How to celebrate Tet in Seattle, Washington during the Vietnamese Lunar New Years

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Tet In Seattle will be happening on January 25 and 26, 2025, at the Armory Food & Event Hall and Fisher Pavilion.  This will be a celebration of the Vietnamese Lunar New Year.  It is free and open to the public

Celebrate the Year of the Wood Snake. In Eastern culture, the snake symbolizes wisdom, fortune and adaptability.  People born in the Year of the Wood Snake are believed to be intuitive and intelligent.

Tet is short for Tet Nguyen Dan which is the Vietnamese Lunar New Year and the most important holiday in Vietnam.

Vietnamese New Year falls on January 29, 2025, in the Gregorian Calendar.  Tet is not only the transition moment between the old year and the new year, between the cycle of heaven and earth and the life of all things.  It is also a time for people to show respect to ancestors and parents and reunite with family.

Chung cake, aka Tet cake, is essential at a Tet feast in New Year meals.  

Other important Tet foods include

  • Nem, a spring roll filled with pork and vegetables
  • Thit kho, a type of braised pork
  • Cha gio, a kind of fried spring roll
  • Mut, preserved fruit that comes in flavors like coconut and ginger

Candy, chocolates and pastries are also part of Tet feasts.

Tet drinks are also part of the celebration.  Le Han trai is a type of Arhat Fruit tea.  Ruou can is a type of rice wine that is traditionally drunk out of a bamboo tube.

Cleaning and decorating the house is believed to wipe out bad luck and old things and to welcome good luck.

Tet in Seattle celebrates the cultural roots and traditions of Vietnamese Lunar New Year.  For the two days of the festival, guests get a glimpse of the Vietnamese spirit through arts, music, hands on experiences and performances.  You can enjoy traditional Vietnamese food, lion dances and a curated ao dai fashion show. 

Tet in Seattle (TIS) is a nonprofit organization, founded to celebrate and preserve Vietnamese heritage and culture in Seattle.

If you’d like to attend the festival and look the part, check out Vietnamese clothing for women and Vietnamese clothing for men.

Vietnamese Cuisine

If you liked the food at the festival and want to learn more about Vietnamese cooking, try these cookbooks.  And use our links to see how much money you can save on them.

Or you could enjoy Vietnamese cuisine in the 10 Best Vietnamese Restaurants in Seattle as chosen by the users of TripAdvisor.

  1. Tamarind Tree
  2. Ba Bar Capitol Hill
  3. Monsoon
  4.  Pho Viet Anh
  5. Cafe Opla
  6.  Local Pho
  7. Pho Bac 
  8. Coba
  9. Bol Pho Bistro
  10. Meekong Bar

If you love Vietnamese food and you’re unable to get to these restaurants one night, you can get food from Meekong Bar delivered by DoorDash.  Check out their menu.

Discounted Seattle Hotels

If you’d like to visit Seattle for Tet In Seattle, you should consider these hotels.  They are all offering discounted rates which can save you money on your stay.