Regarding national holidays, I would like to talk about the Vietnamese New year which is also known as “Tet”. Tet is a special occasion that is widely celebrated every year in Vietnam. In fact, it is undoubtedly the country’s most significant and highly anticipated celebration of the year.

Celebrated on the first day of the first month in the Lunar Calendar, Tet is the longest holiday which may last up to 2 weeks. However, due to the increasingly busy lifestyle of the new generation, this holiday is getting shorter every year.

The Vietnamese New Year bears multiple meanings. Not only does it mark the beginning of a new year, but it also carries the hope of washing away the hardship and failure of the previous year and opening a new year filled with good fortune and happiness. Therefore, Vietnamese people will start preparing to celebrate this festival a few weeks prior to the special day. 

One of the most important tasks in the preparation process involves buying apricot flowers and peach flowers to decorate the house. They represent Spring and also a brand new start. I remembered me and my mom spending hours in the open market looking for the right peach flowers to bring home every year at Tet. I guess the old saying was right, “Tet is not Tet if there is no sight of Hoa Mai (south) or Hoa Dao (north) in every home.”

Tet is truly an important festival for each and every Vietnamese. As a tradition, we strongly believe that if we spend Tet properly with a smile on our faces, we may expect a more prosperous and favorable year.