Vietnamese people still look for the Kitchen God.

The Lunar New Year of the Horse 2026 will not feature the Kitchen God. Photo: Organizing Committee .

On the evening of February 16th (the 29th day of the 12th lunar month of the Year of the Snake), "Tao Quan" (Kitchen Gods) remained the most searched keyword in Vietnam. The absence of the program from VTV still left viewers feeling disappointed. According to Google Trends, the phrase "Is there a Tao Quan show this year?" saw a sudden surge in searches that night. Related keywords such as "Tao Quan," "Gap Nhau Cuoi Nam" (Meeting at the End of the Year), and "Quang Truong Mua Xuan" (Spring Square) also saw increased interest.

Around 8 PM, the time when Táo Quân (the annual New Year's Eve comedy show) is broadcast, the number of searches increases.

From January 7th, VTV confirmed that the Táo Quân (Kitchen Gods) show will not be broadcast during the Lunar New Year of the Horse 2026. Instead, a new program with a more modern and youthful format will be aired. For many years, Táo Quân has become an indispensable source of entertainment for viewers during the Lunar New Year. Therefore, the absence of the program this year has left both artists and viewers feeling regretful.

Information about Táo Quân (the annual Lunar New Year comedy show) was searched for by Vietnamese users on the night of the 29th of the Lunar New Year. Photo: Google Trends.

After 22 years of broadcasting, Táo Quân has become one of the most influential television programs on VTV, and is recognized as an indispensable source of entertainment for viewers every Lunar New Year.

At its peak, Táo Quân was considered a highly valuable entertainment program of Vietnam Television. Many seasons recorded high viewership and a strong ripple effect. The dialogues, satirical situations, and songs of the Táo Quân cast were frequently shared widely, becoming topics of discussion on social media on and after New Year's Eve.

In its most recent broadcast during the Lunar New Year of 2025, the program underwent a transformation by adopting a new structure, expanding its cast, and refreshing its approach. The content continued to focus on prominent current events, reflecting various aspects of political , economic, cultural, and social life through a humorous and satirical lens.

Another notable milestone occurred in 2022, when the familiar characters Nam Tao and Bac Dau were handed over to a younger generation of artists. Duy Nam and Trung Ruoi took on the two roles previously associated with Xuan Bac and Cong Ly.

After more than two decades of accompanying audiences, the temporary end of Táo Quân has left many feeling regretful. Many have expressed that they even feel a loss of the Tet atmosphere without this program.