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Here is the Vietnamese story legend that explains the importance of a special food eaten during Lunar New Year.

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Long, long ago in Vietnam, there lived an ancient King named King Hung Vuong. He was a wise and thoughtful king who always tried to please his people and consider new ideas, and because of this, he was loved by his people. King Vuong grew old and he knew that soon it would be time to pass his kingdom on to his successor. The only trouble was that the King Vuong had three healthy sons, and he did not know who would be the best choice. King Vuong, being a wise and caring King, thought very hard about this problem, and in due course, came upon a solution.

He called his three sons together. Rising up to his feet, he declared,"Sons you are all wise and strong, but only one of you can rule our precious Vietnam. So, I have devised a plan to determine which of you shall rule after my passing." All of the members of the court and his three sons listened attentively, because King Vuong was known to be the wisest ruler in the whole of Asia.

King Vuong continued, "I would like each of you to provide for me a dish of food. You must search for the ingredients, make the dish and serve it to me on the last day of this Lunar Month. On the basis of this dish, I will decide who is to be the ruler of our Kingdom."

Immediately after the words had left this King's mouth, the attendants at the court began to talk in hushed whispers. They knew that this was a very wise pronouncement of their King, because Vietnam, with its large population and small land area, must always give attention to food production to make sure that each person is well fed and healthy.

The three brothers stared in disbelief, "How could our father suggest such a method of deciding? Why does he not test our strength?" said the first brother. "Why does he not he test our computational skills?" said the second brother, surprised. The third and youngest brother just looked at the court and his father and made no comment.

Within days, the two elder brothers had organized their servants and horses and carriages and were racing all over Vietnam and even to other parts of South East Asia to find the most delectable and delicious ingredients for the dish. One brother took a boat out into the South China Sea to fish for the finest tasting fish. The other brother went into the Khmer Mountains to find the most tender boar meat. Yet, the youngest Prince Tiet Lieu, stayed at home and sat on his front step, pondering his father's request.

By the end of the Lunar Month, each of the brothers had prepared their dishes and came before the whole of the Vietnamese royal court and their wise father King Vuong to present it. The first brother came to the father and presented a fine porcelain dish of flying fish dressed in a sweet chili sauce accompanied by expensive lotus seeds. A hush came over the court as the father viewed the dish and placed it on the table. The second brother came forward, and he opened a large copper cauldron and presented a dish of boar dressed with wild mushrooms and a rare wild fern sauce. Again, all the court watched the father place the cauldron on the table. Then Prince Tiet Lieu came forward and opened his basket and displayed a large flat rice cake. The court and his brothers gasped! Noone would dare offer such simple fare to the royal King Vuong.

King Vuong said, "Prince Tiet Lieu, tell me why you have chosen to present me with such a simple rice cake."

Prince Tiet Lieu said, "Rice is the most precious and valuable of all food found in this kingdom, yet it is also the most abundant. I have prepared a dish that represents my love for you and our beautiful Vietnam. I have cooked it thoroughly then molded it into a round rice cake, and called it Banh Day, as it symbolizes the sky we live under. I have cooked a square rice cake, stuffed it with cooked bean paste and ground meat in the middle and called it Banh Chung. This will symbolize the earth we live on."

As Prince Tiet Lieu spoke, his two elder brothers tried to mask the grandness of their dishes, as they now understood the wisdom of their younger brother in using ingredients that all the people of Vietnam could have access to. Immediately they fell to their knees in front of their father and younger brother and bowed at the same time the whole court bowed to the father and son, as everyone knew that Prince Tiet Lieu would make the finest King to rule after his wise father King Vuong. After that, King Hung Vuong ordered that this recipe be passed out to all people in his kingdom.

As the result, the Vietnamese custom is that every year during the New Year celebration, the Vietnamese people cook Banh Chung and Banh Day and use them as special offerings to their ancestors as well as special gifts to relatives and friends during the Tet celebrations. The Banh Chung is very nutritious, has a unique, tasty flavor and may be kept for a long time. All of its ingredients and materials, from the green wrapping leaves to sticky rice and pork, green beans and pepper inside, are all medicine (according to Oriental Medicine) that act to keep harmony between the positive and the negative, thus helping the blood circulate well and preventing diseases.

