Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Lunar New Years is celebrated across a variety of Asian cultures: Vietnam, China, Korea etcetera. But because I am Vietnamese, I will focus on the Vietnamese traditions and customs during Lunar New Years. Without further ado, let’s bring out the lions (to ward off AAALL the evil spirits and vibes!) What Is Tết? Tết simply means “New Year” in Vietnamese and is celebrated annually. This would be the time of year to return home to families, decorate with red everything everywhere to ward off evil monsters, and purge the house by cleaning to anticipate the new year! Even though Vietnamese and Chinese New Years have the same date, January 25, 2020, they have some minor differences in traditions that are celebrated differently. A family lesson: Tết is the reset of all emotions and where we give generously, forgive faults and pay homage to our ancestors. What To Expect? Expect loudness. Ever heard of how Asians party hard on Sundays? Well, we’re going to party even harder all weekend, baaaaby! From praying at the temples and churches to lion dances to festivals and to lighting firecrackers. (Sorry not sorry.) Since we like to ring in the new year with a BANG, you’ll see long strings of red firecrackers hang from somewhere in front of the house. In accordance to a folklore, loud noises scare off all the evils and that’s why the air is filled with smog the next morning. Ever wondered why you always had trouble breathing the next morning, now you know why. Get your firecrackers here! Second expectation: Flowers everywhere. Hoa Mai‘s are most commonly seen during this time. You’ll see it in the kitchen, living room, front and back patio. Heck, maybe in the bathroom too! They are yellow apricot flowers used to decorate the house in preparation for spring that represent good luck and happiness! It makes the rooms look refreshing. Lastly, Li Xi! It is no surprise that this was my favorite part of the celebration when I was younger! From context, li xi stands for red envelopes which are packed with money. I remember I had to say a certain greeting to receive them. Man, my parents made sure I memorized this greeting before every party ’cause if I didn’t, I wouldn’t get my li xi. Okay, I’m exaggerating. They would still offer the gift but, the little greeting goes like this. Kính chúc mừng năm mới dồi dào sức khỏe. An khang thịnh vượng. By: Birth giver and helper (Dad.) It roughly translates to “I wish you a Happy New Year with infinite good health and prosperity.” Customs Family is an important value to us. Thus, every year we gather to pray to our ancestors and offer the traditional bánh chưng (sticky rice cakes filled with pork, beans, and other ingredients wrapped in banana leaves), other fruits and a tray of vibrant candies on their altar while we lite incenses to invite the spirits to celebrate the new year with us. It’s to show honor, respect, and gratefulness for the life we have today. This concludes my post on what to expect for the Lunar New Years! Would you want to learn how to make the traditional rice cakes? Let me know with a comment below! Chúc Mừng Năm Mới! P.S. Every year my church holds a Lunar New Year festival with great food made by the locals and performances from talented entertainment groups! Come celebrate with us! FESTIVAL PRESENTED BY: Mary Queen of Vietnam Church DATES: 02/07/2020 – 02/09/2020 TIME: Varies PRICE: Free I’ll include a snippet of the festival too if you’re curious. SUBSCRIBE to my newsletter to stay tuned for an updated video and pictures of the festival! Author Citation Le, C.N. 2020. “Têt: A Celebration of Rebirth ” Asian-Nation: The Landscape of Asian America. (January 22, 2020).