Photograph by Tommy Wu

"To the Vietnamese, Têt Nguyên Dán is the Ultimate Holiday. There is nothing like it in the West. Besides the beginning of a new year, Têt also marks the beginning of Spring and everybody's birthday. The actual Têt holiday is three days, though most people tend to take seven or more days off. It is a time for family reunions, exchanging gifs, best wishes, correcting one's faults, forgiving others, paying debts; in short, to start the new year with a clean slate. Literally, Têt Nguyên Dán means the first morning of the first day of the new period. Officially, it marks the beginning of a new year on the lunar calendar. In reality, it is a friendly, festive, family holiday. Painstaking care is given to starting the year out right, since it is believed the first day and the first week of the new year will determine the fortunes or misfortunes for the rest of the year."