Name: Tu Linh Nguyen

Student ID: 0722919

Instructor: Ping Lu

Course: CHIN-2288-18

Lunar New Year: A Tale of Two Cultures

 The Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year, is one of the most significant

festivals in both Chinese and Vietnamese cultures. While both cultures share similarities in their

Lunar New Year celebrations, they also have distinct differences. This essay will compare and

contrast the traditions of the Chinese and Vietnamese Lunar New Year celebrations, as described

in the articles “In the Traditions of China and in the Freedom of America”: The Making of San

Francisco’s Chinese New Year Festivals” by Yeh (2004) and “Religion, the state, and the

Vietnamese lunar new year” by McAllister (2013).

The Chinese Lunar New Year is celebrated on the first day of the lunar calendar, which

usually falls in late January or early February. The celebrations last for 15 days and involve

various customs and traditions. According to Yeh (2004), the Chinese Lunar New Year

celebration in San Francisco’s Chinatown is a cultural event that attracts people of all ethnicities.

The celebration includes a grand parade with dragon and lion dancers, firecrackers, and floats.

People also clean their houses before the Lunar New Year to sweep away bad luck, and they

decorate their homes with red decorations, as red is considered an auspicious color. In addition,

families gather for a reunion dinner on New Year’s Eve to welcome the new year together.

Similarly, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, known as Tet Nguyen Dan, is also celebrated

for 15 days and falls on the first day of the lunar calendar. However, as described by McAllister

(2013), Tet is more of a family-oriented celebration in Vietnam. It is a time for family reunions,

paying respects to ancestors, and visiting friends and relatives. One significant difference

between the Chinese and Vietnamese Lunar New Year celebrations is the food. While the

Chinese serve traditional dishes such as dumplings, fish, and rice cakes, the Vietnamese serve

traditional dishes such as sticky rice cakes and candied fruits. Moreover, the Vietnamese also
have a unique custom of planting a “Tet tree” in front of their homes, which symbolizes the hope

for a prosperous new year.

Another significant difference between the Chinese and Vietnamese Lunar New Year

celebrations is their religious significance. In China, the Lunar New Year has Confucian, Daoist,

and Buddhist origins and is more of a secular celebration. As Yeh (2004) notes, the Chinese

Lunar New Year celebrations in San Francisco’s Chinatown reflect the cultural heritage of the

Chinese community, rather than its religious traditions. In contrast, the Vietnamese Lunar New

Year has a strong religious significance, as McAllister (2013) explains. Tet is an occasion for the

Vietnamese to pay their respects to their ancestors, seek blessings from deities, and visit temples

and pagodas. The celebrations are intertwined with religious rituals and practices, such as

lighting incense and offering food to the dead.

In conclusion, the Chinese and Vietnamese Lunar New Year celebrations share many

similarities, such as being celebrated on the first day of the lunar calendar and lasting for 15

days. However, there are also distinct differences between the two traditions. The Chinese Lunar

New Year is more of a secular celebration with cultural significance, while the Vietnamese Lunar

New Year has strong religious significance. Additionally, the food, decorations, and customs of

the two celebrations also differ. Understanding these differences can help us appreciate and

respect the unique cultural practices of each tradition.

Word count: 557 words

 Citation:

Yeh, C.-L. (2004). “In the Traditions of China and in the Freedom of America”: The Making of

San Francisco’s Chinese New Year Festivals. American Quarterly, 56(2), 395–420.

http://www.jstor.org/stable/40068199

McAllister, P. (2013). Religion, the state, and the Vietnamese lunar new year. Anthropology

Today, 29(2), 18–22. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23486374