Traditional five-fruit tray and Tet feasts are carefully prepared on the family's ancestors' altar at Tet (Photo: VOV5)

On December 22nd, 2023, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution recognizing the Lunar New Year as an annual UN holiday. VOV interviews Mrs. Pauline Tamesis, the UN Resident Coordinator in Vietnam, to learn more about this resolution.

Reporter: Thank you very much for taking the time with us Ms. Tamesis. What changes will the UN resolution bring about?

Ms. Pauline Tamesis: This resolution invites United Nations bodies, especially at Headquarters and other duty stations where Lunar New Year is observed, to refrain from scheduling meetings and to take the arrangement into account when preparing future conference and meeting calendars.

By introducing the option to observe Lunar New Year as a floating holiday, we honour the cultural diversity of United Nations staff.

Celebrating our differences by respecting and embracing the rich tapestry of cultures and traditions represented in the United Nations enhances understanding and cooperation among nations.

Reporter: Do you think the UN resolution will pave the way for other initiatives to further promote their respect of the future diversity of all civilizations in the world?

Ms. Pauline Tamesis: The decision to declare Lunar New Year as a floating UN holiday is a significant step towards acknowledging and celebrating the myriad cultures that make up our global community.

Embracing cultural diversity is not just about recognizing special days. It requires us to integrate diversity into our everyday operations and policies.

Reporter: What do you think about the traditional Vietnamese Lunar New Year?

Ms. Pauline Tamesis: This is my second opportunity to experience the joy and reverence of Tet, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year.

I've come to understand that Tet is not just a holiday; it's a special, if not sacred time, deeply rooted in the national traditions of all Vietnamese people. It's an occasion for families to come together, reflect on the past year, and set aspirations for the new year ahead.

What Tet represents, in many ways, is similar to what we value in my culture. The importance of family, the reverence of parents, the respect and gratitude not only to our parents, but more so to our grandparents and great grandparents, the blessings that inter-generational families bring the young and even the old. There's a profound sense of connection to one's roots, a quality that I find inspiring in the Vietnamese people. Happy New Year!

Reporter: Thank very much forr taking the time with us Mrs. Tamesis.

Wrapping Chung or square sticky rice cake is one of age-old Tet customs of the Vietnamese people (Photo: VOV5)

Saying “Happy New Year” in Vietnamese's: “Chúc mừng năm mới”, UN Resident Coordinator in Vietnam, Pauline Tamesis, and many other foreigners in Vietnam have commented that they are enjoying Vietnamese Tết as much as the locals.

Max McFarlin, an American blogger, who has gone viral among backpackers around the world, produce a video clip featuring the Vietnamese traditional Lunar New Year.

Max is talking with a seller about “dong” leaves, which are used to make traditional “Chưng” or square sticky rice cakes. For Max, in addition to Chưng cakes, kumquat trees and pork stewed with eggs are other must-haves during Tết. Max also prepares a table with Tết items.

Max said: "Look at this: In the middle is a tray of candies: keo me (tamarind candy), keo dau phong (peanut candy), and also mut dua (candied coconut), nho kho (raisins), hat de (chestnuts), and hat dieu (cashews). And this is a five-fruit tray. I'm not an expert so I just keep it very simple as I know to worship my ancestors and pray for good luck in the new year."

Max says lucky money is indispensable during Tet. Max gives lucky money to the elderly man and the elderly woman.

At Duong Lam ancient village in Son Tay town, which is more than 50 kilometers west of the capital city of Hanoi, more than 150 foreign visitors delighted in experiencing and discovering the splendor of Vietnam's traditional Tet culture.

The event has been a frequent occurrence in recent years and there are always more foreign visitors participating this year than they were last year.

Lunar New Year vibes emanate from the mossy village entrance, extending to the communal house. Tết feasts are on show in the Mong Phu communal house yard. Tourists experience the customs of wrapping Chung cakes and pork sausages and savor the Duong Lam people's traditional Tet cuisine.

"I like Chung cakes the most because it is a popular dish in Vietnam, especially during Tet,' said a visitor.

"I saw a really joyful atmosphere, especially for the kids. I witnessed how traditional Vietnamese dishes, including the incredibly distinctive Chưng cakes, were prepared for Tet," said another visitor.

Vietnamese traditional Tet customs, such as offering lucky money, releasing carp, and welcoming New Year's Eve, have had a lasting impression on foreign guests because these customs are ingrained in a long-standing culture that has been nurtured and passed down through generations.

"Traditional ceremonies clearly demonstrate the customs and traditions of Vietnamese people. Tet customs are still upheld. Upon my arrival, I was struck by the Vietnamese people's kindness, compassion, thankfulness, and consideration. It's quite hard to put into word how happy and joyful I feel to be greeted by Vietnamese families, even if the surroundings are quite simple, the emotions are strong,' said a foreign visitor.

A Japanese visitor said: "Many traditional cultural features are still present in Vietnam. Every time Tet comes, families reunite and friends gather together. In Japan, Tet falls on New Year's Day but Vietnam continues to celebrate the Lunar New Year."  

Visitors are excited with folk games during Tet at Duong Lam ancient village (Photo: Thanh Huyen/VOV2)

Many foreign travelers opted to visit Vietnam throughout the Lunar New Year in order to learn more about the fascinating culture and way of life of the Vietnamese people. This makes Vietnam one of the most popular Tet destinations for tourists from the Asia-Pacific region.

Online travel service, Agoda, listed Vietnam as one of the top five places for visitors searching for a trip over the Lunar New Year holiday in the Asia-Pacific region. Korean travelers top the list of foreign visitors to Vietnam, according to Agoda.

