hung Temple festival is one of the biggest spring festivals of the country to memorize the work of Hung Kings in assembling and developing the country. The festival lasts for 6 days, from 5^th to 10^th of March, due to the Lunar calendar. There are two main parts of the ceremony: carrying the Kings’ chair and the incense offering. Moreover, there are traditional activities takes part in the festival such as Xoan Folk Singing, wrestling, tug of war, swimming, etc.

5. Tran God Father Festival (From 8^th to 10^th January of Lunar calendar)

Tran God Father Festival in Ho Chi Minh City is a must mentioned event in the collection of spring festival. This is one of the biggest spiritual festival of the President named City. The festival is operated from the 8^th to the 10^th of January, due to the Lunar calendar, to memorize the great contribution of Tran Quoc Tuan (one of 10^th Greatest Generals in the World), also an occasion to educate the youngsters about history and traditions.

Affection of the Pandemic to this year’s festivals

Attending spring festival to beg for good luck is a traditional experience and the legitimate right of Vietnamese people. However, the year 2021 marks a special spring festival season when a lot of big festivals are canceled because of the Covid-19. In the scenario of un-checked pandemic, provinces throughout the country are practicing the limitation of festivals for the goods of the pandemic prevention. According to the manager board of the Perfume Pagoda, there used to be around 80.000 waves of passenger. This year, all the festival activities are temporary frozen. Yen River, last year, welcomed 4000 boat-full customers during the festival times; but for this year, the number drops to just 2%. Other festivals are now dealing with the same situation.

Traditional Tet’s flavor dishes

Sofiticated Tet dining of the North

Hanoian are likely to take care the visual of a Tet dining, therefor each of them are carefully prepared. A big dining table must include 6 or 8 plates, represent wealthy and growth. Four main plates include a pig’s feet stew with bamboo shoot, a pork skin soup, a glass noodle soup and a mushroom-meat soup. The other four plates are boiled chicken, spring rolls, Vietnamese meat-loaf and the most important items, a Chung cake.

Honest Central dining

The Central Vietnamese are sophisticated even when preparing the Tet dining table. Tet cakes, which are wrapped in banana leaf in a cylinder shape is the replacement for Chung cakes in the Central Vietnam. The most common dishes here are boiled chicken, pork meat, Tet cake, fermented meat roll, pickles and wrapped food. The most special among all is the wrapped food such as wrapped pork meat, wrapped pork ear with all kinds of green vegetable and thick dipping sauce made from fermented seafood. Beside, the Central people also like to have savory dishes like stewed meat, braised shrimps, fried chicken, spring roll, meat with fish sauce, etc.

Southern liberal dining table

Stewed pork with eggs in a large pot is a must when mentioned about the Southern Tet dining table, which are served for many days. There is also a specialty called bitter melon stuffed with meat with the concept of all difficulties will go away once a person eat this bitter dish in the new year. Moreover, there are boiled chicken, meat-loaf, spring rolls, lotus meat salad, dried shrimp pickles with radish and the most special, Tet cake.

For all Vietnamese, a traditional dining table is not only sacred, but also represent the most important days of a year. No matter where people are living in, cities or country sides, mountainous or plain, main-lands or islands, domestic or outbound, every time the Tet holiday comes recall the family and hometown. Even though this year witness an explosion of the pandemic before Tet, many Vietnamese are willing to not spend the new year with their family. But their mind and hearts are always belong to their beloved ones.