When I became interested in Vietnam I decided that a good way to learn about the country, its people and their culture, would be to do research on Tet. In my experience, important national days like Tet are a window through which one can see many aspects of life.
So from 2008 onwards I have come to Viet Nam for Tet every year, spoken to many people, and visited many homes in Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho, Hanoi, Danang, Vung Tau, and elsewhere. People have been very kind and generous in sharing their knowledge and beliefs with me.
My original belief that Tet allows one to see many aspects of Vietnamese history, tradition and culture was correct. Through studying Tet I came to realise many things about Vietnamese life, such as the importance of family, the respect people give to their ancestors, and the many beliefs that people have about gods and spirits.
It is also clear that not everybody is the same – different families, regions, cities and religious groups have different Tet customs and beliefs. For example, In Tan Phu and Tan Binh districts of HCMC, people who trace their origins to Quang Nam and other areas in centre of Vietnam have a custom called ‘cung xom’ which they perform 9 or 10 days after Tet. In this they worship all the gods and spirits associated with the land, and also the ‘homeless ghosts’ (co hon). Other people in HCMC do not know about this, and are surprised when I inform them about it.
It is also clear that although many Tet customs are traditional, Tet is also changing and developing from year to year, and this is normal, things do not stay the same. Travelling overseas, or to another part of Vietnam for a short holiday during Tet has become quite common, but usually those who travel also try to make sure that they spend part of the Tet holiday at home with their family.
Tradition and modernity can be combined – another example of this is the annual Ong Tao Ve Troi TV show. Many people send Ong Tao/Tao Quan to heaven in the traditional way on 25 December, and also watch this TV show a few days later.
Professor Patrick McAllister