The sun hit my face on a mild February morning in 2014 as I opened my eyes from my slumber. “Just another morning,” I thought, but the sounds of passing traffic and the streets of Saigon were eerily silent. It was Tet and I was starting my first ever traditional holiday season in Ho Chi Minh City.

Fast forward to 2025, when the mild morning sun of January will, again, welcome the Year of the Snake. The quiet streets of Saigon are very different now, but the culture and tradition of Tet remains a foundation of Vietnamese culture.

Given that 12 signs of the zodiac have passed, and I am now back at the start, I see this as the perfect time to reflect on how the last 12 years has brought change to Ho Chi Minh City and what the Year of the Snake means for expats in Vietnam.

'A silly tradition'

To be honest, I don't have many good things to say about my first Tet in Vietnam. I am a teacher, so I did not have to work, which left me without income for over a fortnight. My desire to get ahead and set a foundation in Vietnam was rudely interrupted by this 'silly tradition.'

However, I concede that back in 2013 I was totally ignorant of so many wonderful aspects of Tet. 

Tet is hundreds, if not thousands, of years old. It follows the lunar cycle which gives it a consistency not seen in Western society.

Tet is about grounding your spirit at an anchor point – your home. I was somewhat taken aback in my early days of this constant question being asked of me, "Where is your hometown?"

"Why is my hometown so important?" I kept asking myself. It is because the hometown in Vietnamese culture is an anchor of the spirit. No matter how far you go, how high you rise, or how far you fall, you are welcome back to your hometown with open arms at Tet.

The mass migration of people on the days leading up to Tet every year is not seen in the Western world. Sure, we have celebrations like Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter, but they still don't compare to the sheer volume of movement over the Tet holiday.

Because of this, Tet is not a good time to be a tourist in Vietnam. Apart from the lack of transport tickets, operators are working excessive hours running extra services, and the imposition of a foreigner can bring extra unneeded stress to their challenges.

These two key lessons, I suppose, shaped my love and connection with the season, and helped me to develop an answer to the question I am always asked. I now passionately and proudly say, "My hometown is Saigon."

My 12 Tet holidays in Saigon

Having spent 12 Tet holidays in Saigon, I understand the importance of what a hometown means. And like my best friend, the city has evolved with me each year, and I feel a connection to it that is truly difficult to break.

Aside from family commitments, my favorite thing to do during Tet is to get out my camera and walk the streets of the city in the early morning to capture a peaceful current that is not seen at any other time of the year.

Seeing a lone motorcycle rolling down Le Loi Street or an elegant lady in an ao dai walking to the church allows me to truly connect with Saigon. This is something that can be difficult to do most of the year because the city never slows down enough to give you a moment to actually connect with it and feel its spirit.

This is one part of Tet that has never changed. The streets may have gotten wider, faster, or more modern, but the feeling on a peaceful Tet morning has always remained constant, welcoming me home and grounding my spirit.

Conversely, the development of key areas of the city, like Nguyen Hue Street, has introduced color, spectacle, and commercialism to the season that has transformed Tet to a more vigorous and complex mix of tradition and modernity.

At the very top is the annual display on Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street of thousands of colorful flowers which are shipped from the countryside.

This is where modernity and tradition meet. The stunning sight of families dressed in traditional clothes walking around Nguyen Hue is simply breathtaking, and it is coupled with a magnitude of phones and cameras and people jostling to get the perfect social media photo.

It is usually this event that brings a new level of complexity to the holiday. My wonderful, patient, and caring wife supports me throughout the year unconditionally. Her love and support are like nothing I have ever experienced before in my life. But as soon as we arrive on Nguyen Hue Street, it vanishes.

Combine Nguyen Hue Street, the flower display, ao dai, and a camera, and my quiet loving wife turns into some kind of monster on a rampage to achieve something both impossible and implausible: the perfect photo.

As much as I love Saigon and Tet, I have become conditioned that it is also the time of year to disagree with my wife on Nguyen Hue Street over photos and the difficulty of taking a decent picture among the massive crowds.

It is during those times that I have to remind myself that it is all part of the spirit of Tet. A million people walking through Nguyen Hue at 7:00 pm is just as big a part of Tet as that lone motorbike on Le Loi Street at 7:00 am.

Plus taking photos, selfies, and dressing up are all part of getting into the spirit of the season.

Giving as an act of love

When I first visited my then-girlfriend's home in Go Vap in 2014, I sat in a small room with many people for hours drinking wine and eating food. I asked questions and learned the basics of the season.

There is a basic and logical tradition to Tet. There are stories and practices such as the Kitchen God, special food, cleaning the home, and li xi (red envelopes with money). 

Li xi envelopes, I was told, are for adults to give children. However, time and experience have shown me that this little envelope has so much more respect, love, and appreciation compared to typical gifts for children.

What I have observed is that li xi is for everyone. In a way, it is an honorable way to share your successes of the past year with your family and a way to support those whose past year has been a struggle. For the parents, it's an opportunity to have a little in a father's hard work over the past year. For a son or daughter, it is an opportunity to return from the city and share their successes with their struggling parents in the countryside. And for extended family and friends, it is an opportunity to understand that someone special is not doing so well, and just secretly give a little extra so everyone has hope as the new year arrives.

This is what Tet is all about: an understanding of those we care about and giving to say 'thank you' and 'I love you.' 

I used to get a little angry having to give so much money away at Tet, but now I see the value in that balance. All year my wife and her family support me through good and bad times, and for me to have the opportunity to say thank you is really important.

What I will be doing this year is looking at the security guards at my work and at my home, the cleaners of my office, and my favorite ticket seller who walks the streets in Binh Thanh District with the biggest smile on his face and always says hello to me. These are the people that I will try to give li xi because they care and make me part of this big family in my hometown of Saigon.

I can only sit on the fence when asked if Tet has changed over the past 12 years in Saigon. Of course, there are massive changes in commercialism, technology, and spectacle, but under the surface the traditions remain unchanged and are as solid as they have been for hundreds of years.

If you are new to Saigon or anywhere in Vietnam, I suggest that you make Tet a time to explore and discover. Walk the streets and explore the empty markets. Say hello to those few left alone on the streets because not everyone has a family to support them.

For adventure, take a motorbike ride to a new location. Not much will be open so plan it well. But don't rush! Tet is about going slowly and taking in the feeling and the spirit of the time and the community. It cannot be taught but it must be lived.

The Year of the Snake will welcome wisdom and good living. Whilst this serpent is devoid of things like good luck, it offers so much more. Good living is about setting foundations and appreciating the simple things, and wisdom helps us make good choices for the future. All up, I am excited and have high anticipation for a wonderful year ahead.

So, goodbye to the Year of the Dragon and welcome to the Year of the Snake. My Tet will be like so many before, with the quiet streets of my hometown and family being the focus of my time. I am so lucky that Vietnam has given me an anchor that has brought me a quality of life I never dreamed possible.

With Tet, Saigon, Vietnam, my wife and family, I feel loved.

Chúc Mừng Năm Mới to you and Happy New Year!

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