Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • Lunar New Year: The most important and widely celebrated traditional festival in Vietnam, marking the beginning of a new year according to the lunisolar calendar. It is a time for family reunions, honoring ancestors, and welcoming good fortune.
   • Vietnamese New Year: Specifically refers to the Vietnamese celebration, which shares cultural roots with other Lunar New Year celebrations in East Asia but has distinct Vietnamese customs, foods, and traditions.

Usage Examples

• Proper noun:
  • Gia đình tôi sum họp đông đủ vào dịp Tết Nguyên Đán. (My family gathers fully on the occasion of Lunar New Year.)
  • Tết Nguyên Đán thường rơi vào tháng Một hoặc tháng Hai dương lịch. (Lunar New Year usually falls in January or February of the solar calendar.)
  • Không khí Tết Nguyên Đán tràn ngập khắp các con phố. (The atmosphere of Vietnamese New Year fills all the streets.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase is often shortened colloquially to simply "Tết".
  • Mọi người đều háo hức đón Tết. (Everyone is excited to welcome the New Year.)

Variants and Related Words

• Tết Ta (n): A common synonym meaning "our (Vietnamese) New Year," used to distinguish it from Western New Year (Tết Dương Lịch).

  • Tết Ta có nhiều phong tục ý nghĩa. (Our Vietnamese New Year has many meaningful customs.)

• Tết Cổ Truyền (n): Traditional New Year, emphasizing the festival's long-standing cultural heritage.

  • Tết Cổ Truyền là di sản văn hóa quý báu. (The Traditional New Year is a precious cultural heritage.)

Synonyms

• Lunar New Year: The general term for the celebration based on the lunisolar calendar.
• Vietnamese New Year: Specifies the national and cultural context.
• Spring Festival: A direct translation of a common name for the holiday in some cultures, sometimes used in English contexts for Tết.

Related Cultural Terms

• Lì xì: The custom of giving lucky money in red envelopes during Tết.

  • Trẻ con rất thích được nhận lì xì trong Tết Nguyên Đán. (Children love receiving lucky money during Lunar New Year.)

• Bánh chưng: A traditional square sticky rice cake, essential for Tết celebrations.

  • Gói bánh chưng là một hoạt động không thể thiếu khi chuẩn bị cho Tết Nguyên Đán. (Wrapping bánh chưng is an indispensable activity when preparing for Lunar New Year.)