All you need to know for Tết Holiday 2023

What is Tết holiday in Vietnam?

The Vietnamese New Year, commonly referred to as Tet, also known as Lunar New Year, is a Vietnamese holiday that typically falls in January or February, depending on the lunar calendar.

When is it happening this year?

This year it’s set to take place on January 22nd, 2023. The Vietnamese celebrate this festive occasion for six days, starting on January 21st (Tết Eve) and ending on January 26th, 2023.

Tết is considered the most significant festival of the year in Vietnam. It is a time to celebrate love and spring arrival and express good wishes for the upcoming year. The festival takes place on the first day of the first month of the Vietnamese Lunar calendar and falls between late January and mid-February on the Western calendar.

The Year of the Cat 2023

The Cat is the fourth sign in the Vietnamese zodiac, replacing the Rabbit in the Chinese zodiac.

The Vietnamese zodiac follows a 12-year cycle, with each year being represented by a different animal. The animals in the cycle are the rat, ox, tiger, Rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig.

The evening of January 21st, 2023, marks Vietnamese New Year’s Eve, also known as the last day of Vietnam’s lunar month. This day is dedicated to completing the past year’s events, preparing for the new year, and spending time with family.

What’s happening in Ho Chi Minh City during Tết? 

Youth Cultural House 

Date: 6th January to 26th January

Location: 4 Phạm Ngọc Thạch, Bến Nghé, Quận 1

Description: Dist. 1. Popular with locals, especially on special occasions/holidays.

• Vietnamese calligraphy.

• Flower decoration on the street with over 100 yellow flowers of the Hoa Mai (Ochna integerrima)

• Traditional Vietnamese food

• Lion dance, drum performances, music shows and more!

Tết Flower Markets

Date: 14th January until 12 noon 21st January

Location: There are over 170 places where you can experience the main Tết flower market) celebrations this year. Read below

Description: In the build-up to Tết, flower markets throughout Vietnam are crowded. Farmers and sellers will start to sell typical ornamental plants and flowers for Tết, and the atmosphere in these markets will be busy and booming until 1-2 days before the Lunar New Year’s Eve.

The largest celebrations take place at 23/9 Park in District 1, near Pham Ngu Lao Street and Ben Thanh Market, Gia Dinh Park in Binh Thanh District at the corner of Nguyen Kiem Street and Nguyen Thai Son Street, Le Van Tam Park in District 3 at the intersection of Hai Ba Trung Street and Dien Bien Phu Street, and Phu My Hung in District 7.

One of the city’s most popular and oldest flower markets is the Ben Binh Dong Flower Market in District 8, which starts on January 6th. The flowers sold here are brought from the Mekong Delta by boat and sold on the riverside, accompanied by traditional music performances and lion dances on boats from January 16th to January 20th.

Crescent Flower Street

Date: 15th January to 25th January

Location: Crescent Mall, 101 Tôn Dật Tiên, Tân Phong, Quận 7

Description: The flower market in Crescent Mall will take place from January 14th to January 21st. Visitors can expect to find a wide variety of flowers and plants, as well as traditional music performances and other cultural activities.

Tết Flower Festival

Date: Starting from 6.30 pm on the January 16th to 5.30 pm on January 27th 

Location:  Tao Dan Park, Trương Định, Phường Bến Thành, Quận 1

Description: The Tết Flower Festival will include several areas of interest, such as a flower, bonsai, and fish exhibition area, a traditional festival area with games and calligraphy, and a souvenir area with music and traditional martial arts performances. The entry ticket for these events is 30,000 Vietnamese Dong. Visitors can expect to explore various cultural experiences and activities throughout the festival and take home souvenirs to remember the experience.

Book Street Festival

Date: From 19th January until 26th January to 5.30pm 

Location:  Mạc Thị Bưởi & Đ. Nguyễn Huệ, Bến Nghé, Quận 1

Description: Along Mac Thi Buoi street, various books on entrepreneurs, start-ups, and the fourth Industrial Revolution will be displayed and available for visitors to explore.

Annual Flower Street

Date: From 7 pm, January 19th and from 8 am to 5 pm every day till January 26th

Location:  Đ. Nguyễn Huệ, Bến Nghé, Quận 1,

Description: Nguyen Hue Flower Street transforms annually into a vibrant display of artistic and imaginative exhibits, showcasing Vietnam’s cultural heritage and the city’s development from its founding to its rebuilding. The exhibition ranges from serene, flourishing countryside scenes to imagery of boats adorned with colourful flowers sailing on the waves, symbolizing the city’s connection to the global community.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Flower Street celebration; in addition to the featured mascot for 2023, there will also be an exhibit displaying all 20 previous mascots.

Lunar New Year’s Eve Fireworks

Date: Starting at midnight on the evening of January 21st

Location:  There are six different locations: Thu Thiem Tunnel (Thu Duc side), Ben Noc Memorial (Thu Duc city), Dam Sen Park (District 11), Cu Chi Memorial, Can Thanh ward (Can Gio) and Mau Than Memorial (Binh Chanh)

Description: On Lunar New Year’s Eve, January 21st, the six locations in Ho Chi Minh City will launch spectacular fireworks displays at midnight, marking the event’s return after a two-year break due to Covid-19. The fireworks show will last around 15 minutes.

Traditional events and family gathering activities

New Year’s Eve

House cleaning: To sweep away any bad luck from the previous year. Cleaning during the first three days of the new year is not allowed, as it is believed to drive out the God of Luck, who is in charge of a family’s wealth for the coming year.

Home decoration: Popular items include flowers, trees, and small red ornaments.

Cleaning altars and setting offerings: Ancestral altars are cleaned, and offerings are placed to please ancestral spirits.

New Year’s Eve Feast: Family members share stories of the past year and their hopes for the new year while eating exceptional New Year food together.

Giving red envelopes to children and seniors: Red is considered an auspicious colour for New Year, and red envelopes are a way of wishing the young and old good luck.

Watching the New Year TV show and fireworks: Many Vietnamese families watch the New Year’s Eve special on TV and enjoy the fireworks display.

In summary, Vietnamese New Year’s Eve is a day of preparation and celebration with family, with many customs and traditions meant to bring good luck, fortune, and happiness to the new year.

How Long Does the Vietnamese New Year Last in 2023?

For 2023, the official public holiday for Vietnamese New Year lasts for six days; however, the local celebrations typically extend for 20 days, beginning with ‘Minor New Year’ or ‘Kitchen God Day’ on January 14th and ending with Tết Nguyen Tieu – ‘First Full Moon of the Year’ on February 5th.

Tết Nguyen Tieu — First Full Moon

Tết Nguyen Tieu, also known as the First Full Moon, is celebrated on the 15th day of Vietnam’s first lunar month. This day holds great cultural and religious significance for the Vietnamese people. During this celebration, many Vietnamese practice eating vegetarian food and consuming plain water as a form of purification.