Tet, the Lunar New Year, is the biggest event of the Vietnamese year, and at a Saigon preschool it shows up in three ways: a school celebration in the week or two before the holiday, a closure that is usually longer than any other in the calendar, and a slower restart afterwards while families and staff return from their home provinces. For an international family, the celebration is the easy part. The planning challenge is the closure, which can leave you without school, without a nanny and with much of the city shut at the same time.
This guide explains what Tet means to the Vietnamese families your child will meet, what usually happens at school in the run-up, how the break tends to work, and how to prepare your child and your household. Dates move every year because Tet follows the lunar calendar, so always check the calendar your own school publishes rather than relying on last year's pattern.
What Tet is, and why it matters so much
Tet Nguyen Dan, usually shortened to Tet, marks the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar. It falls somewhere between late January and the middle of February. For most Vietnamese families it is not one holiday among many but the fixed point of the year: the time to go home, clean and repair the house, settle debts, visit relatives and begin again on good terms with everyone.
The emotional centre of Tet is the return to the family. In Ho Chi Minh City, where a large share of residents grew up in other provinces, this means a huge movement of people out of the city in the days before the new year. Streets that are normally jammed become quiet, many small shops close, and the people who make daily life work, from your child's teachers to your building guard, are thinking about the journey home.
Children are at the heart of the celebration. They wear new clothes, receive lucky money in red envelopes, are taken to visit grandparents and are fussed over by relatives. A preschool that celebrates Tet is therefore giving your child a small share of something their Vietnamese classmates will be living at home, and many international families find that once their child understands Tet, the rest of Vietnamese culture becomes easier to explain.
Food is the other thread your child will hear about. In southern homes, Tet tables often include thit kho trung, pork braised with eggs in coconut water, and canh kho qua, a bitter melon soup whose name plays on the idea of hardship passing away. Candied fruits and roasted seeds are put out for guests, and a tray of fruit is arranged with care. Classmates may come back from the holiday talking about these dishes, and recognising one or two of the names gives your child something to share.
A typical rhythm around Tet, week by week
Every school and every year is different, but the season usually follows a recognisable pattern. Use this as a rough map and fill in the real dates from your school calendar.
| When | What usually happens | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Four to six weeks before | Streets fill with decorations, flower markets begin, shops stock Tet food | Ask the school for the closure dates; book any travel early |
| Two to three weeks before | Classes start Tet-themed activities, songs and crafts | Expect requests for a costume or an item from home |
| The last week of school | A Tet party or fair at school, often with traditional clothes | Check the day, the dress code and whether parents are invited |
| The days before the new year | Staff and many families leave the city; traffic peaks | Avoid long drives; finalise childcare if you are staying |
| The first days of the new year | The city is very quiet; family visits fill the days | Many services are closed; plan food and medicines ahead |
| The first week back | Some children and staff return late; a gentle restart | Allow for tired, unsettled children and a slower routine |
The legal minimum is a guide rather than a rule for schools. The Labour Code 2019 gives employees five days off for Tet, and the government often rearranges working days so that the public break is longer. Private preschools set their own closures, which may be shorter or longer than the public holiday, so the school calendar is the only reliable source.
What your child may do at school before the break
Tet songs and stories. Classes learn a few simple Tet songs and hear stories about the new year. Your child may come home humming a tune you do not recognise, which is a good moment to ask the teacher what it is and listen to it together.
Making and decorating. Children often make paper blossoms in the yellow of hoa mai, the apricot blossom that marks Tet in the south, or decorate red envelopes and simple lanterns. These usually come home in the last days of term.
Traditional food activities. Some schools show children how banh tet, the cylindrical sticky rice cake popular in the south, or banh chung, its square northern cousin, is wrapped. Tasting is common, so tell the school about any allergies well before the party.
A Tet celebration day. Many preschools hold a party or small fair, with children in ao dai, the long Vietnamese tunic, a stage with songs, games and a visit to a mock market. Parents are sometimes invited for part of the morning.
Wishing and receiving. Children practise saying new year wishes and may receive a symbolic red envelope from the school. This is a lesson in the custom, not a gift you need to match.
Dressing your child for the Tet party
The question international parents ask most often in January is whether their child needs an ao dai. The honest answer is that it is welcome but rarely compulsory. Many Vietnamese children wear one for the school celebration, and seeing your child dressed like their classmates in the photos is something many families enjoy. Ask the teacher whether the class has a colour theme or whether any festive clothes are fine.
Children's ao dai are sold widely in the weeks before Tet, in markets and shops and online, for boys and girls. The Saigon heat matters more than the style: choose a breathable fabric, a loose fit at the neck and armholes, and a length your child can run and sit in. A tunic over comfortable trousers or leggings is perfectly normal. Velvet and heavy brocade look lovely in photos and are miserable at eleven in the morning.
