Tet 2026: Vietnamese Lunar New Year
Lunar New Year 2026 (Year of the Horse) will occur on Tuesday, February 17, 2026 (Gregorian calendar).
When is Vietnamese Lunar New Year 2026?
Vietnamese Lunar New Year, or Tet, is one of the most important festivals in Vietnam. During Tet, people from everywhere return to their hometown, visit their families and relatives, reward themselves some relaxing days after a hard-working year, and celebrate the new year with plenty of customs and festive activities.
Tet is always the 1st January in the Lunar Calendar. This date changes year by year and falls between late January to late February in the Solar Calendar. In 2026, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year falls on 17th February 2026.
How long does it last?
Tet includes 4 main days: the last day of the old year (Lunar New Year’s Eve) and the first 3 days of the new year. However, customs related to Tet usually take place a few days before or after, so the festival often lasts 22 days (if 29th Lunar December is the last) or 23 days (if 30th Lunar December is the last). Tet 2026 will last for 22 days, starting from 10th February to 3rd March 2026 in the Solar Calendar.
10th February 2026: Kitchen God Day
On Kitchen God Day, Vietnamese express their gratitude to the gods who protect the family all year long by giving them offerings on the altar and releasing carps - supposed to be the means of transport that these gods come back to heaven.
11th - 15th February 2026: Clean house, prepare five-fruit tray, visit ancestor’s graves, make Chung Cake
Although people can prepare for Tet a month in advance, some days before New Year’s Eve are the busiest days. Cleaning and decorating the house, especially the ancestor’s altar, visiting and cleaning the ancestor’s grave, and preparing a five-fruit tray not only show gratitude and remembrance to ancestors but also wish good luck and happiness. Besides, making Chung cake or Tet cake when it comes closer to Tet is indispensable. That is a traditional dish to offer guests at the feast as well as to show respect to the homeland and the wish for fullness and prosperity in the new year.
16th February 2026: Lunar New Year’s Eve
On the last day of the year, Vietnamese often reunite with their family and enjoy a feast together. They also set a hearty food tray on the altar as a way to invite ancestors to enjoy Tet and wish for the best things in the new year. At the transition moment, family members often wish for good things and give each other lucky money in the red envelope. An important activity on New Year’s Eve is “xong dat”. It is the first visit of a “chosen” person to the house to bring luck and prosperity to the owner and family in the whole year.
17th February 2026: Lunar New Year Day - Visit father’s relatives
Visiting relatives on the father's side is the first and foremost thing to do on the first day of the year. The young will visit and send the longevity wishes to the elders and the children later will receive the lucky money or present from the elders.
18th February 2026: Visit mother’s relatives
After the father’s side, Vietnamese will visit relatives on the mother’s side and have activities similar to the previous day.
19th February 2026: Visit teachers
In the long-standing Vietnamese tradition, teachers always play an important role in teaching them to become good persons, both in knowledge and personality, just after parents. Therefore, Vietnamese will spend the third day visiting and wishing their teachers a happy new year after visiting father and mother's sides.
3rd March 2026: Tet Nguyen Tieu - First full moon
Tet Nguyen Tieu or Ram Thang Gieng is the very first full moon in the year. It is believed that going to the pagoda, sending offerings, and praying at this time are more important than any others. Therefore, whether they are Buddhist or not, many families will pay a visit to some local pagodas or temples to pray for good health, luck, and success.
What is the animal sign of 2026?
2026 is the year of the Horse on the Vietnamese zodiac. In Eastern culture, the horse symbolizes strength, freedom, agility, endurance, and generosity. Those who were born in the Horse years are optimistic, determined, and energetic. However, their overenergy or stubbornness may lead to impulsive decisions or misunderstandings in personal relationships sometimes.
Due to cultural interference, Vietnam and some Asian countries usually have a representative animal for each lunar year, also known as the zodiac animal. In Vietnam, there are 12 zodiac animals in order: rat, ox, tiger, cat, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, pig. Each person is also attached to a zodiac animal corresponding to that year. Therefore, those who will be born in 2026 and were born in 2014, 2002, 1990, 1978, 1966,... will be a horse. Vietnamese believe that if the lunar year coincides with a person's zodiac animal, that year may bring some bad luck and is not favorable for crucial plans like getting married, buying a house, starting a business, etc. Therefore, those in their zodiac year will do some religious actions to limit the bad things that may come.