Kim Joong Nung, a Korean visitor, says: "Both Vietnamese and Korean Tết share the same custom of a fresh outlook on the new year. On the Korean New Year, members frequently gather together to worship their ancestors and have a special feast. Apart from such custom, people in Vietnam also visit friends, family, and acquaintances. I therefore feel really friendly and like I used to be traditional Korean."

Since Tết is a time when visitors come to Vietnam to fully immerse themselves in the local way of life, travel agencies incorporate Tet-related events into their tour packages. In addition to tasting Chung cakes and Tet cakes, guests can view peach and apricot blossoms and learn the significance of the five-fruit tray during the Tet holiday. In some locations, visitors can join locals in celebrating Tet.

Joseph Potosky, Canadian visitor, says: "I really love the lion dance. I've seen many times in Canada and in Thailand before, but I've never actually done it. It was really fun to get under the mask and was able to dance. It’s really fun."

Mr Mark Marku from Albania, says: "It is super interesting. I love it. It was the first time for me to seeing it close."

Tết is a time to get together with friends and relatives: "On the morning of the first day of Tết, children and grandchildren came to my house. I have 6 children and 6 grandchildren. Very crowded. One of my offspring who has a suitable zodiac was chosen to show up first when I opened the door."

After being reunited with his Vietnamese family for the Lunar New Year, Joseph Potosky expressed his feelings: "I like being with family and traditions. I come from a really big family back home so we do spend a lot of Tết holiday together. I like the fact that family all come together and everyone together, they travel along distance to spend time with each other."

Additionally, tourists immediately engage in Tet customs with Vietnamese families: "I wish you Happy New Year. I wish you very good health for the following year and wish you good time with your family."

Mark says: "I wish you health, wealth, happiness and the family enjoys plenty of enjoyable moments together. Chuc mung nam moi!"

In 2023 a TV channel in Brussels produced a report called “Vietnamese people welcome Tết in the municipality of Woluwe Saint-Pierre in Brussels, the capital of Belgium”.

According to the author, saying “Happy New Year” or “Chúc mừng năm mới” is how Vietnamese people greet each other on this occasion. Some Belgian people have also learned to say “Chúc mừng năm mới”. The report also features typical characteristics of the Vietnamese traditional Lunar New Year.      

"One of the iconic items of the Vietnamese Lunar New Year is pomelo. All families display pamelos during the New Year. To ensure a complete celebration of Tết, they also decorate their celebrations with banners printed with greetings arranged as 2 parallel sentences that are brought from Vietnam."

Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) also covered the Tết celebration in Nakashibetsu, where Vietnamese technical interns and Japanese locals join each other to prepare traditional Vietnamese dishes.

"This dishes are really delicious"

"I feel closer to Vietnam."

"I’m very happy because everyone is interested in this experience. It’s wonderful that the Japanese and Vietnamese connect with each other via their cuisine."

NHK also featured Vietnamese Tết culture in a program titled "Vietnamese in life and at work". The 4- episode show inspired Japanese audience to learn about Vietnamese Lunar New Year festival.

Reporter: How have the values of the traditional Lunar New Year contributed to exhibiting the beauty of Vietnamese culture in the world?

Mr Son: The Traditional Lunar New Year is the cultural power of the nation because it embraces traditional values and connects the community. We’re proud of the international acknowledgement of the values of the Lunar New Year because the beauty of Vietnamese culture becomes better known worldwide. During international integration, we’re not dissolved in the world culture but confident we will integrate with our unique national cultural identity based on our own strengths.

Reporter: What do you mean “our own strengths”?

Mr Son: With the core values of the nation on display, we understand better who we are and how our nation is and we also better understand and become more proud of our unique values. During the international integration process, clearly understanding our cultural values will help us create art works and economic products embracing Vietnamese cultural identity which will reveal our own strengths for socio-economic development.

Reporter: What should Vietnam do to bring cultural values into play, including values of the Lunar New Year?

Mr Son: In 2005, UNESCO adopted the “Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions”, which encourages countries to protect their cultural values to safeguard their national cultural sovereignty. Thus, in addition to national sovereignty over territory and territorial waters, national sovereignty over culture is one of the important factors in ensuring independence and integrity both in terms of territory and the unique spirit of a nation. That is why we need to encourage more interest in Vietnam’s national cultural identity. In my opinion, we must increase awareness of the importance of the Lunar New Year in our national culture and the positioning of Vietnamese cultural values in the international arena. Second, we need to adopt policies to honor the values of Tết and policies that target national cultural values, such as sharing and reunion. Third, we need to create more special cultural and artistic commodities for Tết days in order to spread our positive image.

Reporter: Thank you Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Hoai Son.

International friends expressed their profound admiration for Vietnamese culture in general and the Lunar New Year in particular, and they vowed to act as ambassadors to promote Vietnamese culture to the rest of the world.

"Charlin wants to keep sharing inspiring messages about Vietnam because the country has unique identities that set it apart from other nations and make it a valuable asset."

"I do deeply appreciate Vietnam so I will do everything in my power to present the finest possible image of the country to international friends. Vietnam truly deserves it. I want to start another YouTube channel to introduce Vietnam to the Arab community. I hope for greater sustainable development in Vietnam in the upcoming year."

The Lunar New Year Festival or Tết embraces unique features of traditional Vietnamese culture. Tết has contributed to positioning Vietnamese culture on the world cultural map. It has also become a soft power, a package representing the Vietnamese people to confidently integrate and develop with the international community both today and tomorrow.