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On Vietnamese Celebrations
Food is central to celebrations in every culture, but for Vietnamese people, it often carries a greater symbolic meaning. The largest celebration in Vietnamese culture is Lunar New Year, or Tết, typically celebrated in late January or early February. During this time, the whole country shuts down for nearly two weeks as people travel home to celebrate “an Tết” (literally: eat Tết) with their families.
For Tết, we enjoy dishes like bánh chưng, or sticky rice cakes wrapped in banana leaves, that represent the earth, sky, and our departed ancestors. We also eat noodles, which symbolize longevity, and a whole fish, which symbolizes abundance. Meanwhile, garnishes like pickled vegetables are eaten to help cleanse the body and reset it ahead of the new year.