If your child dislikes new or tight clothes, do a trial at home a few days before, or send the outfit in a bag so the teacher can help them change after the morning routine. Pack a spare set of ordinary clothes as well. Red and yellow are the classic Tet colours; there is no rule against other colours, and nobody will be offended by a child in blue.
Parents are sometimes asked to dress up too, especially if the school invites families to the celebration. An ao dai for adults is a lovely gesture but entirely optional; many Vietnamese parents simply come in smart, bright clothes. If you do want one, tailors in the city can make one in a few days outside the Tet rush, but in January they are booked out, so start early or buy ready-made.
Planning the closure: a checklist for international households
The practical side of Tet catches many first-year families out. Working through these steps in December avoids most of the stress:
- Get the exact closure and reopening dates from the school, and ask whether any holiday care or reduced-hours days are offered.
- Talk to your nanny or helper early. Most will want to go home to their province, often for longer than the school closure. Agree dates, pay and any Tet bonus well in advance.
- Decide whether to stay or travel. Flights in and out of Vietnam around Tet fill early and cost more. Staying in a quiet city can be a pleasure if you are prepared.
- Stock up on nappies, formula, regular medicines and basic food before the new year. Supermarkets in the city centre often reopen quickly, while local markets and small shops may stay shut for several days.
- Note which clinics stay open over the holiday and save their details somewhere easy to find.
- Plan the first week back with lighter afternoons, an earlier bedtime and a little slack in the morning schedule.
If both parents work and your employer does not close, ask other international families at school how they cover the gap. Sharing childcare for a few days, or organising an informal play group among two or three households, is common and often more fun for the children than another week at home.
Explaining Tet to a young child
For a two- or three-year-old, the simplest explanation is the best: Tet is Vietnam's big new year party, when families go to see their grandparents, eat special food and wear new clothes. Older preschoolers can enjoy the idea that the whole year starts again, that people try to begin it with a clean house and kind words, and that each year is named after an animal from the twelve-animal cycle.
Picture books about Lunar New Year, available in English and in Vietnamese, help, as does a walk through a flower market or the decorated streets of the city centre. The flower street that Ho Chi Minh City sets up along Nguyen Hue in the days around Tet is a popular outing with small children; it is best early in the morning, before the heat and the crowds.
If your family celebrates Lunar New Year in another tradition, such as a Chinese, Korean or other heritage at home, Tet is a natural way to talk about how different families mark the same season. Children are usually delighted to find that their classmates also eat special food and receive red envelopes, and they quickly notice which details are the same and which are different.
Keep the explanation light on rules. Young children do not need to know every custom; they need a few vivid images they can connect to: red envelopes, blossoms, a big family meal, new clothes and wishes for a happy year. If your child asks why a classmate is going away for so long, the answer that the family is visiting grandparents far away is usually all they need, and it often leads to a happy conversation about their own grandparents.
After Tet: the slow restart
The first days back are rarely a normal school week. Some classmates return late because their families stayed longer in the provinces, a few staff may still be travelling, and the class may spend the first days on gentle activities and stories about the holiday. This is expected, and it does not mean the school is disorganised.
For your child, the break can feel like a mini restart of preschool. After two weeks or more at home, a child who had settled well may cry at drop-off again for a few days. Treat it as you did the first weeks: a short, warm goodbye, a predictable routine and an early night. Most children are back in their rhythm within a week.
Many Vietnamese families keep the festive mood going for the rest of the first lunar month, visiting relatives and wishing each other a good year at work and at school. You may hear "chuc mung nam moi", happy new year, from staff and other parents well into February. Saying it back is a small, warm gesture that is always appreciated.
Câu hỏi thường gặp
Does my child have to wear an ao dai to the Tet party?
Usually not. Most schools welcome traditional clothes but accept any tidy festive outfit. Ask whether the class has a colour theme, choose light fabric for the heat, and pack ordinary clothes so your child can change if they are uncomfortable.
How long is the preschool Tet holiday in Ho Chi Minh City?
It varies by school and by year. The public holiday is built on five days under the Labour Code and is often extended by swapping working days, and private schools then set their own closure. Rely only on the calendar your school publishes.
Is it safe to stay in Saigon over Tet with young children?
Yes, many international families do and enjoy the quiet streets. The main issues are practical: closed shops, fewer taxis and drivers, and limited clinic hours. Stock up on essentials, note which clinics stay open and plan simple outings.
Should my family give anything to the school at Tet?
Nothing is required. Some families give a small card or a box of sweets to the class, and some give red envelopes to staff they know well. Check the school policy on gifts first, since some schools prefer that parents do not give money.
My child is not Vietnamese. Will they feel left out during Tet activities?
Children rarely feel excluded by a celebration they are invited into. Teachers usually present Tet as a shared class party. Talking about it at home beforehand, and joining in a little yourselves, helps your child feel part of it.
Why is my child upset again after the Tet break?
A long break interrupts the routine your child built, so returning can feel new again. Keep goodbyes short and warm, protect sleep and expect a few unsettled days. Talk to the teacher if the upset lasts more than a week or two.