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Tết in Orlando: A Guide to Vietnamese New Year

Tết is Vietnamese New Year, the biggest holiday on the Vietnamese calendar. In 2027 it falls on Saturday, February 6, the first day of the Year of the Goat. Here’s what the holiday means, what to eat, and where to celebrate Tết in Orlando.

Crowds walking the palm-lined vendor row

What is Tết?

The full name is Tết Nguyên Đán, often translated as the festival of the first morning of the first day. It’s the Vietnamese celebration of Lunar New Year, a time when families come home, honor their ancestors and start the year well. If you’ve searched for Vietnamese New Year or Vietnamese Lunar New Year, this is the same holiday.

When is Tết 2027?

Tết 2027 begins on Saturday, February 6, and New Year’s Eve is Friday, February 5. The year is called Đinh Mùi, the Year of the Goat. Because Tết follows the lunar calendar, the date moves each year, usually landing between late January and mid-February.

How families celebrate Tết

  • Getting ready. Homes get a deep clean, new clothes are bought, and people try to settle debts and disagreements before the new year arrives.
  • Honoring ancestors. Families prepare the home altar with fruit, flowers and food, and remember those who came before them.
  • Blossoms. Peach blossoms are the classic choice in northern Vietnam and yellow apricot blossoms in the south. Kumquat trees are popular too.
  • Lucky money. Children and elders receive lì xì, small gifts of money in red envelopes.
  • The first visitor. The first guest through the door in the new year is thought to set the tone for the home. This custom is called xông đất.
  • The greeting. Wish someone a happy new year with “Chúc mừng năm mới.”

Tết foods to know

  • Bánh chưng. A square cake of sticky rice, mung bean and pork, wrapped in leaves and boiled for hours.
  • Bánh tét. The round, log-shaped version, especially popular in southern Vietnam.
  • Thịt kho. Pork and eggs braised until rich and caramelized.
  • Dưa món. Pickled vegetables that cut through all that richness.
  • Mứt Tết. Candied fruit, coconut and ginger, set out for guests.

Where to celebrate Tết in Orlando

The Central Florida Fairgrounds festivals

If you’re searching for the Tet Festival in Orlando, these long-running community events are the place to go. Two festivals use the fairgrounds at 4603 W. Colonial Drive, and we’re happy to point you to both. Neither has announced 2027 dates that we’ve seen yet.

  • Vietnamese Lunar New Year Festival. From the Vietnamese Community of Central Florida, with the Miss Vietnam Florida pageant. It ran January 16 to 18 in 2026, with free admission and parking.
  • Tet Festival. From the parish of Saint Philip Phan Van Minh. It ran February 7 and 8 in 2026 with free admission. Watch its Facebook page for news.

Mills 50

Orlando’s Mills 50 District is home to many of the city’s Vietnamese restaurants and bakeries, and it’s a good place to start looking for holiday treats. The Central Florida Dragon Parade is held there too.

Celebrate Lunar

Vietnamese culture has been part of Celebrate Lunar for years. UCF VASA and the St Philip Minh Dance Group have shared traditional dance on our stage, and past vendors include Viet-Nomz, Black Phin Coffee and Nuoc Mami.

Our 2027 festival is Saturday, February 27, from 12 to 7 PM at Luminary Green Park in downtown Orlando, three weeks after Tết. It brings Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese and other Asian communities together in one park. The 2027 lineup is coming soon.

Is Tết the same as Chinese New Year?

They’re the same season, and usually the same day, but they aren’t the same holiday. Tết has its own foods, flowers, customs and history. That’s why we use the name Lunar New Year, which includes every culture that celebrates it.

Get your tickets for Celebrate Lunar. Chúc mừng năm mới!