Tet 2027: Vietnamese Lunar New Year Date

Tet 2027 — Tet Nguyen Dan, the first day of the Vietnamese Lunar New Year — falls on Saturday 6 February 2027. New Year's Eve (Giao Thua) is the night of Friday 5 February.

Last updated: 8 November 2026

Tet dates 2025–2030

Tet uses the Vietnamese lunar calendar, which is calculated for Vietnam's time zone (UTC+7). It usually shares its date with Chinese New Year, but in rare years the new moon falls close to midnight and the two differ by a day.

How long is the Tet holiday?

Vietnam's Labour Code gives workers five days off for Tet. The government decides the exact days each year and often adds bridge days, so the real break for public employees is usually seven to nine consecutive days including weekends. The schedule for Tet 2027 is announced by the Ministry of Home Affairs, typically several months ahead — check before booking. Many private businesses close for a week or more, and some family-run restaurants reopen only after the tenth day of the first month.

What happens at Tet

Tet is the most important event in the Vietnamese year: a family reunion, a fresh start and a time to honour ancestors. In the weeks before, people clean and decorate their homes, settle debts and buy peach blossom branches (in the north) or yellow apricot blossom (in the south) and kumquat trees. On the 23rd day of the last lunar month — Saturday 30 January 2027 — families send off the Kitchen Gods, releasing carp into rivers and lakes.

Typical foods include banh chung (square sticky rice cakes) in the north and banh tet (cylindrical cakes) in the south, pickled onions and candied fruit. Children receive "lucky money" in red envelopes, and the first visitor to a home after midnight is believed to set its luck for the year.

Tet compared with Chinese New Year

The two festivals share the same lunar origins, but there are differences. Vietnam's zodiac replaces the Rabbit with the Cat, and the Ox with the Water Buffalo, so 2027 is the Year of the Goat in both but 2023 was the Year of the Cat in Vietnam. Tet closures are also more widespread and longer than in most Chinese-speaking cities outside the mainland.

Things people avoid during Tet

Because the first days of the year are thought to set the tone for the months ahead, many Vietnamese families avoid sweeping the floor (it sweeps luck away), arguing, breaking things, lending money or wearing all-black or all-white clothes on the first day. Visitors invited into a home are welcome to bring fruit, tea or sweets; giving lucky money to children in new notes is a kind gesture.

Travelling in Vietnam during Tet 2027

• Domestic flights, trains and buses are fully booked in the week before Tet as millions travel home, and prices rise. The return rush happens after the fifth day.
• In Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, streets are strikingly quiet on the first three days. Nguyen Hue walking street in Ho Chi Minh City hosts a large flower street.
• Tourist hubs like Hoi An and Da Nang keep more places open than big cities. Our partner's guide to where to stay in Da Nang helps if you want a base with beaches and an easy airport transfer.
• Expect a holiday surcharge of 10–30% at some restaurants and taxis during the first days of the new year.

Frequently asked questions

When is Tet 2027?

Saturday 6 February 2027. New Year's Eve is Friday 5 February.

Is Tet the same as Chinese New Year?

Usually the same date, but Vietnam calculates the calendar for UTC+7, so it can occasionally differ by a day.

How long is the Tet holiday in Vietnam?

Five official days by law, often extended to seven to nine days with weekends and bridge days.

What is the Vietnamese zodiac animal for 2027?

The Goat.

Sources: Vietnam National Authority of Tourism · Ministry of Home Affairs, Vietnam – holiday schedules · Wikipedia – Tet