Tet is a great time to be together and wish for good things to come. There are some things many Vietnamese believe should be done during the Tet holiday.
You should hand out gifts to people. They can be a bottle of wine, cakes, jam but it doesn’t matter how big the present is. A flower or just a smile is enough.
You should give children li xi or lucky money put inside red envelopes (red symbolizes luck). This tradition is called li xi or happy new age. You can also give sealed red envelopes to your loved ones or friends.
The cash inside is not important. It could be as low as VND500. But the paper notes should be new, clean and straight.
You should buy or stock water or Tet because water is associated with the proverb “tien vo nhu nuoc” (money gushes in like water).
Many believe sprinkling lime powder around the house could expel evil. Well you could if you can endure the smell.
You should return all things borrowed, and pay debts before the lunar New Year Eve. Otherwise, it is believed that you the borrower would have debts for that whole year.
You should gather together for a family union right before the New Year Eve.
Be on time if you are chosen as the first footer (xong dat). The first person stepping across the houses’ thresholds is thought to the tone for his/her family in the coming year.
The first footer often stays for five or ten minutes outside the house. When the clock signals 12, you then enter the house deliver new year greetings.
You should say “Chuc Mung Nam Moi” or happy new year whenever you meet anyone, even strangers.
You should wear colorful clothes. Avoid black or white clothes (they are for funerals). Red and yellow are favorites.
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