Lunar New Year,or Tet is VietNam's main holiday.It's the grandest and most important occasion in the year which falls sometime between 19 Jan and 20 Feb on the Western calendar.Tet marks the beginning of spring and for agrarian people,the start of the New Year
The preparations and celebrations used to be spread over moths but nowadays,the holiday is much shorter.Still,there is great excitement building up well b4 Tet.Streets are decorated with coloured lights and red banners.Shops're full of goods.Ppl are busy buying gifts,cleaning and decorating the house and cooking traditional foods.
Homes are often decorated with trees and flowers at this time.The traditional flowers for Tet are peach flowers in the North and apricot flowers in the South.Besides,the kumquat tree with its ripe deep orange fruits's popular throughout the country.One of Tet's most special foods is "banh chung",which is made from sticky,yellow mung beans and fatty pork."Mut",which is candied fruit such as sugared apples,plums and even tomatoes,is also popular.
On the first days of Tet everyone tries to be nice and polite to others.PPl believe that what they do on the 1st day of the year will influence their luck during the whole year.Only good comments can be made.Ppl visit other family members or friends and they exchange New year's wishes.Children receive their "lucky money" inside red envelopes.Many ppl go to the pagoda to pray for happiness for themselves and their family.Both children and adults take part in games and various forms of entertainment.Tet is really a time of fun and festival throughout the country.
So, if you plan to visit Viet Nam, why don't you visit in Tet holiday.I'm sure you will have a interesting vacation ! ^_^