Vietnamese Lunar New Year Customs and the Meaning Behind Each Ritual
Vietnamese Lunar New Year customs: the Kitchen Gods send-off, New Year's Eve rites, first-footing, and lucky money, with the meaning behind each.
Results for "mung tuoi"
Are lì xì and mừng tuổi two different customs?
No. Lì xì and mừng tuổi both refer to one act: giving a red envelope along with a new year wish. The difference lies in the name and the origin of the words: mừng tuổi is the familiar way of saying it in the North, while lì xì is the Cantonese pronunciation of the word whose Sino-Vietnamese reading is lợi thị, and it reached the North later, after 1975.
From the article “How do lì xì and mừng tuổi differ between the North, Huế and the South of Vietnam?”
Traditional systems
StartNew Year first-footer check
Rank all 60 ages to choose a New Year first visitor, with actual birth years and reasons.
Hexagram Thủy Hỏa Ký Tế (No. 63, 既濟, ䷾): When the Work Is Done and Why 'Good at First, Chaos at the End'?
Thủy Hỏa Ký Tế (No. 63) is the only hexagram with all six lines in correct position and paired. It teaches small success and a good start but chaotic end.
The First Three Lines of a Tử Vi Chart: What Yin Male or Yang Female, Thủy nhị cục or Hỏa lục cục, and Bản mệnh nạp âm Mean and How They Are Calculated
The first three lines of a Tử Vi chart give yin yang male female, ngũ hành cục, and bản mệnh nạp âm, and fix the Tử Vi star.
What is Vietnamese lunar age?
Tuổi mụ is the Vietnamese lunar way of counting age: current year minus birth year, plus one, and folk calculations use this number.
What is Tứ Hóa?
Tứ Hóa are the four stars Hóa Lộc, Hóa Quyền, Hóa Khoa and Hóa Kỵ in Tử Vi astrology, standing for prosperity, power, reputation and adversity.
How do lì xì and mừng tuổi differ between the North, Huế and the South of Vietnam?
Mừng tuổi and lì xì are one Tết custom with two names: the northern term, the southern Cantonese loanword, and practices recorded in Huế and the old South.
New Year gift-giving among the Tày and Nùng and lì xì among the Hoa: what is distinctive?
New Year gift-giving among the Tày and Nùng of Cao Bằng and Hà Giang and lì xì in a Hoa family in Chợ Lớn: who gives to whom, with what, and when.
Li xi: where the word comes from, what the red envelope means, and why the amount is not the point
Li xi is the Vietnamese New Year custom of giving lucky money in red envelopes. This article explains the origin of the term and its true meaning.
Longevity Celebration for the Elderly - A Vietnamese Cultural Beauty
The longevity celebration honours grandparents and parents at ages 60, 70, 80, 90 or 100, showing filial piety and respect for old age in Vietnamese culture.
Sinh Village Wrestling Festival (Lai An Village) in Hue: the 10th day of the first lunar month, wrestling rules, and a history of more than 400 years
Sinh Village wrestling festival in Lai An Village, Hue, falls on the 10th day of the first lunar month and follows the muddy back, white belly rule.
What does 'First day Tet for father, second day Tet for mother, third day Tet for teacher' mean?
The Vietnamese saying about the first three days of Tet: day one for the father's side, day two for the mother's side, day three for one's teachers.
How Are Rice Offerings Made on the First Three Days of Tết? Accounts from the North, Huế and the South
Cúng cơm ba ngày Tết covers the first, second and third day rites: Nguyên đán, Chiêu điện, Tịch điện and the Tạ ceremony, with regional differences.
New Rice Festival and Buffalo Sacrifice Ritual of the M'Nong People
The New Rice Festival of the M'Nong in the Central Highlands thanks the heavens and the rice spirit, with a buffalo sacrifice at its heart.
Folk Taboos When Making Offerings on the Full Moon and First Day of the Lunar Month
Folk taboos for offerings on the Full Moon and the first day of the lunar month, from choosing fruit and flowers to the incense burner and a reverent mindset.
How to Arrange the Worship Tray for Tet Doan Ngo (5th day of 5th lunar month)
Tet Doan Ngo worship tray guide: offerings like fermented rice and tro cakes, step-by-step arrangement following regional customs, plus safety notes.
New Rice Festival - The Biggest Annual Celebration of the Xo Dang People
The New Rice Festival is when the Xo Dang people of the Central Highlands thank the gods and spirits for a bountiful harvest.
Worshipping the God of Wealth on the 10th Day of the First Lunar Month: Origins and How to Prepare the Offering Tray
The 10th day of the first lunar month is when many Vietnamese, especially in the South, worship the God of Wealth to pray for a good year.
Tết Đoan Ngọ: The 5th Day of the 5th Lunar Month "Killing Summer Bugs" Festival
Tết Đoan Ngọ falls at noon on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month, when folk belief says yang energy peaks. The bug-killing custom and ancestor worship.
Choosing Auspicious Times and Directions for the First Outing of the Year: The Lucky Customs of Tet's First Day
The first outing and calligraphy of the new year are Vietnamese luck-bringing customs. See how times and directions are chosen by lunar calendar and deities.
First-footing for the 2027 Year of the Goat: how to choose an age, and why every household ends up with a different list
For Lunar New Year 2027, there is no single correct first-footer list. Compare the trine and six-harmony groups, the host's age and the guest's character.
