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PRODID:-//Friends of Vietnam Heritage - ECPv4.6.21//NONSGML v1.0//EN
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X-WR-CALNAME:Friends of Vietnam Heritage
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Ho_Chi_Minh:20260205T180000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Ho_Chi_Minh:20260205T210000
DTSTAMP:20260421T184004
CREATED:20251204T034144Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260127T031154Z
UID:5687-1770314400-1770325200@www.fvheritage.org
SUMMARY:Evening event: Tết Lunar New Year Traditions. The Kitchen God (Ông Táo) - FULL
DESCRIPTION:THIS EVENT IS NOW FULL. PLEASE RSVP FOR THE WAITING LIST AND EMAIL US AT hello@fvheritage.org \nOUR ANNUAL TET EVENT – THE LEGEND OF THE KITCHEN GOD and our big thanks to the Hanoi Club for hosting our annual event. We could not do this with your support and staff’s help. Thanks you \nWe hold this annual multi activity evening on or as close as possible to Kitchen God day. In 2026 Kitchen God day is 10 Feburary 2026 (23 December Lunar Calendar). Our event is held a little bit before on Thursday 5 February.   \nGoverned 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. \nAlso known as The ‘Feast of the First Morning of the First Day’\, it is when the new and good replace old and bad elements.  People turn one year older as traditionally the New Year determines one’s age. Custom dictates actions and thoughts at the start of the lunar New Year influence one’s fate and prosperity for the coming 12 months.  Also high on the agenda are family reunions and paying respect to the ancestors. \nOne 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 family report. \nWe hope that  Dr Tran Doan Lam – one of FVH’s favourite speakers  – will be able to  start the evening and explain the origins and rituals of Tết and the significance of the Kitchen God. We will then participate in sending the three kitchen gods\, a new set of paper clothes  burnt as an offering to Ông Táo.  This is followed by a chance for everyone to release a live fish into West Lake ‘to carry your family’s report’  to the Jade Emperor.  Back inside the room we learn about a wide range of traditional Tết foods which we will then eat and end the evening with a quick fire Tết quiz. \nThe evening’s programme: \n\nhopefully – a musical welcome with some festive music and songs from a few young blind students from the RB Club (including one of our favourites we nickname  ‘Mr Rockstar’)\nA summary of what Tết is and its signficance\nThe legend of the Kitchen Gods\nWe burn paper offerings and release fish on the lakeside\nEnjoy a traditional Tết buffet meal and introduction about some of the most important Tết dishes\nEnding with a qiuck fire interactive Tết quiz to test your knowledge from the evening – with prizes\n\nVenue:  The Hanoi Club Hotel\, 76 Yen Phu street – Tay Ho district \nTime:   doors open 5.45pm\, arrivals and starting the event at 6.15pm. Ending appx 9pm \nDress code: you are very welcome to dress in your ao dai\, national dress\, smart attire \nWelcome email with venue info will be sent to those confirmed on the event a few days before. \nFee to attend  this year due to rising cost of expenses the amount pp is  300\,000 VND  (under 12 years 200\,000 VND).  Includes a drink from the bar  (water\, soft drink beer or wine)\, 1 fish per person and a traditional Tết buffet with a variety of dishes including vegetarian; we also give a donation to the speaker for giving up his time to make the lecture.  Payment in cash on the night\, or you are welcome to pay by bank transfer in advance (bank details will be provided on request).  Additional drinks can be purchased as an indivudal payment from the bar. \nREGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED (RSVP via this regisration link.  Please email us at hello@fvheritage.org if you have problems with the form or any questions. ) \nNumbers:   very max 50 \nPlease follow and like us:Share this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Like this:Like Loading...\n\n	Related\n
URL:https://www.fvheritage.org/event/lecture-tet-lunar-new-year-traditions-the-kitchen-god-ong-tao-8/
CATEGORIES:Culture Series,History & Lectures
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.fvheritage.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/holding-image-.jpg
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