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Vietnamese Tet (Lunar New Year) 2025 & 2026: Jan. 29, Animal Sign Snake, Zodiac

Vietnamese Tet (Lunar New Year) 2025, also known as Tet Nguyen Dan, will fall on Wednesday, January 29th, 2025, marking the beginning of the Year of the Snake. As a public holiday, Vietnamese people will get 7 days off from January 27th (Monday, 29/12 lunar calendar) to February 2nd (Sunday, 06/01 lunar calendar) in 2025.

Vietnamese Tet (Lunar New Year) 2025 & 2026: Jan. 29, Animal Sign Snake, Zodiac
IN A NUTSHELL
  • 2025 is the Year of the Snake (Tỵ).
  • The 2025 Tet holiday will last for 7 days, from January 27th to February 2nd, 2025.
  • Tet 2025 will fall on January 29, 2025.

When is Tet 2025?

Peach blossom - Photo: @_su_xinh_ / Instagram

Vietnamese New Year 2025 is also called Tet 2025, will fall on January 29th, 2025 in the Gregorian calendar and January 1st, 2025 in the Lunar calendar. Tet often changes year by year due to the leap month every 3 years in the Lunar Calendar. However, it ranges from late January and early February in the Solar calendar.

"Tet" is shortened from "Tet Nguyen Dan" which means the celebration of the first morning of the year. This is the biggest and most important festival in Vietnamese culture. Tet is not only the transition moment between the old year and the new year, between the cycle of heaven and earth and the life of all things but also an occasion for everyone to show respect to ancestors and parents and reunite with family.

How long does it last?

Foreigners may be curious about when and how long Tet lasts when Vietnamese start talking and preparing for it for the prior few weeks or months. Vietnamese New Year is a public holiday with around 7 official days off yet the festival actually lasts for over 20 days.

Vietnamese New Year 2025 lasts from 23rd December until 15th January in the Lunar Calendar. It includes a series of celebrations and activities with different meanings in the spiritual life of Vietnamese.

Tet 2025 can be divided into 3 periods of time:

  • Before the New Year’s Eve (23/12-30/12)
  • New Year’s Eve (30/12)
  • The New Year (1/1-15/1)
 

Lunar dates

Activities

Meanings

Before New Year’s Eve

23 December

Kitchen God Day - Clean altar, set offerings, release carp
 

@tygonhongtrongnangmai81191

 

  • Also known as Tet Ong Cong - Ong Tao - the day of the kitchen gods who protect and govern all works of the family. This day is to say farewell to these gods to come back to heaven for the annual report.
  • Cleaning the altar, setting new offerings, and releasing carp are ritual ceremonies to help the gods on their way back to heaven.

24 - 30 December

Wrap Chung Cake - Tet Cake
 

Wrapping Chung cake

 

  • Chung Cake or Tet Cake is traditional and unmissable food on Tet’s feasts. Family members will gather to wrap Chung /Tet Cake (normally from 26 - 28th Lunar December) to place on ancestors’ altar and used to feast guests on New Year meals.

Clean and decorate house

  • A neat space and intimate atmosphere are very important to every Vietnamese home on Tet. Cleaning and decorating the house is believed to wipe out all bad luck and old things and get ready to welcome good luck and happiness in the new year.

Prepare five-fruit trays

@linhlydinh
  • The five-fruit tray represents abundance and fullness. Preparing a five-fruit tray for ancestors not only to show respect but also to pray for fullness, and happiness in the new year.

Visit ancestor’s grave

  • Vietnamese often clean and burn incense at ancestor's graves before Tet to send thankfulness for the blessing in the old year and pray for peace, health, and happiness in the new year. This is also to show the remembrance of ancestors and prior generations.

New Year’s Eve

30 December

Give offerings to ancestor’s altar

  • Preparing a hearty food tray with other offerings on the ancestor's altar is a vital ritual ceremony before the new year comes. It is to end the old year, pray for good luck in the new year, and a way to invite ancestors to return home for Tet.

“Xông đất” - first visit in the house

  • The first person visiting the house having a good spirit is believed to bring good luck to the host family for the whole year. The chosen person must have good morality, education, or success and well match with the astrology of the owner's house.

The New Year

1 January

Visit relatives on father’s side

  • According to a long-lasting tradition, Vietnamese spend the first day of the year on their father's side first. After greeting members of our small family, we come to relatives' houses together to send the best new year wishes to them.
  • Family members often give lucky money to the elderly to wish them longevity and children to wish them health and good studying.

2 January

Visit relatives on mother’s side

  • After father’s side, family members will gather to visit mother’s relatives on the second day of the new year.

3 January

Visit teachers

  • Vietnamese highly appreciate the hard work of the teachers and take the third day of the year to show respect to them.
  • On the 3rd of January, Vietnamese students come to teachers’ houses with lovely gifts or flowers and give best wishes to them.

