Tet and others spectacular festivals around the world in January 2020

Tết, or Lunar New Year, is the most important celebration in Vietnamese culture and a major holiday across the country. Although the New Year date is January 25, the days leading up to Tết as well as the days following it are considered national holidays. Vietnamese prepare for Tết by cooking specific New Year foods, cleaning out their homes, buying new clothing, and paying respects to their ancestors. 

Flowering trees are placed outside every home and office, and a feeling of excitement and cheer envelops the entire country. On the very first day of Tết, children will receive a red envelope containing lucky money from elders in a tradition known as mừng tuổi in the north and lì xì in the south.

Take a stroll down Nguyen Hue street in Ho Chi Minh City during the Tet Holiday to admire the street's annual flower festival. From January 22 to 28, this pedestrian boulevard will be transformed with elaborate flower displays, artwork, and LED lights. Themed installations will be set up along the 720-metre stretch, and visitors are welcome to take photos with the flower arrangements - a favourite part of the city's Tet festivities.

The cool weather and hilly climate of the Northern Province of Chiang Rai make it the perfect place to grow many different types of flower and plant that wouldn’t normally be found in Thailand. It is the perfect time to host the annual Chiang Rai Flower Festival, which this year takes place from 25th December 2019 to 12th January 2020.

Now in its 16th year, the Chiang Rai Flower Festival will this year be held at Mae Kok Riverside Flower Park. Visitors will have a chance to enjoy Chiang Rai’s enchanting tulip and lilies and the sight of many kinds of cold-climate flowers which are all in full bloom at this time of the year. The flowers come in a dazzling range of colours and there are ‘khom’ or lantern displays so the gardens can be enjoyed night and day.

As well as the elegant beauty of the flowers, there will be different activities to enjoy, including a photo contest, flower painting competition, cultural shows, local product and food fairs, and musical performances.

The Westminster Tết Parade in Little Saigon is a beloved community tradition, attracting over 50,000 visitors for a day of celebration. Over 60 organizations including non-profits, school districts, marching bands, parade floats, veteran and youth organizations, martial arts schools, Vietnamese Scouting units, local jurisdictions, and more take to the street to mark the start of the Lunar New Year.

Little Saigon’s Tết Parade 2020 will be held on Saturday, January 25, 2020, which falls on the Vietnamese New Year, Year of the Rat. As in previous years, the parade route will begin on Bolsa Ave. at Magnolia and move eastward toward Bushard where it ends. 

The Parade will begin at 8 a.m. with opening ceremonies including lion dances, a firecracker show, flag salutes, and many other family-friendly, traditional rituals. Following the end of the parade, another Firecracker Show hosted by the Asian Garden Mall will take place at 12 noon. 

That afternoon, festivities will move to Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley for the Opening Ceremony of the Vietnamese Tết Festival, hosted by Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do with participation of many other federal, state, county, and local elected officials.

Those looking for evening entertainment can visit the Asian Garden Mall the night before, where a Countdown Celebration will be held on January 24 at 9 p.m., complete with a firecracker show at midnight to usher in the new year. Admission is also free. 

Yes, it is the third Saturday in January! Time for Tulip Day! The start of the tulip season! Come pick your own free tulips in the centre of Amsterdam.

If you are in Amsterdam on the third Saturday in January you are very lucky. Normally there are no blooming tulips to enjoy in January but on the third Saturday of January it’s National Tulip Day in Amsterdam! With this unique event the Dutch are celebrating the start of the tulip season. From that day the tulip flowers will be promoted at the flower shops.

Visitors are allowed to pick tulips for free in a specially designed tulip pick-up garden. There will be around 200.000 tulips in the free pick-up garden.

Source: vietnam.travel
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