Coming-of-Age Ceremony at 18 and the Meaning of Filial Piety
The 18-year-old coming-of-age ceremony marks the move from school years to adult duties, with a gratitude ritual at its heart that expresses filial piety.
Banh Troi and Banh Chay: The Culinary Soul of Cold Foods Festival on the 3rd Day of the 3rd Lunar Month
Banh Troi and Banh Chay mark Vietnam's Cold Foods Festival on the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month, a localized day of honoring ancestors with these cakes.
Tết Rites in Southern Vietnam: Welcoming the Ancestors, the Giao Thừa Offering, Tết Nhà on the Third and the Farewell
Tet rites in southern Vietnam: welcoming the ancestors on the 30th, giao thừa offerings outdoors and indoors, Tết nhà on the third, farewell on the fourth.
Vía Ngọc Hoàng on the 9th of the First Lunar Month and Worship at Chùa Ngọc Hoàng in Ho Chi Minh City
Vía Ngọc Hoàng falls on the 9th day of the first lunar month. How people worship at Chùa Ngọc Hoàng in Ho Chi Minh City, and the temple's history.
The 15th Day of the Tenth Lunar Month - Tet Ha Nguyen: The Rice Harvest Thanksgiving Festival Few Still Remember
Tet Ha Nguyen on the 15th day of the tenth lunar month is one of Vietnam's four major traditional festivals, a time to thank heaven and earth.
Doi Son Tich Dien Festival: Ha Nam's Thousand-Year-Old Plowing Ritual
Ha Nam's Doi Son Tich Dien Festival runs from the 5th to the 7th day of the first lunar month, reenacting King Le Dai Hanh's 987 plowing ritual.
First-day Tet travel for the 2027 Lunar New Year: how to choose the hour and direction, and where sources disagree
First-day Tet travel for 2027: how to choose the hour and direction, prepare offerings, and follow the route, plus why sources disagree on the calculations.
Choosing a First-Foot Visitor by Age Compatibility: Folk Practice, Common Taboos, and the Limits of That Approach
Choosing a first-foot visitor by age compatibility: folk criteria, offerings, step-by-step practice, common taboos, and the limits to keep in mind.
International Day of Older Persons (Oct 1): origin and meaning
The International Day of Older Persons on October 1 was established in 1990 by UN Resolution 45/106. Learn its origin, meaning, and how Vietnam observes it.
What rituals make up the Khơ Mú new rice celebration in Than Uyên, Lai Châu (Giát Hả Mả Mía)?
The Khơ Mú new rice celebration in Than Uyên, Lai Châu gives thanks to ancestors and the land spirit after harvest, with singing to welcome the new rice.
Tien Cong Festival on Ha Nam Island, Quang Ninh: The Rite of Carrying the Elderly, the Longevity Procession on the 7th Day of the First Lunar Month, and Who the Tien Cong Are
The Tien Cong Festival on Ha Nam Island, Quang Ninh runs to the 7th day of the first lunar month, with rites of carrying the elderly.
Sayangva Festival of the Cho Ro People: Agricultural Beliefs and Community Vitality
The Sayangva Festival of the Cho Ro people in Dong Nai honors the rice spirit after harvest, giving thanks to nature and strengthening community bonds.
Trung Cuu Festival (Trung Duong) on the 9th day of the 9th lunar month: origins, the custom of climbing high, chrysanthemums, longevity wishes, and traces in Vietnam during the Tran dynasty
Trung Cuu Festival on the 9th day of the 9th lunar month features chrysanthemums, the custom of climbing high, and longevity wishes.
Where is the Grand Memorial Ceremony for King and Buddha Emperor Tran Nhan Tong's Parinirvana (1st day of the 11th lunar month) held, what rituals does it include, and why is it tied to Yen Tu and Ngoa Van?
The Grand Memorial for Buddha Emperor Tran Nhan Tong's Parinirvana is held at Cung Truc Lam, Yen Tu and Ngoa Van Pagoda each year.
What Types of Traditional Festivals Are There in Vietnam?
An overview of traditional Vietnamese festivals: agricultural, religious, commemorative, and ethnic festivals. Classification, meaning, and cultural value.
Where Do Mooncakes Come From and What Goes Into Traditional Fillings?
Vietnamese mooncakes come as baked bánh nướng and soft bánh dẻo. Where they are said to come from, and what the traditional fillings are.
What Are the Life-Cycle Rituals of Vietnamese People?
Vietnamese life-cycle rituals mark birth, coming of age, marriage, death and remembrance, with ceremonies shared by many ethnic groups.
La Hau Star in the Nine Luminaries: Meaning and Folk Perspectives
Explore the La Hau star in the Nine Luminaries: characteristics, inauspicious meanings, ritual practices, and an objective view from folk beliefs.
What's on in Vietnam in October 2026? Festivals, lunar dates and where to go
Vietnam's October 2026 festival calendar: Côn Sơn Kiếp Bạc, Lam Kinh, Katê, Sene Dolta, Hanoi Autumn Festival, Keo Pagoda, plus lunar dates.
What is Lục Thập Hoa Giáp?
The Sixty Jiazi is a cycle of 60 sexagenary combinations of Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches used to number years, months, days and hours.
Choosing Year-End Dates: Year-End Gathering, Altar Cleaning, Debt Repayment, and New Year Opening
Year-end dates for the gathering, altar cleaning, debt repayment and New Year opening: lunar calendar principles and flexible use without superstition.