The Horse is supposed to best match the Tiger (similar energy), the Dog (similar loyalty), and the Goat (complementary and supportive relationship). On the other hand, it is incompatible with Rat or Rooster due to their fundamental personality differences. If you are born in the year of the horse, 2026 is a vibrant year with promising opportunities, especially in terms of career. However, besides promoting dynamism and enthusiasm, you also need to control your impulsiveness and listen to your partner carefully to avoid possible mistakes.
Things to do for good luck in Lunar New Year
According to ancestor's beliefs, things that happen on the very first days of the year reflect things that may happen throughout the year. Therefore, Vietnamese will do things to bring good luck and avoid bad things on the first days in order to obtain a peaceful, lucky, and successful year.
Do’s
- Burn incense and give offerings for ancestors: Not only to thank ancestors for their great merit in giving birth and educating but also to pray for their blessing.
- “Xong dat” for the house: Choose the most suitable person for the first visit to bring luck to family members in the house.
- Choose red: Red is the lucky color. Wearing red clothes or eating red food such as “gac” sticky rice, watermelon,... will attract fortune and luck.
- Give lucky money and good wishes: Saying good things, giving and receiving lucky money, and sending best wishes bring luck to others.
- “Xuat hanh” - the first outing and lucky leaves: The time to first go out of the house is usually carefully selected. After visiting relatives, they often go to the pagoda to pray. On the way back home, they will pick a branch with verdant leaves as a way to bring fortune home.
- Go to the pagoda/temple: Burning incense in the pagoda to get peace of mind. Some people in their zodiac year will do some spiritual worship to drive away bad luck and pray for peace, health, wealth, and luck.
- Buy salt: Salt is an indispensable spice symbolizing an in-depth relationship in every house and is believed to dismiss evils and bring good things to the family. Many pagodas offer small bags of salt for visitors as a wish for them. Salt is also sold on many streets on the first new-year days.
Don’ts
- No sweeping house on the 1st day: It may bring fortune out of the house.
- No cutting hair: It may bring bad luck, bad health, and wealth.
- No borrowing and paying the money back: To avoid poverty and debt in the new year.
- No quarreling or swearing: To avoid bad luck and unhappiness.
- No breaking things such as bowls, mirrors, plates, cups, etc.: To avoid bad luck and separation in the family or relationship.
- No closing door: It may prevent luck and fortune from entering the house.
How long is Tet Holiday 2026?
Normally, Vietnamese will have a 7-day Tet holiday, the last 2 days of the old year and the first 5 days of the new year. However, laborers may have additional days off due to adjacent weekends. The official number of public holidays will be announced by the Government in late 2025 or early 2026. Depending on each organization and enterprise, Vietnamese people will have 5 to 9 days off for Tet.
Official: Tet 2026 will offer 9 days off for the Lunar New Year, from 14/02/2026 to 22/02/2026 (from the 27th day of the lunar December to the 6th day of Tet).
During Tet, most businesses, government offices, and non-essential services are closed. Nevertheless, hotels and many restaurants and services are still open to serve a remarkable number of tourists traveling during Tet for vacation and traditional exploration. Employees working on this holiday will receive 300% regular daily salary.
Tet holiday schedule in recent years
| Year | Number of Days Off | Start Date (Gregorian Calendar) |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 7 days | 31/01/2011 |
| 2012 | 9 days | 21/01/2012 |
| 2013 | 9 days | 09/02/2013 |
| 2014 | 9 days | 28/01/2014 |
| 2015 | 9 days | 15/02/2015 |
| 2016 | 9 days | 06/02/2016 |
| 2017 | 7 days | 26/01/2017 |
| 2018 | 7 days | 14/02/2018 |
| 2019 | 9 days | 02/02/2019 |
| 2020 | 7 days | 23/01/2020 |
| 2021 | 7 days | 10/02/2021 |
| 2022 | 9 days | 29/01/2022 |
| 2023 | 7 days | 20/01/2023 |
| 2024 | 7 days | 09/02/2024 |
| 2025 | 9 days | 25/01/2025 |
- Notes: The "number of days off" is the total number of official Tet holiday days, including both the days before and after Tet.
