Vietnamese New Year

For the river in Roussillon, France, see Têt River.

Tết Nguyên Ðán, commonly known as 'Tết', is the Vietnamese New Year which is based on the Chinese calendar, a lunisolar calendar.

It is celebrated on the same day as Chinese New Year (or the Spring Festival) and shares many of the same customs. Tết occurs around late January or early February. Many Vietnamese prepare for Tết by cooking special holiday foods and cleaning the house. On Tết, Vietnamese visit their families and temples. Children are treated special on Tết; they are given money in red envelopes, called lì sì, by friends and relatives. Other common practices on Tết include firecrackers, dragon dances and lion dances which ward off evil spirits and bring in good luck for the new year.