Do you think that it will be very excited and interesting to travel on Tet occasion? In fact, taking a trip to somewhere on this special occasion will make your holiday more meaningful and memorable. On Tet holiday, all of the places in Vietnam are decorated colorfully and luxuriously. The country is covered with a lot of flowers and colors.
Tet holiday in Vietnam is completely different from other places in the world. It is the major and greatest holiday of Vietnamese during the year. On these days preparing for Tet holiday the atmosphere on the streets, in the markets and from each family is so busy, bustling and crowded. Everyone is very excited and busy to prepare and decorate to greet a new year. Those who are far from their house will come back home to join the happiness and gather with their family. On this special occasion, the country becomes more beautiful and colorful, everyone always keeps the smile on their lips and talks so much.
Talking about the traditional foods of Vietnamese on Tet holiday, there are some special dishes that we can not miss the chance to taste. First of all, Square Cake “Banh Chung” is one of the specialty of Vietnamese Tet holiday. Each family will make the square cakes or buy some of them to offer to the ancestors and use during Tet holiday. Banh Chung is made with the ingredients of fatty pork, mung bean, onion, glutinous rice, then covered with dong leaves or banana leaves. Square cake is symbolized the Earth and it also illustrates the origin of the nature and culture of Vietnam with agriculture. Recalling to Tet, all of the Vietnamese remember to Banh Chung and it is one of the compulsory dish on Tet of Vietnamese.
The second Tet traditional food in Vietnam that is Vietnamese sausage. The dish is made by lean meat and it is often used to eat along with sticky rice bringing a very tasty and smell taste. The dish is also contained in every Vietnamese family on Tet holiday.
Lat but not least, sticky rice is the dish which is often used to honor to the ancestor of each family. Besides it, pickled onion and Tet jam are also popular foods that are often concluded on this special occasion.
One of the special and traditional features of Tet holiday in Vietnam making the country different from others that is Five-Fruit Tray. It is the tray decorated with five types of fruit to honor the ancestors. The tray symbolizes the five fingers of man and also, five basic elements of the Oriental Philosophy including: metal, wood, water, fire and earth. Each family will has their own way to discover the Five-Fruit Tray, but frequently, the tray is decorated with 5 fruits in various colors including: Banana, water lemon, grapefruit, grape and may fruit, etc. Whether the tray is decorated with these five fruits or not, each family collects 5 types of fruit to make offerings to their ancestors.
Finally, we impossibly do not talk about the traditional flowers on Vietnamese Tet holiday. In the Northern region, as the weather is cold and wet, peach blossom is grown and displayed on Tet holiday. In each family, there is a peach blossom tree with the bright pink displayed in the family making the house more beautiful and colorful.
In the Southern region, apricot flower is the traditional flower on Tet holiday. Apricot flower has the bright yellow color suiting the sunny and dry weather of the region. In addition, kumquat tree is a type of tree with a lot of orange fruits symbolizing the fullness and completion. Walking along on the streets on Tet holiday, you will feel the beauty of the country on Spring and how Vietnamese Tet holiday is.
Vietnam is a country rich in culture and custom, Tet holiday is the greatest festival in Vietnam and it is also the occasion that Vietnamese look forward to through the year. If you are a foreigner, do not miss the chance to enjoy this special occasion. If you are Vietnamese, do not forget to gather with your family and friends to have a warm and happy Tet.