Better to Know about Cold Food Festival (Tet Han Thuc)

– Origin: the Cold Food Festival originated in ancient China to honor Jie Zitui, a loyal official who chose to die in a forest fire rather than accept a reward from his king. Stricken with remorse, the king banned the lighting of fires on the anniversary of Jie’s death to mourn his sacrifice. As a result, the tradition was established for people to eat only pre-cooked cold food for several days, eventually evolving into a widespread East Asian custom of ancestral remembrance and spring celebration.

– Other names:

+ Tet Han Thuc (Han Thuc Festival): In Vietnam, the name translates to “Cold Food Festival,” though it is uniquely celebrated on the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month and focuses on making bánh trôi and bánh chay (glutinous rice balls).

+ Banh Troi – Banh Chay Festival: In Northern Vietnam, it is colloquially named after these two iconic desserts because they are the essential “cold” offerings used to worship ancestors.

– Cultural significances: Beyond its historical roots, the Cold Food Festival emphasizes the importance of filial piety and ancestral remembrance, as families across East Asia gather to visit gravesites and offer symbolic “cold” dishes like glutinous rice balls. It also marks a significant seasonal transition, representing purification and the arrival of spring through rituals that connect agricultural cycles with a deep respect for cultural heritage.

– Differences between Vietnam and China: 

+ Timing: In China, the festival is tied to the solar calendar (falling 105 days after the winter solstice), whereas in Vietnam, it is strictly observed on the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month.

+ The fire ban: The Chinese tradition historically mandated a strict ban on lighting fires for several days to mourn Jie Zitui, while in Vietnam, the fire ban is not observed and families cook as usual.

+ Primary meaning: the Chinese celebration focuses on political loyalty and integrity based on the legend of Jie Zitui, while the Vietnamese version emphasizes filial piety and the national origin myth of Mother Au Co and her 100 eggs.

+ Traditional dishes: In China, people traditionally eat cold porridge and green glutinous rice dumplings (Qingshuan團); in Vietnam, the day is synonymous with Banh trôi (floating rice balls with ginger sugar) and Banh chay (mung bean balls in sweet soup).

+ Modern status: in China, the festival has largely been absorbed into the Qingming (Tomb-Sweeping) Festival, while in Vietnam, Tet Han Thuc remains a distinct, standalone holiday focused on culinary offerings.

+ Rituals: Chinese observances historically included activities like cockfighting and swinging, whereas the Vietnamese celebration is centered on the family gathering to knead dough and offering odd-numbered plates of cakes on the ancestral altar.