Vietnamese communities around the world have been celebrating the Lunar New Year (Tet) with cultural events that highlight traditional customs, strengthen community bonds, and introduce Vietnamese heritage to international friends.

Novice monks at Pho Phuoc pagoda in Thailand are very interested in learning about Vietnamese culture, customs, and traditional Lunar New Year practices through making banh chung and banh tet.

In Hiroshima and Okinawa of Japan, the programme “Vietnamese Tet – Homeland Spring 2026” took place on February 15, marking the 18th year such event has been organised in Hiroshima.

Vietnamese associations and expatriates from several prefectures attended alongside Japanese lawmakers and local officials. Activities included ao dai performances and traditional dances from the Vietnamese side, with the Japanese side joining a kimono show, calligraphy demonstrations, and music performances.

In Bangkok, Thailand, Vietnamese students, workers, and Thai friends, and over 40 Thai novice monks gathered at Pho Phuoc Pagoda to wrap banh chung (square glutinous rice cakes) and banh tet (round glutinous rice cake), offering participants a hands-on introduction to Vietnamese Tet traditions.

Meanwhile, more than 1,000 overseas Vietnamese and local guests attended a community Tet celebration at Lurdy Ház event centre in Budapest, Hungary.

The event featured musical performances, cultural programmes, and a review of community and charity activities over the past year.

In the UK, the Vietnamese Family Partnership (VFP) organised a Tet festival at Deptford Lounge in London. Quynh Dao, executive director of VFP, shared that after 22 years of persistently organising Vietnamese cultural events in the UK capital, this year the Lunar New Year will officially be welcomed by the Deputy Mayor of London as a cultural event of the city, right in its centre on the first day of the lunar calendar.

The Vietnamese community is now recognised as an inseparable part of London’s cultural life.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Cuba hosted the “Homeland Spring 2026” gathering on February 14, bringing together Vietnamese families, students, and experts, along with ambassadors from ASEAN countries, to celebrate solidarity and friendship.

In Canada, the Canada Vietnam Cultural & Educational Council continued the tradition of preparing Tet meals and wrapping banh chung to help younger generations born abroad stay connected to their roots while introducing Vietnamese cuisine to Canadian friends.

At Peoples' Friendship University of Russia in Moscow, Vietnamese students organised a festive gathering that attracted many young people studying and living in Russia.

Unique Tet customs

Currently, artisans from ethnic groups are directly introducing their customs to welcome Tet (Lunar New Year) through daily activities, rituals, and traditional experiences at the Viet Nam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism, contributing to preserving distinctive cultural values and enhancing the appeal of tourism.

 

Tet 2026: Longer holiday, wider horizons for Vietnamese explorers

Vietnamese consumers are demonstrating greater purposefulness, whether seeking cooler domestic escapes like Da Lat or showing rising curiosity toward international options like India and Japan, to make the most of their limited holiday time.

 

Over 14,660 tonnes of rice allocated to localities during Tet, between-crop period

More than 14,660 tonnes of rice from the national reserve were allocated to 13 provinces and centrally-run cities to support people during the Lunar New Year (Tet) Festival and the between-crop period in 2026.

 

Hanoi waives public transport fares during Tet holiday

During the same period, the Hanoi Traffic Operation Centre, in coordination with bus operators, will also waive fares on subsidised bus services. The programme will apply to 128 subsidised routes citywide over the nine days, with passengers granted tickets according to route pricing but paying no fare.

 

Spring Fair 2026 features Tet flowers, ornamental plants

With the theme 'Connecting Prosperity – Welcoming a Glorious Spring,' the First Spring Fair 2026, held from February 2–13 at the Vietnam Exhibition Centre in Dong Anh Commune, Hanoi, is showcasing spring flowers, ornamental plants, and traditional Tet cultural items in a festive journey where economic, cultural, and creative values converge.

 

Free Tet market brings warmth to disadvantaged patients

BAC NINH - Bac Ninh No.2 General Hospital has joined hands with donors to organize a “Zero-VND Tet Market” for disadvantaged patients ahead of the Lunar New Year of the Horse 2026.