Editing Tết (section)

==History==
The Lunar Year holiday was originally brought to Vietnam by the Chinese, who had formally [[Vietnam under Chinese rule|incorporated Vietnam]] into their [[Han dynasty|Han Dynasty]] empire in 111 BCE and mostly had ruled it for over 1000 years until the collapse of the [[Tang dynasty|Tang Dynasty]] in the 10th century. That historic period of Chinese rule had significantly influenced Vietnamese culture, language, and administration, as Chinese governors had attempted for complete Sinicization.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bual |first=Hiezle |date=2018-02-13 |title=Tet Holiday: The Age-Old Tradition Explained |url=https://vietcetera.com/en/tet-holiday-the-age-old-tradition-explained |access-date=2024-02-12 |website=Vietcetera |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Vietnam - Chinese Rule, Dynasties, History {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Vietnam/Vietnam-under-Chinese-rule |access-date=2024-02-12 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref> Vietnamese Lunar New Year today still retains a degree of the original Chinese customs such as giving of lucky money in red envelopes and use of the lunar calendar, but has also over time, evolved its own separate and unique traditions that reflect Vietnam's distinct culture and identity, which includes the [[Vietnamese zodiac]] where the Vietnamese do not use the Ox, Rabbit, and Sheep in the Chinese zodiac but instead replace them with the Buffalo, Cat, and Goat, respectively, as well as traditional Vietnamese dishes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tet, A Celebration of Rebirth : Asian-Nation :: Asian American History, Demographics, & Issues |url=https://www.asian-nation.org/tet.shtml |access-date=2024-02-12 |website=www.asian-nation.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Elston |first=Thuan Le |title=Why we Vietnamese don't celebrate the Lunar Year of the Rabbit: Cat got our tongue |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2023/01/20/lunar-new-year-chinese-rabbit-vietnamese-cat/11081882002/ |access-date=2024-02-12 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Controversies ===
Most information sources state that Tết originated from the period of [[Vietnam under Chinese rule|Chinese domination]]. However according to the official online newspaper of the Vietnamese government, some historical materials suggest otherwise. Tết's origins have been a subject of scholarly research for many generations.<ref name=":1" />

According to researcher Toan Anh, Tết Nguyên Đán is considered the first festival of the new year, beginning at midnight with the {{Lang|vi|Trừ tịch}} ceremony. The ceremony usually takes place between the hour of the Pig on the 30th day or, if it is a short month, on the 29th day of the 12th lunar month, and the hour of the Rat on the 1st day of the first lunar month.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2024-02-13 |title=Nguồn Gốc, Ý Nghĩa Tết Nguyên Đán |url=https://xaydungchinhsach.chinhphu.vn/nguon-goc-y-nghia-tet-nguyen-dan-cua-nguoi-viet-119230121183831146.htm |access-date=2024-06-18 |website=xaydungchinhsach.chinhphu.vn |language=vi}}</ref>

Researcher Phan Cẩm Thượng, in his book ''Customs of Human Life'', explains that the Vietnamese use the agricultural calendar or lunar calendar, which is based on the moon's rotation around the earth but also accounts for the 24 solar terms of the earth with the sun, including the four key points of the [[March equinox|spring equinox]], [[September equinox|autumnal equinox]], [[winter solstice]], and [[summer solstice]]. Tết begins on the first day of lunar January, marking the start of a new year and a new farming cycle.<ref name=":1" />

Historian [[Trần Văn Giáp]] asserts that there are many ways to divide time into months and years. From the beginning, each ethnic group had its own way of dividing months and years. According to Trần's research, Tết Nguyên Đán in Vietnam dates back to the first century AD. The origin and meaning of Tết Nguyên Đán have been prevalent since then.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-02-01 |title=Nguồn gốc Tết Nguyên đán ở Việt Nam trong mắt nhà sử học |url=https://baophapluat.vn/post-432551.html |access-date=2024-06-18 |website=Báo Pháp luật Việt Nam điện tử |language=vi}}</ref>

According to the legend of [[Bánh chưng]] [[Bánh giầy]], the Vietnamese have celebrated Tết since before the time of the [[Hùng king]]s. The legend of Lang Lieu and Bánh chưng also suggests that Tết existed over a thousand years before the period of Chinese domination.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Nguồn gốc và ý nghĩa sâu sắc của ngày Tết Nguyên Đán |url=https://www.binhthuan.dcs.vn/Tin-tuc/post/212948/nguon-goc-va-y-nghia-sau-sac-cua-ngay-tet-nguyen-dan |access-date=2024-06-18 |website=Cổng thông tin điện tử Đảng bộ tỉnh Bình Thuận}}</ref>