Tết (Lunar New Year) is a Vietnamese tradition also known as Tết Nguyên Đán. It is a Vietnamese tradition celebrated from the 1st of January to the 3rd, according to the lunar calendar. Each year a different sacred animal in the Chinese Zodiac controls the luck and destinies of all people.
Tết (Lunar New Year) is the most important and popular festival for the Vietnamese people during the yea
Not only is the Tết tradition a celebration of the arrival of spring, and an occasion to pay respects to one’s ancestors, but it is also a great opportunity for the family to come together. Family members will return to their homeland for a reunion and savor the flavors of the holiday.
MÂM NGŨ QUẢ (The Five-Fruit Tray)
The preparation of the five-fruit tray is an essential Tết (Lunar New Year) Tradition in every Vietnamese home. The tray symbolizes the family’s respect for their ancestors and their wishes for the New Year. Each fruit represents a different prayer for the future. Due to regional differences in climate and customs, people display the Tết fruit in different ways.

MÂM NGŨ QUẢ (The five fruit tray)
In the North, people believe that the basic elements of oriental philosophy are represented by colors. Metal, wood, water, fire, and earth correlate with white, blue, black, red, and yellow respectively. So people carefully choose and organize their fruit according to color. The northern five-fruit tray often includes banana, pomelo, peach, mandarin, and persimmon.
Due to the weather conditions and red basaltic soil, people in the central areas of Vietnam have a hard time growing many types of produce. These people feel it is more important to show sincere gratitude for their ancestors than to spend too much time making a complicated arrangement. Instead, they use any fruit that they have on hand. Some popular choices for the Central five-fruit tray are dragon fruit, watermelon, pineapple, and orange.
The five-fruit tray in the South is themed around the traditional southern wish for a wealthy Tết (Lunar New Year). The tray has an abundant display and is generally made up of custard apples, figs, coconuts, papayas, and mangos. Families also like to display red watermelons to bring luck for the year.
HOA ĐÀO AND HOA MAI – (The Planting of Peach or Apricot Trees)
During Tết people love to look at beautiful flowers because they think certain flowers will bring them happiness and luck in the Tết (Lunar New Year). People buy peach flowers (in the North) and apricot flowers (in the South) to decorate their homes.

HOA ĐÀO – Peach flowers
To make these peach and apricot trees even more beautiful, Vietnamese people often hang twinkly LED lights on them, as well as red lucky money envelopes and small plastic figurines representing the gods of wealth. These plants are placed in the living room or in front of the house. Some companies put them in their offices to enjoy their beauty and to bring hope for good fortune.

HOA MAI – Apricot Flowers
BÁNH TÉT – BÁNH CHƯNG – (Cylindrical Cake – Square Cake)
As Tết approaches you’ll notice a fire burning all night long on the stove in most Vietnamese homes. The families are cooking traditional cakes for Tết. Vietnam is a country where wet rice is farmed, so it makes sense that there are many traditional Vietnamese cakes made from it. Bánh chưng and bánh tét cakes are made from glutinous rice, mung bean, and pork and they are essential foods for the Lunar New Year. The colors of the cake symbolize the earth and the sky.

BANH TET – South Vietnam