Life in Hanoi

Tet Trung Thu, as it is known in Vietnam, or the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival is a wonderful festival for children in Vietnam. Tet Trung Thu celebrates the time when the moon is at its fullest and brightest of the year.  This year Tet Trung Thu falls on the 15th of Tuesday, September 21st, 2021. On this special day, children are honoured. They receive presents and special treats from their parents and relatives. 

Prior to the festival, the streets are filled with a variety of brightly coloured lanterns, balloons, masks, dragon heads, toys, and Moon cakes. On the night of the festival itself, children march through the streets playing cymbals and drums and holding lit lanterns.  The Vietnamese children carry on this tradition by staging a parade every year in the streets, around the lakes or in their living areas.  The dragon dance is often performed at this special time, as it is believed to invite festival spirits and bring good luck.

Everyone eats a traditional cake called a Moon Cake on Tet Trung Thu.  These cakes are made of sticky rice filled with such things as peanuts, lotus seeds, duck egg yolks, raisins, watermelon seeds, and green beans.  The cakes are made in different shapes such as the moon, the earth, or even animals..etc.

Tết, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, is the country’s biggest festival.    Tết is a time when heaven and earth are traditionally in harmony. Tết is a time of joy, family gatherings and a feeling of general well-being.  Each year is named after an animal according to the Vietnamese zodiac.

Prior to Tết, people clean up their houses in order to get ready for the new year. One week  before Tết, every Vietnamese family has a special ceremony to send the Kitchen Gods to Heaven to report on what happened in the family during the last year.  Almost every Vietnamese family buys flowers, “Cây đào” (the peach blossoms) and “ Cây quất “(the kumquat trees) to decorate their house as the trees symbolise happiness, prosperity and good luck.  Vietnamese people are also very busy making “Bánh chưng” (a square rice cake filled with sticky rice, green bean and pork), and other traditional food for Tết. 

During Tết, people dress up to visit relatives, friends, colleagues, neighbours, employees etc. to wish them “Chúc Mừng Năm Mới” meaning “Happy New Year”. Children are given lucky money in red envelopes by adults. ETết is enjoyed to its fullest with food, drinks and friends. 

After Tết, life begins to return to its normal pace.  Each Tết is seen as the beginning of a new and better time in a person’s life and everybody looks forward to it with great excitement.