Tết Nguyên Đán (“festival of the first dawn”) celebrates the beginning of the year based on a lunisolar calendar. It is so central to Viet culture that people refer to it simply as Tết.
Read MoreCây Nêu
Cây nêu is made of a long bamboo stem with one leafy branch at its tip. Attached to the branch is a ring big enough to hold a number of charms against evil spirits – pandan leaves, cacti, chimes…
Read MoreNgũ Quả
The five fruits in Ngũ Quả represent blessings to wish for during Tết and other special occasions: Wealth (phú); stature (quý); longevity (thọ); health (khang); peace (ninh).
Read MoreFried Bánh Chưng
Watermelon Seeds and Good Wishes
As a designated treat for Tết , hạt dưa hấu – watermelon seeds, roasted and dyed red for luck – teach children the virtue of a labor-intensive low-yield undertaking.
Read MoreStill Life No.1
Việt lore has it that bánh chưng was created by Lang Liêu, the 18th and poorest in a long line of princes in the 6th Hùng dynasty.
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