{"id":4689,"date":"2011-01-29T10:49:15","date_gmt":"2011-01-29T18:49:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shescookin.com\/?p=4689"},"modified":"2021-02-11T16:40:49","modified_gmt":"2021-02-12T00:40:49","slug":"tet-traditions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shescookin.com\/tet-traditions\/","title":{"rendered":"Lunar New Year – Tet Festival Traditions"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Tet Festival is the Vietnamese celebration of the Lunar New Year and it is surrounded by many traditions including cleaning house to sweep away evil spirits, preparing traditional foods, and giving gifts of Banh Chung<\/em> and red envelopes.<\/p>\n Preparations for Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year and Spring Festival, \u00a0and welcoming the Year of the Rabbit on February 3rd, have been underway for weeks in Asian households around the world. Although the Lunar New Year is observed in all of East Asia influenced by Chinese civilization, each country celebrates it in a way unique to that country.<\/p>\n How has a humble rice cake with three simple ingredients (rice, mung bean, and pork) come to symbolize Tet, the most celebrated of Vietnamese holidays? The gift of Banh Chung during the New Year has become the most important tradition of Vietnamese culture and was passed down from one generation to the next.\u00a0 Always curious about the delicious foods that play such an important role in cultural traditions, \u00a0I participated in a cooking demonstration by Chef Haley Nguyen of Xanh Bistro<\/em> (no longer open) and learned about the legend behind Banh Chung,<\/em> how it’s made, and how it became a symbol of T\u1ebft.<\/em><\/p>\n One year, my friend Monique and I met at the ABC Supermarket shopping center at Bolsa and Brookhurst in what’s known as Little Saigon in Westminster. Monique acted as my translator and tour guide, telling me about Tet symbols and customs while I snapped away. Traffic was already backed up on Brookhurst at 10:30 a.m. and the parking lot was swarming with erratic drivers looking for a spot. I parked way in the back.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Flowers are an important part of decorating a home during Tet Festival.\u00a0 Plum blossom and water narcissus are the two flowers most associated with the New Year.<\/p>\nWhat is Banh Chung?<\/h2>\n
Tet Festival in Little Saigon<\/h2>\n