Together with Banh Chung Banh Day, the Vietnamese people normally eat Banh Cuon (Fun rolls) and Cha (special meat roll made with pork, or beef, or chicken) during the Lunar New Year-because those are so goods and simply because Cha can be preserved for a while in the cold climate, when the markets are not open during the Lunar New Year period (normally 1-2 weeks after the New Year). In Vietnam, there are almost no commercial activities during New Year and a week after so that everyone who works from far away can come back and celebrate the New Year with their family.
In Vietnam, family members normally gather for the Banh Chung Cookout. After wrapping the Banh Chung, people put them in a huge pot and cook them for 10-12 hours, depending how large the Banh Chung are. During this cooking period, family members normally gather around the pot and sing traditional songs or tell stories.

Today, ATG volunteers brought the Tet spirit to the children of SPC Danang- House 3&4 by feeding them with Banh Cuon and Cha. (We fed the children this dish last Lunar New Year celebration and they asked if they could have that dish again for this occasion). Though Banh Cuon and Cha are inexpensive in the US, they are pretty pricey and are considered out-of-reach for the little budget of the orphanages such as SPC DN-house 3&4. As the volunteers set up the food, the children gathered around the volunteers to sing and chat happily. We also helped the children celebrate the Banh Chung Cookout. A huge pot filled with pre-wrapped Banh Chung was set up outside in the play yard. After the meal, the children gathered around the Banh Chung pot and continue to sing and listened to the story of Banh Chung Banh Day. On a cold day like this, we felt warm with happy thoughts, as we were able to bring the Tet tradition together with hope and happiness to the children. We hope they feel the same!

VIETNAMESE TRANSLATION

Sự tích Bánh Chưng Bánh Dày

Ngày xưa, ở Việt Nam có một vị vua già tên là Hùng Vương. Ngài là một vì vua thông minh và biết quan tâm người khác, Ngài luôn cố làm hài lòng hết thảy dân chúng trong vương quốc và luôn quan tâm xem xét các ý tưởng mới lạ và chính vì lẽ đó mà vua Hùng được mọi người hết mực yêu mến. Vua Hùng ngày một già và đã đến lúc trao ngôi báu lại cho người nối ngôi, vua chỉ băn khoăn một điều là Ngài có ba hoàng tử khỏe mạnh và không biết phải chọn ai trong số họ. Vua rất khôn ngoan và suy nghĩ cặn kẽ về việc này và tình cờ Ngài đã nảy ra một cách giải quyết rất đúng lúc.

Ngài gọi ba hoàng tử của mình đến và đứng dậy phán rằng; "Hỡi các con, các con ai nấy cũng đều thông minh và khỏe mạnh nhưng chỉ một trong các con sẽ là người lên trị vì nước Việt Nam yêu dấu của chúng ta. Thế nên ta đã nghĩ ra kế hoạch chọn người sẽ nối ngôi khi ta băng hà." Hết thảy quần thần trong triều và ba hoàng tử đều lắng nghe hết sức chăm chú vì ai cũng biết rằng vua Hùng là vị vua trị vì thông minh nhất Châu Á.

Vua Hùng tiếp; "Ta muốn mỗi anh em con phải dâng cho ta một món ăn, các con phải tìm lấy cách làm và thành phần để chế biến và sẽ dâng lên ta vào ngày cuối tháng âm lịch này, và ta sẽ biết để chọn xem ai sẽ là người nối ngôi ta."

Ngay khi vua vừa dứt lời thì cả triều đình bắt đầu bàn tán thì thầm. Họ hiểu rằng đây là lời phán rất thông minh của Ngài bởi lẽ đất nước Việt Nam nhỏ hẹp với một lượng dân số to lớn như vậy thì chắc hẳn ai cũng phải để ý tới việc sản xuất lương thực để đảm bảo rằng ai cũng được no đầy và khỏe mạnh.

Cả ba hoàng tử nhìn nhau ngờ vực; "Làm thế nào vua cha lại có thể đề nghị cách quyết định này được chứ? Tại sao cha không thử sức mạnh của chúng ta nhỉ?", hoàng tử thứ nhất hỏi. Hoàng tử thứ hai cũng ngạc nhiên "tại sao vua cha không thử tài tính toán của chúng ta?" Vị hoàng tử út thứ ba chỉ nhìn các quần thần và vua cha mà không nói năng gì.

