Tet Doan Ngo, or the “Bug-Killing Festival,” is an ancient tradition observed in Vietnam and several East Asian countries. Falling on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month, it marks the beginning of the year’s hottest days.
To combat the heat and prevent epidemics, Vietnamese ancestors practiced unique customs. These include early morning feasts of specific foods, noon herb-picking and tea-making, and wearing five-colored threads and scented medicine bags to ward off insects and maintain health.
Tet Doan Ngo is a busy day for all, especially housewives who prepare offerings and ancestral worship. It’s a time to pray for family well-being and happiness and to pass on cultural traditions to the next generation.
The festival is a unique opportunity to showcase Vietnamese cultural customs and introduce foreign tourists to the country’s distinctive way of life.
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| The Tet Doan Ngo worship tray includes fresh seasonal fruits, ruou nep (fermented steamed glutinous rice), and banh tro (glutinous rice cake cooked with mistletoe ash). Photo: Ha Le |
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| Merchants on Hang Be Street, a famous market in Hanoi’s Old Quarter, are busy from early morning, preparing specialties for Tet Doan Ngo. Photo: Nhan Dan Newspaper |
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| Fresh fruits and offerings for Tet Doan Ngo on Hang Be Street. Photo: Nhan Dan Newspaper |
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| A Hanoi housewife’s offering tray for Tet Doan Ngo. Photo: Chuyen cua Hanoi Group |
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| A typical Hanoian ancestor offering tray for Tet Doan Ngo, featuring banh com (young sticky rice cake with green bean stuffing), xoi com (young sticky rice with lotus seeds), banh tro, and ruou nep, adorned with lotus flowers from West Lake. Photo: Thu Giang |
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| Visitors at Thang Long Imperial Citadel participate in cultural programs celebrating Tet Doan Ngo. Photo: Huy Pham/The Hanoi Times |
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| Tourists and international friends experience unique rituals and customs of Tet Doan Ngo, learning about the value of Vietnamese royal culture. Photo: Huy Pham/The Hanoi Times |
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| Participants enjoy tasting traditional fruits and foods believed to ward off summer diseases. Photo: Huy Pham/The Hanoi Times |
Exploring Duong Lam, a typical ancient village in northern Vietnam
The village attracts visitors because of its ancient houses and the architectural features.
Hanoians visit market early for Doan Ngo Festival’s food
The festival, believed to scare insects away and get rid of germs from people’s digestive system, is a custom at this time of the year.
Tet Doan Ngo: History, Significance, Different customs in Vietnam’s three regions
Every year on May 5 of the lunar calendar, many Asian countries, including Vietnam celebrate Tet Doan Ngo, also called Duanwu Festival, Worm-killing Day or Mid-year Festival.
The salty odour of Tet in a coastal fishing village
NDO – In a coastal fishing village known locally as Ke Can, in Quynh Phuong Ward, Hoang Mai Town, in the central province of Nghe An, the celebrations for Tet (Lunar New Year) festival of the locals are quite different from other regions.
Vietnamese traditional offering trays prepared for Lunar New Year’s Eve
NDO/VNA – According to ancient traditions, on the last day of a lunar year, a typical Vietnamese family puts aside everything to prepare a feast to worship their grandparents and ancestors, praying for a brighter year ahead.
