December is that lovely time of the year when we eagerly tick off the days of the calendar, waiting for Christmas and the New Year to arrive. We turn into useless lumps at work, and become mall raging shopaholics on our free time. When the holidays do arrive, we spend our time with our loved ones, eating all we can eat and drinking more than we should drink.

For Vietnam, this time of the year is shifted over to January and February. Since Vietnam is a predominantly Buddhist society and has traditionally has followed the lunar calendar, this means that Christmas is a minor affair and the New Year is left for westerners to celebrate.

 

So what is Tet?

Tet is simply the celebration of the Lunar New Year. It’s based off the Lunar Calendar so the days will vary each year but will always fall somewhere between late January and mid-February. Think of the event as a combination of the Christmas family time and the raging New Year’s party all rolled into one.

Tet is a time where people go home to spend time with family, relatives, pay respects to ancestors, and follow all sorts of traditions and superstitions. It’s such an important time to the people of Vietnam that the country starts shutting down a week before and after the Lunar New Year as people head home for the holidays.

From a tourist standpoint, there’s a lot less to do and see since everyone’s in holiday merriment mode. Transportation becomes more expensive, markets and museums are closed, and restaurants that are open tend to raise prices for this week. But if you find yourself in Vietnam during this time, how do you make the most out of Tet?

 

Go out into the countryside

Leave the big cities and go out into the countryside! Why? Most Vietnamese currently living in the big cities have immigrated there from their rural villages and towns. During Tet, the vast majority these people travel back to their hometowns to spend Tet with their family members, leaving the major cities relatively vacant.

Normally crossing this street in my neighborhood is like parting the Red Sea. Its quite different on Tet.

 

This means that the countryside will become alive. If you venture out, you’ll find the local towns filled with people, all merry and more welcoming than ever. The hard part about this, is that you’ll have a hard time getting around and communicating due to the low English fluency when you’re off the beaten track.

Also, there are relatively few events hosted in these more rural areas. Sure there are some small parades and possibly some fireworks, but Tet is spent with the family. Your best bet if you’re independently traveling is to make some friends in the local town who can show you around or show you the warmth of a Vietnamese household.

My other recommendation is to sign up for a tour that will take you across the countryside for Tet. These tours will often stop by different villages, show you the intricacies and traditions of the people during Tet, and most importantly, come with a Vietnamese guide.

 

Stick around the tourist area

Countryside tours are a bit pricey for the standard backpacker. If price or gallivanting the countryside on a motorbike isn’t your thing, you can always stick around the tourist area. This isn’t a bad thing as the cities are much quieter, giving you a chance to explore them without the nauseatingly cramped conditions present the rest of the year.

It’s worth staying in the tourist-oriented area because the shops there are most likely going to stay open during this time. The local areas of any major cities turn into ghost towns, and that’s okay. The historic Old Quarter of Hanoi, the rustic streets of Hoi An’s French Quarter, the Beaches of Mui Ne, and the raging party of Bui Vien in Saigon, will all be open to you and provide a very different experience.

 

Peruse some Tet markets

If you do stay in a city, there are a few unique activities available to you. The most prominent activity is to go to the local Tet market available in all large cities. These markets are only open during this time of year. In Saigon, this market is in District 5, in Chinatown.

They simply start to sell all manners of festive things for Tet. All manner of flowers (particularly chrysanthemums and marigolds) start to line storefronts. Potted kumquat trees materialize from nowhere and block off entire sections of the sidewalks. Holiday foods and treats eagerly await your consumption and punish that waistline. Firecrackers, incense, decorations colored gold and red comprise entire stalls.

They’re bustling and jolly markets and certainly worth a visit if you have time.

You can find a lot of firecrackers on sale this time of year…. though I’m not sure about their quality

 

Check out some flower displays

Since flowers are an integral part of Tet due to their superstitious or religious beliefs, the major cities have massive flower displays. The big one in Saigon is on Nguyen Hue Street (the main walking street) with other smaller ones scattered throughout the city. This display goes up a few days before Tet, and continues a few days afterwards.

If you like crowds, on New Year’s Eve, it seems that the city’s remaining occupants flood out to this area to see the displays and begin the countdown for the New Year in a very Times Square fashion. It’s definitely worth a stop if you have ample time in town since so many other attractions will be closed.

Year of the dog!

 

Visit a temple

If you want to view some culture, then I’d recommend heading to the local temple. Many of the locals flock to many temples to pay their respects around Tet. Most notable services are held right after midnight, upon the advent of the New Year and throughout the day on New Year’s Eve. While Vietnamese temples usually aren’t as architecturally magnificent or as large as those as their neighboring countries, this is a good way to experience the local culture.

The praying area on the side was packed

 

Stray Observations

• Vietnamese traffic is so crazy that even my Thai friends are afraid to cross the street. And they’re from Bangkok.
• On that note, pay attention to the roundabouts. While I believe America needs more roundabouts like Europe, Vietnam however needs less of those things as they turn into spinning circles of chaos.
• The locals here also start their day extremely early, often waking up around six when the day is still cool.
• Signs here say 24/24 instead of 24/7. Not sure why.
• I drank some of the snake wine (whole snakes soaked in rice wine for a long time) and I swear to god, it made my pee smell rancid.

 

 

Until next time.