Trong nhiều ngày liền hai vị hoàng tử đầu đã mang theo xe ngựa và người hầu đi khắp Việt Nam, thậm chí ở cả những khu vực thuộc vùng Đông Nam Á để tìm cho được các thành phần ngon nhất về nấu món ngon cho cha. Một người đã đi thuyền qua tận Hải Nam (Biển Đông) để câu được cá ngon nhất, người khác lên tận vùng núi Khmer để tìm món thịt lợn hấp dẫn nhất. Còn Hoàng tử Tiết Liêu ở nhà ngồi ở bậc thềm trước nhà, suy nghĩ về lời yêu cầu của vua cha.

Vào cuối tháng âm lịch mỗi hoàng tử đều đã chuẩn bị món ăn của mình và dâng lên cho vua cha trước mặt tất cả các quần thần trong triều. Vị hoàng tử đầu tiên dâng cho cha món cá chuồn nấu bằng tương ớt thơm lừng và hạt sen đắt tiền trong tô sứ rất ngon mắt. Cả triều đình im phăng phắc khi vua cha xem qua món ăn và đặt nó trở lại trên bàn. Vị hoàng tử thứ hai lên phiá trước và mở cái vạc đồng dâng lên cho cha miếng đùi lợn nấu với nấm rừng và nước xốt dương xỉ rừng quý hiếm. Lại một lần nữa cả triều đình chìm trong im lặng nhìn vua cha đặt cái vạc trên bàn. Đến lượt Hoàng tử Tiết Liêu bước về phiá trước, mở cái giỏ của mình và bày ra một chiếc bánh làm bằng gạo rất to bằng phẳng. Cả triều đình và hai anh của Tiết Liêu đều há hốc miệng kinh ngạc, chẳng ai dám dâng cho vua cha một món ăn quá đơn giản như thế.

Vua Hùng bảo, "Tiết Liêu, nói cho cha nghe tại sao con lại chọn món bánh gạo đơn giản như thế để dâng lên cho cha?"

Hoàng tử Tiết Liêu tâu, "Gạo là thứ ăn quý giá nhất trong vương quốc này, và gạo cũng là thực phẩm dồi dào nhất. Con đã chuẩn bị một món ăn để có thể bày tỏ tình yêu của con đối với cha và cả đất nước Việt Nam xinh đẹp của chúng ta nữa. Con đã nấu chín gạo và đúc vào trong khuôn bánh tròn, và gọi là Bánh Dày để tượng trưng cho bầu trời mà chúng ta đang sống đây. Con cũng nấu một chiếc bánh gạo vuông vức, ở giữa có nhân đậu chín và thịt băm nhỏ được gọi là Bánh Chưng. Đây tượng trưng cho trái đất mà chúng ta đang sống.

Khi Hoàng tử Tiết Liêu nói xong thì hai người anh của chàng cũng cố che đi vẻ to lớn của các món ăn của mình vì giờ đây họ đã hiểu ra sự khôn ngoan của em mình khi dùng những thành phần chế biến thức ăn mà tất cả người Việt Nam đều có được. Ngay lập tức họ quỳ xuống dưới chân đức vua cha và hoàng tử út đồng thời toàn thể triều thần cũng cúi đầu trước vua cha và Hoàng tử Tiết Liêu vì tất cả đã biết rằng Tiết Liêu sẽ là một vì vua tốt nhất sau vua cha. Sau đó, vua Hùng truyền lệnh cho công thức làm bánh này phổ biến cho hết thảy mọi người trong vương quốc của Ngài.

Vì thế, Việt Nam có phong tục là hằng năm cứ đến Tết là người Việt nấu bánh Chưng và Bánh Dày và dùng như món đồ cúng đặc biệt dành để cúng tổ tiên và là món quà đặc biệt dành tặng người thân và bạn bè trong dịp Tết. Bánh Chưng rất bổ dưỡng, có hương vị thơm ngon độc đáo và có thể giữ được trong một thời gian dài. Tất cả các thành phần và nguyên liệu dùng để làm bánh, từ lá gói xanh tới gạo nếp và thịt heo, đậu xanh và tiêu bên trong nhân, tất cả đều là các vị thuốc (theo đông y) có thể giữ cân bằng âm dương giúp máu lưu thông tốt và ngăn ngừa bệnh tật nữa.

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Banh Chung Banh Day - A New Year Story for Tet by ATG

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Long, long ago in Vietnam, there lived an ancient King named King Hung Vuong. He was a wise and thoughtful king who always tried to please his people and consider new ideas, and because of this, he was loved by his people.