Vietnamese Lunar New Year in the next 10 years
Since the Lunar Calendar always comes after the Solar Calendar and the "leap month" rule, the Lunar New Year Day varies but will only fall between 21 Solar January and 20 Solar February. To get an overview of Vietnamese Lunar New Year in the next 10 years, check out the table below:
| Vietnamese Lunar New Year | Date | Animal sign |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | February 17 | Horse (Ngọ / Ngựa) |
| 2027 | February 6 | Goat (Mùi / Dê) |
| 2028 | January 26 | Monkey (Thân / Khỉ) |
| 2029 | February 13 | Rooster (Dậu / Gà0 |
| 2030 | February 3 | Dog (Tuất / Chó) |
| 2031 | January 23 | Pig (Hợi / Heo) |
| 2032 | February 11 | Rat (Tý / Chuột) |
| 2033 | January 31 | Buffalo (Sửu / Trâu) |
| 2034 | February 19 | Tiger (Dần / Hổ) |
| 2035 | February 8 | Cat (Mão/ Mèo) |
Questions and Answers (06)
We plan to visit HCMC 13 Feb - 16 Feb, 2026 and Hanoi 16 Feb - 18 Feb, 2026. Will things be open? What can we expect?
@Darby, Yes, your visit will fall during the Tết holiday, so expect many shops, supermarkets, and attractions to close around Feb 16–18, 2026. However, restaurants in major tourist areas usuually reopen by late Feb 17, and you’d enjoy a festive cultural atmosphere.
Some exceptions: Aeon malls will remain open during Tết, and many main attractions in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City may not close. We will update on activities and events as the holiday approaches.
Hey! We are arriving on the 31st of January in Ho Chi Minh, is there any special things to keep in mind at that time or anything special to look out for during the time or is the festival kind of over already? Also in 12 of February is there what kind of celebration then for example in Hanoi at the time, like lantern festival or what type of? Thank you so much for the great info!
@Anna, Your visit to Vietnam coincides with the Tết Nguyên Đán from 29 Jan to 05 Feb 2025:
January 31 - 3rd day of Tet (Ho Chi Minh City):
- Visit the Nguyen Hue Flower Street, District 1.
- Some businesses and restaurants may begin reopening as families start dining out.
- Streets might be busier, but the festive energy is contagious!
February 12 - Tet is over for almost a week (Hanoi):
- Visit Hoàn Kiếm Lake or Ngoc Son Temple, where locals might still be paying respects and enjoying a peaceful atmosphere.
- You might also catch some spring festivals around Hanoi, such as Perfume Pagoda Festival or traditional games in villages nearby.
Local Tips:
- Both Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi can be crowded during Tết, and transportation might be busier. Therefore, you might want to book your tickets and accommodations early.
- Ho Chi Minh city will be warm, while Hanoi could be cooler, so pack accordingly.
Frequently asked questions
1. What is “xong dat”?
"Xong dat" or "xong nha" is a traditional Vietnamese custom in which the first person enters a house on the first day of the new year and brings positive energy and best wishes to the homeowner and his family. The "xong dat" person has an important influence on the fortune, happiness, and prosperity of the family in the year ahead. Therefore, most families will ask a specific person in advance instead of waiting for the first visitor. The ideal person is the one who has a compatible zodiac age with the homeowner, a good personality, and a successful career.
2. What foods are traditional for Tet?
Depending on each region, Tet feast includes different traditional dishes. However, you can see the following dishes all over Vietnam such as Banh chung (Chung cake), Banh tet (Tet cake), boiled chicken, xoi gac (red sticky rice), gio lua/gio xao (pork rolls), nem/cha gio (fried spring rolls), pickled shallot, pork skin ball soup, and bamboo shoot soup.
3. Why do people give “lucky money”?
As its name says, "Lucky money" (or "li xi" in Vietnamese) brings luck in the new year. People put money in a red envelope and give it to someone to wish them luck, health, and peace. Adults give "lucky money" to children and hope they obey their parents and have a good studying. The young give it to elders to wish them good health and longevity. No matter how big or small the amount of money is, the act of giving and receiving "lucky money" is a small gesture with a big meaning that cannot be missed in the new year.
4. How do families decorate for Tet?
A well-appointed house starts a new year with all the best. One of the most important places for Tet decor must be the altar. After cleaning the altar, they will place fragrant incense, fresh flowers, a bountiful five-fruit tray, and other offers to invite their ancestors back home and enjoy Tet. Meanwhile, the living room is adorned with red couplets and traditional trees and flowers such as kumquat, apricot blossom, or peach blossom. That creates a revitalized ambiance, not only to welcome guests but also to entice more fortune and prosperity to the house. Last but not least, a spotlessly clean kitchen with tidy furnishings and well-organized utensils and spices will ensure joyful feasts and lasting memories for all family members and guests during Tet.
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