Lunar New Year (Tết Nguyên đán): meaning, customs of the three days and upcoming dates
Tết Nguyên đán opens the new lunar year. Its meaning, the preparations before Tết, customs from the 1st to the 3rd day, common offerings and the dates for the next three years.
Tết Nguyên đán is the first day of the lunar year and the biggest festival of the year for Vietnamese people.
When it falls
Tết Nguyên đán is the 1st day of the first lunar month; the three main days of Tết are the 1st, 2nd and 3rd. The solar dates for the next three years, in Vietnam time:
| Lunar year | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Đinh Mùi | Saturday, 6 February 2027 | Sunday, 7 February 2027 | Monday, 8 February 2027 |
| Mậu Thân | Wednesday, 26 January 2028 | Thursday, 27 January 2028 | Friday, 28 January 2028 |
| Kỷ Dậu | Tuesday, 13 February 2029 | Wednesday, 14 February 2029 | Thursday, 15 February 2029 |
Vietnamese Tết is sometimes one day off from the Chinese or Korean calendar, because the Vietnamese lunar calendar is worked out in Vietnam time (UTC+7). The post Rằm and mùng một explains why.
Meaning
Tết opens a new year. It is a time for families to gather, for children who live far away to come home, to remember the ancestors together and to share wishes for a good year.
Before Tết
- Cleaning the house and the ancestral altar.
- Setting a five-fruit tray (mâm ngũ quả) on the altar.
A week before Tết is Kitchen Gods day, and the last night of the year is New Year’s Eve.
The three days of Tết
- Day 1: children and grandchildren wish their grandparents and parents a happy new year; adults give lucky money (lì xì) to young children. Many families care about who first-foots the house (xông đất), that is, the first visitor to step in after the new year begins.
- Days 2 and 3: visiting relatives, teachers and friends.
- Afternoon of day 3: many families hold an offering to see the ancestors off, closing the main days of Tết.
Common offerings
- Bánh chưng (square sticky rice cake).
- A five-fruit tray.
- Candied fruit and sweets.
The Tết feast, the flowers and the fruits on the five-fruit tray differ by region and by family. This post only lists what the sources mention in common.
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
Articles are cultural reference, not professional advice. Illustrations drawn by AI.