The Vietnamese traditional New Year (Tet) festival actually begins on the 23rd of the last month of the lunar year, which falls on February 4 this year, with the “Ong Cong - Ong Tao” (Land Genie and Kitchen Gods) ritual.
Carps are sold at Yen So Market in Hanoi's Hoang Mai district to serve the practice of releasing live carps on the Kitchen Gods ceremony (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) - The Vietnamese traditionalNew Year (Tet) festival actually begins on the 23rd of the last month of thelunar year, which falls on February 4 this year, with the “Ong Cong - Ong Tao”(Land Genie and Kitchen Gods) ritual.
On this day, every family is busy staging a ceremony to send off the Land Genieand the Kitchen Gods of the household on their yearly visit of Heaven.
The Kitchen Gods, the guardian spirit of the kitchen, are believed to comprisetwo male gods and one female, who bless the household and keep up the kitchenfire, making every member of the family happy and well-off.
As the legend goes, the Land Genie and the Kitchen Gods will ride carps toHeaven on the day to deliver an annual report on the household’s activities tothe God of Heaven.
As the gods make their journey on the back of fish, traditions dictate therelease of live carps into lakes or rivers, which is considered a kind-hearteddeed to pray for good luck.
On the day, people also burn paper clothing, including hats, robes and boots,intended for use by the genies on the trip beyond.
After the Kitchen Gods go to Heaven, families begin tidying and decoratingtheir houses to usher in the New Year as they believe that a clean houserepresents a fresh start.
On New Year's Eve, the genies will return to earth and resume their caretakingduties in the kitchen of the house.
Although residents in each region across the country pay their homage to OngCong and Ong Tao in slightly different ways, the gods remain important figuresin the rich texture of Vietnamese New Year.
The fire in the kitchen is the symbol of not only warm family union, but also abumper harvest and agricultural development of Vietnamese people. The custom ofworshipping the Kitchen Gods reflects Vietnamese’s respect of family happiness./.
Tet gifts from the Ministry of National Defence and the navy as well as specialties from around the country are being delivered to personnel at offshore economic, scientific, and technical service stations, known as DK1 platforms, and in Con Dao island district.
Making “banh chung” (square glutinous rice cake) was the highlight of an event held on February 2 at the Nguyen Du Lao-Vietnamese bilingual school in the Lao capital of Vientiane to welcome in the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday.
A photo exhibition featuring Lunar New Year during the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945) is being held at Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam (The Temple of Literature) in Hanoi.
Ho Chi Minh City will work hard to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, maintain socio-economic development and ensure a happy Tet (Lunar New Year) festival for its residents, heard a meeting on February 2.
A special TV music show featuring 70 singers, rappers, dancers, musicians and theatre artists will air on HCM City Television (HTV) to celebrate Tet (Lunar New Year), which begins on February 12.
Eight teams will join the tournament, divided into two groups. Group A features Vietnam, the Philippines, Sichuan Club (China), and Australia, while Group B consists of Vietnam U21, Korabelka Club (Russia), Taiwan (China), and U21 Thailand.
Despite strong home support and high expectations, Vietnam were unable to overcome the defending champions, who secured their third consecutive win over Vietnam in a regional final, following previous victories in 2014 and 2023.
The event, part of Vietnam’s cultural diplomacy strategy through 2030, was jointly organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in Venezuela and USM’s Faculty of International Relations. It attracted thousands of students from universities across Venezuela.
For the first time, Vietnamese audiences will have the opportunity to experience the ballet masterpiece "Don Quixote" in its original version by renowned choreographer Marius Petipa.
The contest carried deep meaning as it was the first time the life of Vietnamese women abroad had been highlighted as the central theme, said poet and writer Nguyen Quang Thieu, Chairman of the Vietnam Writers’ Association.
The event formed part of Vietnam’s ongoing campaign to seek UNESCO World Heritage status for the complex at the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, scheduled to take place in Paris in July.
Creative cultural festivals are fast emerging as a new catalyst for tourism development in Vietnam, as localities increasingly invest in these vibrant events on a more systematic and larger scale.
This marks the first time Vietnam has hosted a continental-level Muay event which will feature competitions across 28 weight categories in combat and eight performance categories.
Coming to the Vietnamese booth, visitors had the chance to take part in a bamboo dance, a workshop on painting woven bamboo or rattan, or quizzes about Vietnam.
These are impressive achievements, not only showing the efforts and prowess of Vietnamese paddlers but also serving as proof of the sports sector’s strategic and systematic investment.
The cultural event in Canberra not only fostered cultural exchanges between Vietnam and Australia but also contributed to promoting Vietnam’s image internationally
The U23 competition will run from June 16 to 22, followed by the U17 event from June 23 to 28, while athletes competing in the U23 category will undergo weight and skill checks ahead of the matches starting June 18, while similar checks for U17 athletes will take place before June 23.
Vietnam continues to sit just behind continental powerhouses Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, China, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
The event served as a vibrant display of solidarity, promoting peace, cooperation, and development through cultural dialogue, and reaffirmed HCM City's role as a dynamic hub for cultural diplomacy and international friendship.
The Indian Film Festival not only honours the artistic value of cinema but also contributes to strengthening the friendship and enhancing cultural exchange between the people of Son La in particular and Vietnam in general and India.
An art exchange programme between Vietnam and Cambodia was held on the evening of June 13 in the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long as part of the 2025 Cambodia Culture Week in Vietnam.
Digitalisation does not mean commercialisation or oversimplification of culture. It is a way of selecting, adapting, and spreading traditional values through a modern language.
Carps are sold at Yen So Market in Hanoi's Hoang Mai district to serve the practice of releasing live carps on the Kitchen Gods ceremony (Photo: VNA) 
