The 2022 Lunar New Year is a special occasion. While other nations are safe enough to start the new year with festivities such as fireworks and gatherings, others have muted the celebrations due to COVID-19-related restrictions. The situation in Vietnam is, fortunately, is looking bright enough to celebrate the new year, while certain restrictions are still in place to ensure health and safety. Let’s look at the roundup of How Vietnam Celebrates Tet Holiday 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Overview on the COVID-19 Situation in Vietnam
Vietnam has always taken a serious approach towards preventing the spread of COVID-19, and even though most Asian countries are slowly opening up to international tourists, Vietnam is still reserved about its border resumption. Thanks to the resilient effort and high vaccination rate (more than 80% of the population has received 2 jabs), life in Vietnam has returned to somewhat normalcy. There are less than 100 Omicron-related cases reported in Vietnam (as of January 2022), which are promptly spotted and isolated, despite the viral infectious rate worldwide.
Highlight Events – How Vietnam Celebrates Tet Holiday 2022
Countdown Events and Fireworks
Due to the pandemic, the Lunar New Year’s Eve firework shows in most cities are no longer a large public event. For example, in Ho Chi Minh City, the countdown event will be held in just one location on Nguyen Hue Street, District 1, with no audience at the site and get broadcasted on TV.
Ho Chi Minh City will organize a countdown program to welcome 2022 New Year’s Eve without guests or spectators
In Hanoi, Thong Nhat Park (Hai Ba Trung District) will be the sole location to view fireworks on February 1st. Specifically, the fireworks would be lit for 15 minutes from midnight on the first day of the 2022 Lunar New Year.
However, it is recommended that you stay at home or enjoy the fireworks from uncrowded places due to COVID-19.
Theme Parks
You are welcomed at Suoi Tien theme park in Ho Chi Minh City, District 9 on the first day of the 2022 Lunar New Year (February 1st, 2022). Under the COVID-19 restrictions, Suoi Tien theme park will introduce many entertaining services with attractive discounts, such as Suoi Tien Farm with fruits exhibition, or enjoy fresh coconut from the newly opened Coconut Garden.
Other theme parks worth checking out for the Tet Holiday are Asia Park (Da Nang), Vinpearl Land (Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, etc.)
Tet Flowers Markets
In Hanoi, you can see and buy peach blossoms, apricot flowers, and decorations at the Tet market in the Old Quarter. On the occasion of Tet 2022, Hanoi will organize 78 flower markets from January 12th to January 31st in the places that ensure COVID-19 prevention, security, traffic safety, and environmental sanitation.
You can stroll around Hanoi Old Quarter and stop by its Tet market to see how lively the atmosphere is
You can come over to Nhat Tan flowers garden – which is famous for its beautiful peach blossoms branches – to check in on your Tet holiday in Vietnam.
Nhat Tan flower garden – the most famous flower garden in Ha Noi. You can come here to get yourself a peach blossom branch, chrysanthemum, or rose
In Ho Chi Minh City, The People’s Committee has just issued a plan to organize the 42nd Spring Flower Festival and the Lunar New Year Flower Market in 2022. You can come to visit and enjoy flowers exhibition and ornamental plants; unique works of art on bonsai; ornamental fish, bonsai, rockeries, miniatures… with artifacts and folk art forms.
- Spring Flower Festival will take place in Tao Dan Park (District 1) from January 27th to February 6th.
- Nguyen Hue Flower Street will occur from January 29th to February 4th
- Lunar New Year Flowers Market will take place at 23/9 Park, Gia Dinh Park, Le Van Tam Park, and Phu My Hung flowers street. You can visit from January 25th to January 31st.
In the previous years, the Spring Flower Festival was full of tourists. If you’re planning to celebrate Tet days this year, don’t forget the 5K message to safeguard yourself
Temples and Pagodas
Thousands of Vietnamese pilgrims travel to Vietnam’s famous pagodas for the first day of Lunar New Year, for example, Jade Emperor Pagoda, Hoang Phap Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City; Perfume Pagoda, Bai Dinh Pagoda in Hanoi, Thien Mu Pagoda in Hue City, or Huong Tich Pagoda in Ha Tinh province. All pagoda festivals will be held under the COVID-19 restrictions.
Temples and pagodas in Ho Chi Minh city will be opened during Tet days. Therefore, you can visit to wish for good luck in the upcoming year with self-protection against COVID-19.
