Tet — fully Tết Nguyên Đán — is the Vietnamese Lunar New Year and by far the most important celebration in Vietnam. It marks the arrival of spring and a fresh start, centred on family, ancestors and renewal. Because it follows the lunar calendar, the date varies; in 2026 it falls in mid-February. Here's the history.
See the Tet holiday page for the exact date, or Vietnam's holiday calendar.
What is Tet?
Tết Nguyên Đán means roughly "Festival of the First Morning of the First Day." It marks the first day of the Vietnamese lunar calendar and the start of spring. It's the time when families reunite, homes are cleaned and decorated, debts are settled, and people hope to begin the year well.
Tet usually falls on the same day as the Chinese Lunar New Year, though Vietnamese customs are distinct — and occasionally the dates differ by a day because of time-zone differences in the calendars. See Lunar New Year by country.
Traditions of Tet
- Bánh chưng — square sticky-rice cakes wrapped in leaves, filled with mung bean and pork, the signature food of Tet.
- Lì xì — red envelopes of "lucky money" given to children and elders.
- Cleaning and decorating the home, often with peach blossom (north) or apricot blossom (south) and kumquat trees.
- Honouring ancestors at the family altar.
- The belief that the first visitor to the home in the new year (xông đất) influences the year's luck.
Why the date changes each year
Because Tet is set by the lunar calendar, its Gregorian date shifts each year, usually falling between late January and mid-February. Check the holiday page for the exact date.
Quick answers
What is Tet? The Vietnamese Lunar New Year (Tết Nguyên Đán) — Vietnam's biggest and most important festival.
What food is eaten at Tet? Bánh chưng, square sticky-rice cakes filled with mung bean and pork.
What is lì xì? Red envelopes of lucky money given especially to children and the elderly.
When is Tet 2026? It falls in mid-February 2026 — see the holiday page for the exact date.