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This myth tells the story of why watermelon is important during Tet, or Vietnamese Lunar New Year

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This myth tells the story of why watermelon is important during Tet, or Vietnamese Lunar New Year

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Myth of the Watermelon - Su Tich Trai Dua Hau

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This video explains how the new moon became something to celebrate in China. It also talks about the Chinese Zodiac  

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This video explains how the new moon became something to celebrate in China. It also talks about the Chinese Zodiac  

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This article talks about the different countries where lunar new year is celebrated. 

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This article talks about the different countries where lunar new year is celebrated. 

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Most people think that honoring the Lunar New Year is just a Chinese tradition, but it's an event that's celebrated in many countries in Asia. And the celebrations are as colorfully similar as they are diverse.

In China, they celebrate the Chinese New Year, but in Vietnam, they celebrate Tết Nguyên Đán (Feast of the First Morning of the First Day) and in South Korea, they call the traditional holiday Seollal.

Despite the difference in names, all of these cultures celebrate the beginning of the lunisolar calendar with an abundance of traditional foods, festivals and lots of reds ― a symbol of good luck for many Asian cultures. Dragons dancing through parades to ward off bad spirits are also common in Asian celebrations.

But not all these celebrations are exactly the same, as explained in the HuffPost video above.

Chinese families give their loved ones money in red envelopes, while Koreans traditionally offer theirs in silk pouches. And, of course, different Asian countries will celebrate the new year in their own traditional garb.

The Lunar New Year is "a tradition that we get to celebrate here, even though most people who celebrate it are halfway around the world," Nancy Yao Maasbach, president of the Museum of Chinese in America, told The Huffington Post. "To share it and share it boldly is very special."

Want to know how to celebrate the Lunar New Year in the most traditional ways? Watch HuffPost's video above.

ALSO ON HUFFPOST

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The Lunar New Year Isn't Only For Chinese People

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Most people think that honoring the Lunar New Year is just a Chinese tradition, but it's an event that's celebrated in many countries in Asia. And the celebrations are as colorfully similar as they are diverse.

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What is the Lunar New Year? Different calendars and different traditions:

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What is the Lunar New Year? Different calendars and different traditions:

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An exploration of the many ways a new year is celebrated in Asia.

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This site is a little slow, but has good information about Vietnamese traditions.

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Vietnamese Lunar New Year - Tet 2022: A Complete Guide to Traditional Food, New Year Wishes, Famous Attractions and Activities.

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Read about why certain family traditions are so important

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Read about why certain family traditions are so important

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Happy Chinese New Year! Today, January 31st, marks the first day of the Year of the Horse on the lunar calendar, which is believed to bring prosperity and wealth. Also known as the Spring Festival or the Lunar New Year, the holiday is considered one of the most important traditional Chinese holidays, which holds a deep significance to families. Not solely confined to China, the Lunar New Year is celebrated across the world in countries and territories with significant Chinese populations. It's also not confined to one day - celebrations continue for 15 days throughout the world.
For good health and good fortune / Kenny Louie, Flickr
Rich in tradition and symbolism, the holiday is a time for families to come together and honor our ancestors. Large feasts are comprised of traditional dishes of fish, meats and vegetables, with each dish representing good fortune in the coming year. Oranges, an important symbol of luck and fortune, can be found in abundance during the celebrations. Sweet candies and moon cakes are also served to give more good luck and good fortune.

The color red plays a significant role during the New Year celebrations. It is believed the color will scare away evil spirits and bad fortune and bring good luck to those who wear it. The gifting of the famous 'red envelopes' is perhaps every child's favorite part of the holiday. Parents and adults will gift little red envelopes with 'lucky' money to little children. The amount is always an even number, as odd numbers are associated with cash given at funerals.
The burning of paper money
One of the most significant traditions of the holiday is the burning of paper money and other fake valuable items in honor of deceased family members. By doing this, it is believed that these items will be passed on to our ancestors in the afterlife, where they can use these valuable items. This tradition is important for families to come together to honor their ancestors, wish them well and pray they bring the family good fortune in the new year.

For many, the holiday represents a time to remember our past, come together as a family, and look forward to what the next year will bring. To everyone celebrating, we w ish you a happy and prosperous New Year!

