Tet Nguyen Dan, or simply called Tet, is considered the biggest and most popular festival in Vietnam. It is a celebration filled with customs and rituals in order to reel in a prosperous year ahead. Many practices to honour ancestral spirits, to celebrate religious beliefs and to assert the importance of family life will be witnessed during the season.

Thus, apart from locals coming home to be with their loved-ones, Vietnam is also flocked with tourists during the holiday. This 2014, Tet will be celebrated on January 31 up to February 4. As for where the best Tet celebrations are held, Hoi An becomes a ready-answer for many. The people of Hanoi are said to be the warmest and most approachable in the country. Visiting Hoi An on Tet holiday, you will be filled with thoughtfulness since the warmth of Hoi An ancient town and its people naturally embraces you.

Hoi An During Tet The combination between traditional culture and modern lifestyle makes the celebration of Tet in Hoi An distinct than in any other city. Homestay tours scheduled on the week of Tet are largely promoted to tourists to make them experience a memorable Tet. Visitors take part in the entire preparation with their homestay families and are invited to take part in decorating their house and cook traditional Tet foods. Such activities give them the opportunity to understand Vietnamese traditional customs not just on Tet holidays, but in its entirety.

Visitors will also take part in the celebration itself which includes visits to the flower market, visiting pagodas, bringing offerings to the ancestors, putting on traditional costumes, visiting relatives,  joining in traditional games and burning incenses at some communal houses and pagodas in the old town. Hoi An is an undeniably stunning town. During Tet, the many lanterns that adorn its streets and lights by the water gives the city a more magnificent allure. Many shops are expected to close during the season, though in Hoi An several businesses remain open. 

Lion dances, lantern parades and flowered car parades will be among the highlights that attract many tourists. Fireworks display at the provincial culture and sports center in Hoi An river, Cham island and Cua Dai bridge are also normally held. Temples, churches and pagodas will ring their bells and beat their drums at the same time to welcome the new year. Boats on the river launch hundreds of colored paper boats with candles while the bridges are adorned with dragon decors and lanterns. Free outdoor musical performances by visiting musicians and local schoolchildren are also among the attractions that awe foreigners.

Tet Festivals Hoi An hosts several festivals at the beginning of the Lunar New Year. People in the traditional Tra Que vegetable village gather to observe the Cau Bong festival to wish for a bountiful season. Cau Bong is celebrated by playing drums, gongs, and ancient music, while locals dress in ceremonial costumes and parade the streets carrying trays of five fruits. Several folk games such as Bai Choi singing, pot breaking, ceramics making, folk songs or poem chanting are observed during Tet, and are actively participated both by locals and tourists.

Tasting local cuisine along the Hoai River is another common activity largely appreciated. Visiting Hoi An during Tet allows visitors to indulge in the many delicious specialties in the country including the Banh Chung/Banh Tet, dumplings, pork pies, glutinous rice cakes, Gio cha (Vietnamese ham/sausage), cao lau (rice pancake with pork meat and shrimp), Xoi Gac (sticky rice with special “gac” fruit), Thit ga (boiled or steamed chicken), Mut Tet (Tet jam), Bong (Dried pig skin), Hanh muoi (Pickled onions) and Che kho (Soft green bean cake)  among many others.

Tet in Hoi An, Distinct, Memorable Spending the holiday with the locals and experience authentic celebrations is indeed an unforgettable experience for visitors. Walking along the streets of Hoi An during the season gives you an actual insight on the lifestyle of its people not just on Tet, but throughout the year.