Vietnam's Tết, Day by Day: What Happens on the First Three Days of Lunar New Year

In Taiwan, Lunar New Year follows a loose script: Day 1 you visit temples, Day 2 married daughters go back to their parents' home, Day 3 you sleep in.
Vietnam also celebrates the Lunar New Year, and it has a similar structure — but the daily assignments are more specific and more strictly observed.

There's an old Vietnamese saying: "Mùng 1 Tết cha, mùng 2 Tết mẹ, mùng 3 Tết thầy."
It translates to: Day 1 is for father's family, Day 2 for mother's family, Day 3 for your teacher.

Three days. Three people. Three different meanings.

Day 1: The Husband's Family and Ancestor Worship

Day 1 belongs to the father's side.
A married couple takes the children to the husband's family home.
The entire clan gathers for the year's first formal ancestor worship ceremony.

After the offerings, younger family members pay their respects to the elders in order of seniority.
Elders give red envelopes — called lì xì in Vietnamese, a term borrowed from Cantonese.
Then the whole family sits down for the New Year's meal.
In the north, the centerpiece is bánh chưng, a square sticky rice cake.
In the south, it's bánh tét, a cylindrical version.
Side dishes vary by region but typically include braised pork, pickled vegetables, and sticky rice.

Day 1 also brings the custom of xông đất — the "first footer."
Vietnamese traditionally care deeply about who the first outside visitor to their home is on New Year's Day.
That person's character, fortune, and zodiac sign are believed to set the tone for the entire year ahead.

The traditional approach: families pre-arrange for someone cheerful, successful, and zodiac-compatible to drop by early on Day 1.
These days, many younger families treat it more as a fun ritual than a serious superstition — but the tradition persists.
If you have Vietnamese friends and get invited to "stop by for a bit" on New Year's morning, you may have been chosen as their first footer.

Day 2: The Wife's Family

Day 2 belongs to the mother's side.
The couple and children visit the wife's parents — essentially the same idea as "going back to the wife's family" in Taiwanese tradition.

The routine mirrors Day 1: worship the maternal grandparents' ancestors, pay respects to the wife's extended family, then eat together.
Common gifts to bring include fruit gift boxes, tea, candy, or a case of beer.

In Taiwan, the tradition of returning to the wife's family on Day 2 used to come with taboos — don't stay for dinner, bring gifts in even numbers — though most families have relaxed about this.
In Vietnam, it's even more casual.
Couples often stay the entire day, and some even spend the night before heading home.

Day 3: Visit Your Teacher

This one has no equivalent in Taiwanese tradition.
In Taiwan, Day 3 is traditionally a rest day — the old belief says it's "Red Dog Day" and you shouldn't go out.

Vietnam does the opposite.
Day 3 is Tết thầy — students go visit their teachers.
The tradition comes from Confucian values of respecting educators.
An old Vietnamese saying goes "Quân, Sư, Phụ" — ruler, teacher, father — placing teachers above parents in the social hierarchy.

The traditional practice: students gather in groups to visit their teacher's home.
Some classes use it as a reunion.
The teacher prepares tea and sweets for guests, and some even give red envelopes to visiting students.

But Vietnamese media reports suggest this tradition is fading fast.
Many young students have never heard of "mùng 3 Tết thầy."
Those who have mostly just send a text or leave a social media comment.
Actual home visits have become rare.
One teacher told reporters that Day 3 used to be non-stop visitors — now it's quiet.

This custom is unusual among East Asian countries.
It's distinctly Vietnamese, and it's slowly disappearing.

Tết Taboos

The first three days of Tết come with a set of taboos.
Some overlap with other East Asian traditions; others are uniquely Vietnamese.

No sweeping.
Don't sweep the floor or take out the trash from Day 1 through Day 3 — you'll sweep away your fortune.
This is identical to the Taiwanese and Chinese belief.

No black or white clothing.
Vietnamese consider black and white to be funeral colors.
Wearing them during Tết brings bad luck.
In Taiwan, the emphasis is simply on wearing red for good fortune, but there's no strong taboo against black or white.

No lending or borrowing money.
Any money-lending during Tết — in either direction — signals financial trouble for the coming year.
Taiwan has a similar belief.

No breaking things.
Dropping a bowl, cup, or mirror symbolizes "breakage" — a sign the family may face separation that year.
In Taiwan, the fix is to quickly say "suì suì píng ān" ("broken" sounds like "peace every year").
Vietnamese take it more seriously and are extra careful throughout the entire holiday.

No dog meat or duck.
Traditional belief holds that dog meat is taboo during Tết because dogs symbolize loyalty.
Duck is also avoided because ducks waddle — symbolizing instability and things not going smoothly.
Older generations take this seriously; younger people less so.
This taboo doesn't exist in Taiwan.

The Biggest Differences

Taiwan's Lunar New Year traditionally stretches from New Year's Eve all the way to the Lantern Festival on the 15th day.
In Vietnam, most families consider Tết done after Day 3, or at most Day 7.

In Taiwan, the holiday centers on food and red envelopes, with the New Year's Eve dinner as the main event.
In Vietnam, the focus is spread across three days of distinct social obligations — visiting the father's family, the mother's family, and a teacher.
By the time Day 3 is over, it's been a genuinely exhausting social marathon.

Not every Vietnamese person follows the full three-day protocol anymore, especially the younger generation.
But the basic framework remains.

And then there's xông đất — the first footer tradition.
Taiwan has nothing quite like it.
The closest equivalent is the rush to be first to light incense at a temple on New Year's morning, but nobody in Taiwan arranges for a specific person to be the first visitor to their home.