Do Vietnamese get offended when Tet is called Chinese New Year?

Question

Vietnamese people to get offended when Tet is referred to as Chinese New Year?

Answer 1

I haven’t seen that much vietnamese getting offended in real life,but online a vietnamese youtuber named Michelle Phan made a video called “Lunar New year beauty” in the video,she greeted in Chinese and wore a qipao,many vietnamese were offended,disappointed,and angry that she spoke in Chinese.A lot of people were like,”please greet in vietnamese next time”,”please wear ao dai instead of qipao” “you are vietnamese,not Chinese” I don’t really get why lots of vietnamese were offended by her speaking in Chinese but they weren’t offended of her speaking in Korean (She spoke both Chinese and Korean in the Lunar new year video)

Answer 2

Business as usual. When will I stop seeing this this kind of question plus “Will Vietnam abolish Tet?” popping up whenever the most sacred holiday of the year is nearing? Anyway, a serious answer from me.

My perspective is from a Vietnamese living in Vietnam.

It’s utterly silly to be embroiled in this Western-centric naming mess. After all Chinese New Year and Lunar New Year are only Western names for the festival. The sooner we don’t give a damn to this stuff, which is sparked off by the Westerners’ word choice, the better.

However, at the end of the day we still have to deal with reality. So if you are in Vietnam then call it Lunar New Year or Tet period. Given how nationalistic Vietnamese can become that’s common sense to save you from us having to correct you on how to use the appropriate word. Plus you are in our country so at least respect our name for this new year, which belongs to us Vietnamese as much as Chinese New Year to Chinese people. It’s frankly a very weird feeling for me to hear “Chinese New Year” in Vietnam, not to mention some Western businesses and tourists are wholly ignorant of this whole thing and blurt out “CNY” when serving Vietnamese customers or chatting with Vietnamese in Vietnam.

However, if I’m in a foreign country then fine, call it whatever you want. It’s silly to get involved in a verbal battlefield just to prove a point here. That reeks of insecurity and snowflake mentality.

Answer 3

In general, it is not common for Vietnamese people to get offended when Tet is referred to as Chinese New Year. Vietnamese Tet, also known as Lunar New Year, shares some similarities with the Chinese New Year, as both are based on the lunar calendar and involve similar traditions. However, there are also cultural and regional differences between the two celebrations.

While some Vietnamese people may prefer the term "Tet" to be used to specifically refer to the Vietnamese New Year, the majority of Vietnamese individuals understand the connection between Tet and Chinese New Year. They recognize the cultural exchange and historical influences between Vietnam and China.

It's important to note that individuals' reactions may vary, and there may be some who are more sensitive to the distinction. To show respect and avoid any potential misunderstandings, it is always a good practice to use the term "Tet" when specifically referring to the Vietnamese New Year in Vietnam. However, if you are discussing the general concept of lunar-based New Year celebrations, mentioning the connection to Chinese New Year is usually well understood and accepted.