Cold Food Festival (Tết Hàn thực) on the 3rd of the third month: bánh trôi, bánh chay and dates
The 3rd day of the third lunar month is Tết Hàn thực, the Cold Food Festival. The name, its origin, how Vietnamese families mark it with bánh trôi and bánh chay, and the next three dates.
On the 3rd day of the third lunar month, many Vietnamese families roll bánh trôi and cook bánh chay, glutinous rice balls, to place on the altar. This is Tết Hàn thực, the Cold Food Festival.
When it falls
Tết Hàn thực is the 3rd day of the third lunar month. The next three dates, in Vietnam time:
| Lunar year | Lunar date | Solar date |
|---|---|---|
| Đinh Mùi | 3/3 | Friday, 9 April 2027 |
| Mậu Thân | 3/3 | Tuesday, 28 March 2028 |
| Kỷ Dậu | 3/3 | Monday, 16 April 2029 |
Name and origin
“Hàn thực” means eating cold food. The festival comes from an old Chinese story.
In Vietnam, people do not avoid lighting the stove; they cook as usual. Tết Hàn thực is mainly a day for offerings to the ancestors.
Common customs
- Families make bánh trôi and bánh chay together.
- The finished cakes are placed on the ancestral altar, then shared by the family.
Common offerings
- Bánh trôi.
- Bánh chay.
If your family has its own custom, keep to it.
Festivals in Qelunai
The month view in Qelunai shows the lunar date and solar term of every day, worked out in Vietnam time right on your phone. In the next update, the calendar will mark traditional festivals, with a Festival section in Day details and an optional reminder one day before (off by default). To look up the lunar date of any day, use the Lunar calendar page.
Sources
- VietTimes, "Đố bạn: Mỗi năm người Việt có bao nhiêu ngày Tết?" (09/02/2016, theo Tri thức trẻ)
- VOV, "Ý nghĩa những ngày Tết tính theo âm lịch" (21/01/2012)
- Tuổi Trẻ, "Tại sao Tết Hàn thực lại phải ăn bánh trôi bánh chay?" (11/04/2024)
- VTV, "Vì sao Tết Hàn thực phải có bánh trôi, bánh chay?" (13/04/2021)
Articles are cultural reference, not professional advice. Illustrations drawn by AI.