Tet balloons, Hanoi

The most important Vietnamese holiday is Tet, often described as Christmas, Thanksgiving, and the Fourth of July rolled into one. Tet is the annual turning of the lunar year and the start of spring. At Tet, the whole country, household by household, tidies up, pays off debts, buys new clothes, prepares special rice cakes, and gets ready for the family reunions that follow the displays of fireworks.

1988

Vietnam: Journey of the Heart 1985-2000

BANC PIC 2007.056:38

Image

1 photographic print (framed); ca. 24 x 36 inches (unframed)

Color photograph

The Bancroft Library

Caption text by John Balaban
Part of: Vietnam: Journey of the heart
C-print

Originally donated to the South/Southeast Asia Library, and transferred to The Bancroft Library.

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Image description generated by AI (Gemini 3.0 Fast) and reviewed, January 2026 .