Things To Do and Don't in Vietnamese New Year

 If you are planning to go to Viet Nam during Tet, you should learn some basic things to do and don't in TET.

 TO DO

1.  Wear new, colorful, beautiful clothes - it is show a respect when you go to someone's house or someone come to your house. Also it represent the new beginning for the entire year.
2. Say "Chuc Mung Nam Moi" (Happy New Year) when you see people.
3. Give red envelopes (li xi): is an act of showing your generosity and wishing the recipients luck throughout the year. 

Red Envelopes

 DON'T

1. Don't swear, curse, argue: Vietnamese people believe that everything happen to you in the first day of the year, it is a sign of it will continue happening throughout the year.
2. Don’t ask someone to repay you a debt or loan: As I said above, if you ask someone to repay or loan money, they will have to borrow and repay money for the rest of the year.
3. Don’t take or ask to take things that are related to fire/water out of somebody’s house such as lighter, water bottle: Fire is considered to be the source of the warmth of the family, the desire of couple’s love. It is believed that families with fire taken away will have problems within the family. Same as fire, water means wealth, taking water just same as taking their wealth away. 

Here are some translations and what is it means to help you. You can use this to impress your Vietnamese friends as well. 

• This is a very helpful video for those of you want to wish Vietnamese people in TET.

New Year's Flowers --- Vietnamese New Year Part 2

Tet is a good opportunity for family members to meet. This custom has become sacred and secular and, therefore, no matter where they are or whatever the circumstances, family members find ways to come back to meet their loved ones, gather for a dinner of traditional food.

Usually, in VietNam, there are 3 kind of plants cannot missed in Tet:

• Cây quất (Kumquat): A tree with all 5 characteristics: full of fruits, flowers, leaves, branches and roots is a symbol for wealth and happiness for the new year.

Kumquat- lucky and fruitful

• Hoa Dao (Peach Flower): represent Tet in North Vietnam.

Peach Flower- the love and joy, peaceful and elegant

• Hoa Mai (Ochna integerrima): represent in South VietNam. The high rate of blossom of the flower in Tet holidays also symbolizes the wealth and passionate love among people.

Hoa mai (ochna integerrima)- The golden yellow of the flower means the noble roots of Vietnamese