Tet 1st of the lunar year

Tet can be divided into three periods, called Tất Niên (penultimate New Year's Eve), Giao Từa (New Year) and Tân Niên (New Year), representing the preparation before, the day before and the days of and following, respectively.

Vietnamese people usually return to their families during Tet. Some return to worship at the family altar or visit the graves of their ancestors in their home countries. They also clean their family graves as a sign of respect. Although it is a national holiday among all Vietnamese, each region and religion has its own customs.

The first day of Tet is reserved for the nuclear family. Children receive red envelopes containing money from their elders. This tradition is called mừng tuổi (good new era) in the northern region and lì xì in the southern region. Children usually wear their new clothes and give their elders traditional Tết greetings before receiving money. Since Vietnamese people believe that the first visitor a family receives in the year determines their fortune for the whole year, people never enter a house on the first day without being invited first.

The act of being the first person to enter a house on Tết is called xông đất, xông nhà or đạp đất, which is one of the most important rituals. According to Vietnamese tradition, if good things happen to a family on the first day of the Lunar New Year, the whole following year will also be full of blessings. Usually, a person with good mood, morality and success will be a sign of good luck for the host family and will be the first guest in their house.

However, just to be safe, the owner of the house will leave the house a few minutes before midnight and return just as the clock strikes midnight to prevent anyone else from entering the house first who could potentially bring unfortunate events in the new year, to the household.

Sweeping during is taboo, or xui (unlucky), because it symbolizes sweeping away luck; this is why they clean before the new year. It is also taboo for anyone who has recently lost a family member to visit someone else.

Over the next few days, people visit relatives and friends. Traditionally but not strictly, the second day is usually reserved for friends, while the third day is reserved for teachers, who command respect in Vietnam. Local Buddhist temples are popular places as people enjoy making donations and having their fortunes told.

Children are free to spend their new money on toys or gambling games such as bầu cua cá cọp, which can be found on the street. Wealthy families can pay for dragon dancers to perform in their homes. In addition, public performances are given for all to watch.

These celebrations can last anywhere from a day to a whole week, and New Year's Eve is filled with people on the streets trying to make as much noise as possible using firecrackers, drums, bells, gongs, and anything else they can think of to ward off evil spirits. This parade will also include different masks and dancers hidden under the guise of what is called the múa lân or lion dance. The lân is an animal between a lion and a dragon and is the symbol of strength in Vietnamese culture that is used to scare away evil spirits.

After the parade, families and friends gather for a feast of traditional Vietnamese dishes and share the happiness and joy of the New Year. This is also the time when elders will distribute red envelopes with money to children for good luck in exchange for Tết greetings.

It is also a tradition to pay off debts before Vietnamese New Year for some Vietnamese families.