Vietnamese Tet (Lunar New Year) 2024/2025: Feb. 10, Animal Sign Dragon, Zodiac

Lunar dates

Solar dates

Activities

Meanings

Before New Year’s Eve

23 December

2 February

Kitchen God Day - Clean altar, set offerings, release carp

Also known as Tet Ong Cong - Ong Tao - the day of the kitchen gods who protect and govern all works of the family. This day is to say farewell to these gods to come back to heaven for the annual report.

Cleaning the altar, setting new offerings, and releasing carp are ritual ceremonies to help the gods on their way back to heaven.

24 - 30 December

3 - 9 February

Wrap Chung Cake - Tet Cake

Chung Cake or Tet Cake is traditional and unmissable food on Tet’s feasts. Family members will gather to wrap Chung /Tet Cake (normally from 26 - 28th Lunar December) to place on ancestors’ altar and used to feast guests on New Year meals.

Clean and decorate house

A neat space and intimate atmosphere are very important to every Vietnamese home on Tet. Cleaning and decorating the house is believed to wipe out all bad luck and old things and get ready to welcome good luck and happiness in the new year.

Prepare five-fruit trays

The five-fruit tray represents abundance and fullness. Preparing a five-fruit tray for ancestors not only to show respect but also to pray for fullness, and happiness in the new year.

Visit ancestor’s grave

Vietnamese often clean and burn incense at ancestor's graves before Tet to send thankfulness for the blessing in the old year and pray for peace, health, and happiness in the new year. This is also to show the remembrance of ancestors and prior generations.

New Year’s Eve

30 December

9 February

Give offerings to ancestor’s altar

Preparing a hearty food tray with other offerings on the ancestor's altar is a vital ritual ceremony before the new year comes. It is to end the old year, pray for good luck in the new year, and a way to invite ancestors to return home for Tet.

“Xông đất” - first visit in the house

The first person visiting the house having a good spirit is believed to bring good luck to the host family for the whole year. The chosen person must have good morality, education, or success and well match with the astrology of the owner's house.

The New Year

1 January

10 February

Visit relatives on father’s side

According to a long-lasting tradition, Vietnamese spend the first day of the year on their father's side first. After greeting members of our small family, we come to relatives' houses together to send the best new year wishes to them.

Family members often give lucky money to the elderly to wish them longevity and children to wish them health and good studying.

2 January

11 February

Visit relatives on mother’s side

After father’s side, family members will gather to visit mother’s relatives on the second day of the new year.

3 January

12 February

Visit teachers

Vietnamese highly appreciate the hard work of the teachers and take the third day of the year to show respect to them.

On the 3rd of January, Vietnamese students come to teachers’ houses with lovely gifts or flowers and give best wishes to them.

4 - 5 January

13-14 February

Visit other relatives, neighborhoods, friends

During the rest of the holiday, Vietnamese can visit friends, neighborhoods, and further relatives as a way to stay connected with each other. They often ask about the previous year and intentions for the future.

This is the time for families to go to the pagoda to pray for luck or simply rest at home to get ready to go back to work.

15 January

24 February

Tet Nguyen Tieu

Also known as “Ram Thang Gieng” - the very first full moon of the year. Vietnamese believe that this day is Buddha's Day with the gathering of all the luck of the new year.

Vietnamese will go to the pagodas and temples to give offerings and pray for happiness, peace, success, and luck for the whole family.

Vietnamese New Year

Date

Animal sign

2024

February 10

Dragon (Thìn)

2025

January 29

Snake (Tị)

2026

February 17

Horse (Ngọ)

2027

February 6

Goat (Mùi)

2028

January 26

Monkey (Thân)

2029

February 13

Rooster (Dậu)

2030

February 3

Dog (Tuất)

2031

January 23

Pig (Hợi)

2032

February 11

Rat (Tý)

2033

January 31

Buffalo (Sửu)