Lecture: Tết Lunar New Year Traditions – The Kitchen God
The event has been canceled
Thurs 04 Feb 2021, 05:30 pm – 09:00 pm
Hanoi Club Hotel
76 Yen Phu, Tay Ho, Hanoi
From the organizer:
Governed by tradition, taboos and legends, Tết Nguyên Đán welcomes the Lunar New Year and spring’s arrival. It is Vietnam’s most important festival and public holiday. The lunar and solar calendars are linked in Vietnam. The former dictates the observance of festivals and rituals according to cycles of the moon. Hence, Tết dates are not fixed. The New Year starts on the first night of the first moon of the first month of the lunar calendar.
One of Tết’s most important ritual is that of The Kitchen God or Ông Táo which signals the start of the Tết preparations. Legend says each home has three kitchen gods overseeing the household’s affairs. On the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month, each kitchen god (Ông Táo) returns to the Jade Emperor, the King of Heaven, on the back of a carp fish. The kitchen gods report back to the Jade Emperor on each family’s affairs for that past year, returning on New Year’s Eve. People clean their houses and offer sacrifices in order to aid the god’s journey and ensure a good report.
We are delighted to welcome Professor Lê Văn Lan, noted author, historian, archaeologist, television celebrity – a living legend in Vietnam – who will explain the origins and rituals of Tết. We participate in sending the three kitchen gods a new set of paper clothes burnt as an offering to Ông Táo. Then everyone has a chance to each release a live fish into West Lake ‘to carry your family’s report’. This would lead to the Red river, which leads to the ocean and then to the Jade Emperor. We will then return to learn about and experience a wide range of traditional Tết foods and enjoy a Tet buffet
The presentation and all communication is in English, the professor will talk in English
The evening includes
– Presentation by Professor Le Van Lan about Tết, focusing on the legend of the Kitchen God
– burn paper offerings and release fish move by the lake
– write your family report for the year
– traditional Tết buffet meal
– quick fire interactive quick about Tet with prizes
– E-meet and chat with Vietnam’s legendary Professor
Price: 250,000 VND pp, 180,000 vnd per student or children under 12 yrs. Includes 1 drinks voucher, 1 fish and traditional Tết buffet. Additional drinks are a personal cost bought at the bar paid for at the time
RSVP: John Reilly email – [email protected].
Please provide your mobile number when registering.
