The Vietnamese traditional New Year (Tet) festival actually begins on the 23rd of the last month of the lunar year, which falls on January 17 this year, with the “Ong Cong - Ong Tao” (Land Genie and Kitchen Gods) ritual.
As the gods make their journey on the back of fish, traditions dictate the release of live carps into lakes or rivers, which is considered a kindhearted deed to pray for good luck. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) - The Vietnamese traditional New Year (Tet) festival actually begins on the 23rd of the last month of the lunaryear, which falls on January 17 this year, withthe “Ong Cong - Ong Tao” (Land Genie and Kitchen Gods) ritual.
On this day, every family is busystaging a ceremony to send off the Land Genie andthe Kitchen Gods of the household on their yearlyvisit of Heaven.
The Kitchen Gods, the guardian spiritof the kitchen, are believed to comprise two male gods and one female, whobless the household and keep up the kitchen fire, making every member of thefamily happy and well-off.
As the legend goes, the Land Genie and theKitchen Gods will ride carps to Heaven on the day to deliver an annual reporton the household’s activities to the God of Heaven.
As the gods make their journey on the back offish, traditions dictate the release of live carps into lakes or rivers, which is considered akindhearted deed 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 tripbeyond.
After the Kitchen Gods go to Heaven, familiesbegin tidying and decorating their houses to usher in the New Year as theybelieve that a clean house represents a fresh start.
On New Year's Eve, the genies will return to earth and resume their caretaking duties in the kitchenof the house.
Although residents in each region across thecountry pay their homage to Ong Cong and Ong Tao in slightly different ways,the gods remain important figures in the rich texture of Vietnamese New Year.
The fire in the kitchen is the symbol of notonly warm family union, but also a bumper harvest and agricultural developmentof Vietnamese people. The custom of worshipping the Kitchen Gods reflectsVietnamese’s respect of family happiness.-VNA
The traditional Lunar New Year (Tet) is the biggest and oldest festival in Vietnam, bringing its people together to celebrate the sacred and meaningful annual event.
About 1,000 overseas Vietnamese (OV) gathered at the annual “Homeland Spring” programme in Hanoi on January 26 to celebrate the upcoming Lunar New Year.
For most Vietnamese, Tet (Lunar New Year) festival has actually begun with the “Ong Cong - Ong Tao” (Land Genie and Kitchen Gods) ceremony on the 23rd of the last month of the lunar year, which falls on January 28 this year.
A lunar New Year (Tet) festival has taken place at the Financial University (FU) in Moscow, gathering 200 students from Vietnam, China, Mongolia and Russia.
US Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel J. Kritenbrink on January 15 performed the Vietnamese traditional New Year ritual of releasing carps into a lake to bid farewell to the Kitchen Gods at Kim Lien pagoda in Hanoi.
The Vietnamese team will gather on June 26 in Ba Ria-Vung Tau, where they will train until July 14 before departing for Indonesia for the ASEAN U23 Championship 2025, which runs from July 15 to 29. Vietnam will face Laos on July 19 and Cambodia on July 22 in the group stage.
The exhibition showcases more than 100 valuable documents and artifacts, divided into two main parts: “Journalist Nguyen Ai Quoc – Ho Chi Minh” and “President Ho Chi Minh – Founder and Mentor of Vietnamese Revolutionary Press.” This is an opportunity to recall the late leader’s journalism journey and affirm his exceptional role in founding and guiding the revolutionary press in Vietnam.
For the first time, the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) has granted Vietnam hosting rights for the two championships, including the Asian women’s solo category, which debuts this year as an officially recognised event.
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).
As the gods make their journey on the back of fish, traditions dictate the release of live carps into lakes or rivers, which is considered a kindhearted deed to pray for good luck. (Photo: VNA) 