4 - 5 January

Visit other relatives, neighborhoods, friends

  • During the rest of the holiday, Vietnamese can visit friends, neighborhoods, and further relatives as a way to stay connected with each other. They often ask about the previous year and intentions for the future.
  • This is the time for families to go to the pagoda to pray for luck or simply rest at home to get ready to go back to work.

15 January

Tet Nguyen Tieu

  • Also known as “Ram Thang Gieng” - the very first full moon of the year. Vietnamese believe that this day is Buddha's Day with the gathering of all the luck of the new year.
  • Vietnamese will go to the pagodas and temples to give offerings and pray for happiness, peace, success, and luck for the whole family.

What is the animal sign of Vietnamese New Year 2025?

2025- Year of the Snake

In the traditional Asian culture, each year will be associated with an animal in the 12 zodiacs and form a loop in a certain order. 12 animals in the order are rat, ox, tiger, cat, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. Each animal comes with different attributes and brings its own meanings. Since 2024 is the year of Dragon, Vietnamese New Year 2025 will be the year of Snake.

Snake is one of the most enigmatic and intelligent animal symbols. It represents not only wisdom and intuition but also mystery, ambition, and transformation. So, 2025 is expected to be a very good year for those who were born in Snake years such as 2025, 2013, 2001, 1989, 1977, 1965, 1953, 1941, etc.

Besides, 2025 is also considered a good year to give birth since babies born in Snake years are believed to have a calm, thoughtful personality, strong intuition, and a high capacity for transformation and growth.

How long is Tet 2025 Holiday?

Tet is the longest public holiday in Vietnam. Depending on each object and working schedule, Vietnamese will have a 5 to 9-day Tet holiday. The Tet 2025 holiday is scheduled to last for 7 days from  January 27 (28th of Lunar December) to February 02, 2025 (5th of Lunar January). This schedule is subject to change according to the decision of the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs when it comes closer to the festival.

Tet 2024 schedule (Photo credit: Vnexpress.net)

Although this is the official holiday for officials, employees, and students, some private companies, enterprises, or organizations in Vietnam can offer their own schedules.

Vietnamese New Year day in 10 years

Tet Decoration in Hoi An - Photo: @econd2none.travel / Instagram

Although the Vietnamese New Year date changes year by year, the time frame and traditions are similar. The period of time for Tet in Vietnam is from late January and early February. For more details, you can take a look at the table below:

Vietnamese New Year

Date

Animal sign

2024

February 10

Dragon (Thìn)

2025

January 29

Snake (Tị)

2026

February 17

Horse (Ngọ)

2027

February 6

Goat (Mùi)

2028

January 26

Monkey (Thân)

2029

February 13

Rooster (Dậu)

2030

February 3

Dog (Tuất)

2031

January 23

Pig (Hợi)

2032

February 11

Rat (Tý)

2033

January 31

Buffalo (Sửu)

Questions and Answers (8)

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Q
Jason 10 months, 3 weeks ago

Will public transport still be running in Hanoi? I may need to catch a bus from downtown Hanoi to the Hanoi international airport on the 10 Feb 2024. Will taxi charge a surcharge during Tet?

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Frank Martinez 11 months, 1 week ago

Will there be any big festivals to see during this time? I will be in Ho Chi Minh City from Feb 7-13th.

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A
Visithalongbay Team 11 months, 1 week ago

@Frank Martinez, 7 - 13th Feb is the Tet Holiday (Lunar New Year) in Vietnam in which 9 to 12th Feb are 4 main festive days. Tet may differ from region to region but you may see house or street decorations or some traditional activities such as making and selling Chung/Tet Cake (a traditional dish), gathering and watching fireworks, buying Tet trees and flowers, selling and buying decorative stuff on Hang Ma Street (Hanoi), going to the pagoda to pray for luck, etc. However, please note that many restaurants/tourist attractions/administration offices are closed during this time. You should check the schedule and have a plan for this time to have the most convenient and enjoyable trip. Regards,

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Q
Erika Thomas 1 year ago

please how do i get this vietnamese calendar?

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Lan 1 year ago

@Erika, You can buy a calendar with Lunar dates on this website if you are not currently in Vietnam: https://t.ly/CNPTE. If you are in Vietnam, a Lunar calendar can be purchased at any newspaper shop in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh city.

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Nicole Kesler 1 year ago

Is the cruise in Halong Bay still operating during the Tet holiday?

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Linh 1 year ago

@Nicole Kesler, Most cruises in Halong Bay will continue to operate during the Tet holiday, with a surcharge (approximately 40-50 USD per person). Therefore, it is recommended that you check with the cruise operator for their schedule and itinerary for the Tet period before making a booking.

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