Perfect Gift For Vietnamese Tet Holiday

For most Vietnamese, Tet is the most important holiday of the year. This is the time when people gather together, give each other good wishes to start a new beginning. During these days, visiting relatives and friends with gifts is an indispensable activity, because it shows your sincerity as well as spreads your love to everyone.

What is the Tet holiday?

Before I recommend the perfect gifts for the Vietnamese Tet Holiday, you should have a better understanding of this important holiday. Tt (a shortened form of Tt Nguyên Đán), or in other names such as Vietnamese New Year, Vietnamese Lunar New Year is the important celebration in Vietnam. Tet celebrates the arrival of spring based on the Chinese lunisolar calendar, which usually falls in January or February in Gregorian Calendar.

This is the beginning of a new year, so Vietnamese people believe that their actions and behaviors these days show good luck and prosperity for the whole year. Therefore, Vietnamese people often have meticulous preparation such as cleaning, home decoration, cooking traditional food before the New Year Eve, because they believe that doing so to eliminate bad luck in the old year and welcome the luck to the family.

Perfect Gifts For Vietnamese Tet Holiday

For Vietnamese people, the traditional New Year always has a special significance. This is a time to connect – share, reunite with family, meet friends, and it is also a time to give gifts with love and sincere to friends and family. Below are the perfect gìts that you should give on the Vietnamese New Year.

Red Envelopes (With lucky money inside)

Giving lucky red envelopes with lucky money is a traditional custom in Vietnamese Tet culture. Eye-catching sparkling red envelops with lucky money inside are must-have items when you visit family or relatives during the Vietnamese New Year. The red envelope with lucky money inside symbolizes luck, prosperity, good health, and plenty of money.

You might be confused about how much money you should put inside the red envelope, but don’t worry. The value of money is not special and vital as your sincerity from your heart.

Besides, Vietnamese people often hang red envelopes on peach trees, apricot trees, or kumquat trees in the hope that fortune and luck come to every member of the family. At the same time, red envelopes can also dispel evil and protect homeowners from harmful things.

Lanterns

During the Lunar New Year in Asian countries, lanterns are indispensable decorations. Vietnamese New Year is the same. On this occasion, red lanterns will be hung everywhere, especially in front of the house with bright and cozy red or yellow lights. Red lanterns are often the most popular items because this is the color that brings luck to the concept of East Asians.

Vietnamese people often love lanterns with wishes written on such as An Khang Thịnh Vợng (Security, Good Health, and Prosperity), Vạn Sự Nh Ý (Myriad things go according to your will), Cung Hỉ Phát Tài (Congratulations and be prosperous). They believe that red lanterns with best wishes will attract positive energy and luck to their lives in the early spring.

Moreover, the lanterns give off light, creating a warm, reunion, and joy, which are the true meaning of Tet in Vietnam. Therefore, the lantern is a perfect gift to Vietnamese people on this particular occasion because it expresses the giver’s respect and sincere wishes to the recipient.

Candy Box ( hộp quà tết )

Perhaps many people will feel confused and wonder: “Why Candy box is the perfect gift for Vietnamese New Year.” When Tet holiday is coming in the air, the candy box is always on the Vietnamese shopping list. They often put candy boxes up the altar to worship their ancestors, expressing their gratitude to the deceased. They also believe that this is an opportunity for the dead to return to reunite with their family, so Vietnamese people need to prepare tray rice, a five-fruit tray, and a candy box to welcome the souls of the deceased family members back.

Then after finished worship, they often share these candy boxes with family members and friends because they believe this is a blessing. In addition, confectionery is also often displayed on the guest table of every Vietnamese family to welcome guests coming on Tet holiday, so candy box is a perfect choice for a Tet gift, which is not only useful but also meant to bring sweetness and happiness to the homeowner.