Over the Tet holiday, more than 300,000 people visit Vietnam’s Bai Dinh Pagoda to marvel at its Buddha and a millennium’s work of Buddhist architecture
Certain temples and pagodas may not be open on these days due to the threats of COVID-19. In case a temple is opened, there are high chances that it’ll be packed with locals coming to visit and pray for the new year, especially on the first and second day of the Lunar New Year. Therefore, make sure that you choose a suitable visiting time: the third day of the Lunar New Year and afterward may be the safest time.
Tet Movies
Cinemas may close during Tet holidays 2022 because of COVID-19 in high-risk areas. Ho Chi Minh City has allowed cinemas to operate again so you can have some Tet movie dates, or setting up a homemade cinema is a good choice, too.
The Year of the Tiger – How Vietnam Celebrates Tet Holiday 2022
According to the Lunar New Year calendar, the Tet holiday in 2022 falls between January 29th – February 6th, with the first day of Lunar New Year on February 1st. The Vietnamese government also plans a Lunar New Year break accordingly.
For Vietnamese people, 2022 is the year of the Tiger (The year of the Golden Tiger), or Tet Nham Dan in Vietnamese.
In Chinese culture, people born in the years of the Golden Tiger are ambitious and vigorous, daring and courageous, enthusiastic and generous with a sense of justice and the willingness to help others for the greater good. Moreover, tigers are seen as guardians of children. Babies wear tiger-patterned shoes and hats to protect against evil spirits.
The Tiger ranks third in the animals of the Chinese zodiac
What Vietnamese People Do on Tet Holiday – How Vietnam Celebrates Tet Holiday 2022
There is a slight alteration in How Vietnam Celebrates Tet Holiday 2022 compared to previous years. Some events, restaurants, bars are closed because of the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and the looming Omcron danger. However, Vietnamese people still keep the tradition of preparing and enjoying Tet days. Read more at What to Expect from Vietnamese Tet.
A typical Tet celebration procedure begins even before the first day of the Lunar New Year. Before December 23rd according to the Lunar calendar, Vietnamese family members will gather to clean up their ancestors’ graves. The night of the 23rd is when people send respects to the Kitchen God, and the days following are for cleaning and decorating the house. The first three days of Lunar New Year are the most important as it is time spent with family, wishing for health, fortune, and good luck.
Don’t forget to try out Vietnamese Tet cuisines. You can easily name some familiar traditional dishes in Tet Holiday such as Banh Chung (Vietnamese Square Sticky Rice Cake), Gio cha (Vietnamese sausage), Thit Kho Trung (Vietnamese braised pork with eggs) or Dua Hanh, Kieu (Pickled onion, pickled cabbage, and small pickled leeks). Have a look at some Must-try Tet Dishes This Lunar New Year.
A typical Tet rice tray includes Banh Chung, Gio Cha, Thit Kho Trung, Dua Hanh, Kieu, and a boiled chicken
Lots of shops and restaurants are closed for the holiday, so make sure to stock up your food or save the number of places that operate through Tet. It is also expected to cost a small extra service fee for services during Tet. See also Tipping in Vietnam.
If you’re visiting a friend’s family during this festive time, a wise piece of advice is to prepare some lucky money for small children, bring a small gift, and wear bright colors.
Tet Travel Precautions – How Vietnam Celebrates Tet Holiday 2022
Traveling is fun, but you should also pay attention to the places you are heading to for the COVID-19 current situation. Despite the expansion of “green zones” in Vietnam, there are still risks of getting infected since people have been gathering more and more during Tet.
As of now, flights between Vietnam and international destinations have fully resumed from January 1st, 2022 to specific destinations. However, there are still some new requirements that international passengers need to follow:
- A negative rapid test result for COVID-19 before and after boarding a flight is required for passengers departing from the country where the Omicron variant has been recorded, such as France, England, Germany, Italy, etc. When arriving in Vietnam, travelers need to pay their expenses for the quick test.
- Other passengers (except children under 2 years old) need to have a negative test result by RT-PCR or RT-LAMP within 72 hours before entering Vietnam, and a certificate of vaccination or certificate of recovery for more than 6 months is required for your trip.
For domestic trips during the Tet Holiday 2022, pay attention to the local regulations and restrictions updates, check the prices and availability, and essential items to pack as your trip gets closer. Some facilities require PCR testing right on the spot before entering or a negative PCR test result within 72 hours.
Read more at Vietnam Travel Safety Tips during COVID-19
Summary of How Vietnam Celebrates Tet Holiday 2022
From the North to the South of Vietnam, people are trying their best to celebrate Tet 2022 as fun as possible while maintaining the valuable traditions in each household as well as staying safe during a pandemic. Comment below to share how you and your country ring in the new year amid the outbreak of COVID-19.