This period begins one or two weeks before the actual celebration. The general atmosphere leading up to Tết is in the bustle of shopping, decorating the home, cooking traditional Tết food, and waiting for relatives to return home. People try to pay off their debts in advance so they can be debt-free on Tết. Parents buy new clothes for their children so the children can wear them when Tết arrives. In the days leading up to Tết, the streets and markets are full of people. As the shops will be closed during Tết, people try to stock up on supplies as much as possible.Vietnamese families usually have a family altar, to show respect to their ancestors. During Tết, the altar is thoroughly cleaned and new offerings are placed there. This includes a tray of five different fruits on the altar called "Mâm Ngũ Quả" (literally, five fruit types). Traditionally, the three kitchen guardians for each house (Ông Táo, Kitchen God), who report to the Jade Emperor about the events in that house over the past year, return to heaven on the 23rd day of the 12th month by lunar calendar. Their departure is marked by a modest ceremony where the family offers sacrifices for them to use on their journey.In the days leading up to Tết, each family cooks special holiday foods such as bánh chưng and bánh dầy. Preparations for these foods are quite extensive. Family members often take turns to keep watch on the fire overnight, telling each other stories about Tết of past years.Vietnamese families also buy home peach blossom trees, kumquat trees, and orange trees. They also buy flowers to decorate their homes such as chrysanthemums or orchids. They plant these flowers and put them into beautiful pots in front of or inside the house.The New Year[edit]
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