Post written by Amanda

Amanda is the Social Media Coordinator at Geni. If you need any assistance, she will be happy to help!

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Chinese New Year: A Celebration of Tradition and Family

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Happy Chinese New Year! Today, January 31st, marks the first day of the Year of the Horse on the lunar calendar, which is believed to bring prosperity and wealth. Also known as the Spring Festival or the Lunar New Year, the holiday is considered one of the most important traditional Chinese holidays, which holds a deep significance to families.

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This blog tells about one person's experience in Korea, celebrating Soellal. 

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This blog tells about one person's experience in Korea, celebrating Soellal. 

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Editor's note: At the 2014 Folklife Festival, we featured artwork, craft activities, and cooking demonstrations based on Chinese New Year celebrations. The Lunar New Year is observed far beyond China, however; intern Jennifer Suh reports on her family's celebration of the holiday in South Korea.
As a study-abroad student in Washington, D.C., I have enjoyed learning about American culture and traditions, but I was glad to arrive home before one of my favorite holidays in South Korea: the Lunar New Year. The holiday is called Seollal in Korean and can fall anywhere between January 20 and February 21. This year, Lunar New Year is February 19. Many countries celebrate the holiday including China, Vietnam, Mongolia, Tibet, and Korea.

In South Korea, Seollal is a day to gather with family members. For many who live far away, the holiday may be one of the few opportunities in a year to visit their relatives, but they must plan early to avoid terrible traffic and crowded trains. Train reservation websites often crash as soon as holiday travel schedules are posted from the rush of traffic!

During Seollal, my family always visits my father's relatives, since Korea has a paternal culture. Under the rule of Confucianism, a married woman was not allowed to visit her family without permission from her parents-in-law. This tradition does not exist anymore, but still it is common to meet paternal relatives first.

Seollal begins with an ancestral rite called charea. The rite starts with preparing foods, including a variety of wild herbs, meat, fish, fruits, alcohol, and the Korean New Year dish tteokguk, a soup made with sliced rice cake.

The food should be placed in order on a ritual table by the law of ancestral rite. The law of ancestral rite has many variations, depending on region and family. But peaches and red beans are never used for this rite, since traditionally they are believed to keep away ghosts. The family members bow down twice and bow once to the table to show respect and gratitude to ancestors. Today, some families in Korea refuse to do ancestral rites because of changing religious beliefs or the difficulty of preparation.

After greeting the ancestors, all family members eat the food. Then the younger generation pays respect to the older generation by bowing down, which we call saebae. Usually the older family members give words of blessing-and money-to the children. This money was one reason Seollal was my favorite holiday! Counting the money I received was always a thrill. After I am considered a "real adult," I will be expected to give money or presents to older relatives.

Later in the day, our family visits maternal relatives. Unlike paternal relatives, we do not do charea. Here, we only do saebae and eat another delicious meal together.

January 1 is also celebrated in Korea. A "Watch-Night Bell" is rung and people go to the east coast to watch the first sunrise. But Lunar New Year is more of a time to celebrate family. That is why I am so excited to return to South Korea before Seollal to spend the holiday with my family!

You can try making some New Year's soup with this recipe from my family:

Tteokguk (Korean Rice Cake Soup)
Ingredients
1 lb sliced rice cakes
½ lb beef brisket, chopped
7 cups water
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 chopped spring onion
3 cloves of garlic, minced
Directions
1. Wash the sliced rice cakes with water and place in a colander to drain.
2. Cover the bottom of a pot with sesame oil, and cook the chopped beef, pepper, and soy sauce together until the beef is lightly browned.
3. Once the beef is slightly cooked, add the water to the pot and bring to a boil.
4. When the water begins to boil, add rice cakes, minced garlic, and chopped spring onion.
5. Boil soup for fifteen minutes or until the rice cake is cooked.
Heekyung (Jennifer) Suh is a student at Seoul National University majoring in anthropology. She spent the fall 2014 semester studying at American University in Washington, D.C., and January 2015 serving as an intern at the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.

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Lunar New Year in South Korea | Smithsonian Folklife Festival

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Editor's note: At the 2014 Folklife Festival, we featured artwork, craft activities, and cooking demonstrations based on Chinese New Year celebrations. The Lunar New Year is observed far beyond China, however; intern Jennifer Suh reports on her family's celebration of the holiday in South Korea.