Unique customs for celebrating Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year)

These days, at the Vietnam Ethnic Culture and Tourism Village, artisans from many ethnic groups are directly showcasing Tet customs through traditional activities, rituals, and experiences; contributing to the preservation of unique cultural values ​​and creating an attraction for tourism.

A New Year's ritual of the Muong people ( Phu Tho ).

The Tet (Lunar New Year) atmosphere of ethnic minorities at the Vietnam Ethnic Culture and Tourism Village (Cultural Village) is depicted through daily life activities, where artisans directly participate in rituals and introduce their culture within their own community's space.

The unique Tet (Lunar New Year) celebration culture of various ethnic groups.

Morning in the Muong ethnic village space at the Cultural Village begins with the gentle smoke of cooking fires wafting through the stilt houses. The fires are lit not only for warmth but also to prepare for the ritual of worshipping the kitchen spirit (Khoong Bep), an important ceremony in the spiritual life of the Muong people.

For the Thai ethnic people in Moc Chau (Son La), Tet (Lunar New Year ) cuisine is a distinctive feature and a source of pride. One of the unique dishes that cannot be missing from the Tet feast is "ga mo" (chicken cooked in a bamboo tube). The ingredients used to make this dish all carry the characteristic and refined flavors of the Thai people in the Northwest region, such as chicken meat, banana blossoms, mac khen (a type of spice), doi seeds, and vegetables. "The chicken is chopped into small pieces and marinated with spices. Once thoroughly seasoned, it is wrapped in dong leaves or banana leaves, then steamed. Steaming takes about an hour to ensure the chicken is tender," Ms. Lo Thi Tom (from Moc Chau) shared with tourists while skillfully preparing the dish. Along with that, artisans and locals also prepare many other dishes such as sticky rice cakes (banh chung), grilled fish, five-colored sticky rice, smoked buffalo meat, etc. Tourists can observe the artisans preparing the dishes while experiencing them firsthand, sitting by the fire, and listening to stories about the Tet customs of the Thai ethnic people. This space is a sharing of cuisine and culture. It becomes a connecting thread between ethnic communities, between artisans and tourists, and between tradition and the present.

In other villages, the atmosphere of welcoming spring is also spreading in its own unique ways. Each ethnic group brings a different cultural nuance, directly participating in daily life, guiding, conversing, and passing on traditions, creating a vibrant and colorful picture of Tet.

Cultural preservation linked to sustainable tourism development.

Artisan Lo Thi Tom, who has been involved in the Cultural Village for nearly nine years, said: "We are very excited and proud that the Party and the State have shown interest in allowing us to come here to introduce and spread our culture to a wider audience." Distinguished Artisan Bui Thanh Binh said that every time he returns to the village to introduce the culture of the Muong ethnic group, he is deeply moved by the attention from visitors, with many even spending hours talking about unique rituals. This makes him feel even more responsible for preserving and passing on the identity of his people.

The activities organized in the village are not only opportunities to showcase or introduce customs and traditions, but more importantly, they create a space for ethnic communities to meet, interact, and enrich their own cultural values; thereby strengthening cohesion and spreading the spirit of national unity.

Mr. Trinh Ngoc Chung, Director of the Department of Culture of Ethnic Groups of Vietnam

According to Mr. Trinh Ngoc Chung, Director of the Department of Ethnic Cultures of Vietnam, the activities organized at the village are not only opportunities to showcase or introduce customs and traditions, but more importantly, to create a space for ethnic communities to meet, interact, and enrich their own cultural values; thereby strengthening cohesion and spreading the spirit of national unity. The overarching goal in the construction and operation of the Vietnamese Ethnic Culture and Tourism Village is to recreate and preserve traditional cultural values ​​in the most authentic way, placing them within the cultural space of each community. This approach not only brings joy and pride to artisans when they directly introduce the heritage of their ethnic group, but also contributes to ensuring that these cultural values ​​are continued and sustainably disseminated to the public and tourists.

The number of visitors to the Vietnam Ethnic Culture and Tourism Village has steadily increased over the years; in 2025 alone, it is expected to reach nearly 1 million, with over 44% being students and nearly 20% being international tourists. Each year, the Village organizes two training courses on community tourism and interaction skills, introducing the culture to artisans returning to the village. To date, more than 15 training courses on community tourism have been implemented in coordination with specialized agencies and travel agencies. Significantly, this knowledge does not remain within the village but is passed on by artisans and trainees to their children and relatives, contributing to the formation of a community tourism workforce from the local people themselves. As a result, tourism activities linked to traditional culture are becoming more organized, creating sustainable livelihoods and helping to preserve cultural heritage within daily life.

THANH DUNG

Source: https://nhandan.vn/doc-dao-cac-phong-tuc-don-tet-post942568.html