When we decided to extend our stay in Saigon from one year to 18 months, I was excited that we’d be here for another Tet season.
This year (2025) Tet is on January 29. The date is based on a lunar/solar calendar that calculates the orbit of the earth around the sun and of the moon around Earth. It’s generally celebrated on the same day as the Chinese New Year and marks the start of a new year and a new farming cycle.
The Tet Season in Vietnam rivals the Christmas Season in the US. In Saigon, for some weeks prior to the holiday, the city is adorned with thousands of flowers and cumquat trees, colorful signage and lights. I love it all, but my favorite is seeing friends and families, dressed in beautiful traditional dress, taking pictures using any of the numerous tableaus set up throughout the city as backdrops.
During the Tet Season, I also keep my ears open for the clanging cymbals and drums that signal that a “Lion Dance” is happening somewhere. Lion Dances can happen any time of the year, but they are more prevalent during Tet season.
Many Vietnamese people who live in Saigon travel to their family homes to celebrate, leaving the city relatively quiet for a few days around the actual day. However, there are still plenty of celebrations around town, and many restaurants remain open. Of course, there will be fireworks at midnight on the 29th at several locations around the city, including one on the riverfront that we can watch from our 28th-floor balcony.
As we wave goodbye to the “Year of the Dragon” and usher in the “Year of the Snake” I wish everyone, “Chúc mừng năm mới” (Click this link to hear how to pronounce “Happy New Year” from my Vietnamese teacher Kim 🙂 — Be sure to click the audio button that’s at the bottom right of the video. Listen to the whole video and you will be able to wish your friends a Vietnamese “Happy New Year!”)