Some give active gamblers “lucky” money in red envelopes - red is seen as a lucky color, and giving money in red envelopes is a longtime tradition - add Asian dishes to menus and promote lavish new year programs to draw in crowds. The player wins when that choice is rolled.ĭuring the celebratory week, gambling isn’t relegated to the home. And instead of a spinning wheel, the dealer rolls three dice. The game has been around for so long that its origins are obscure.Īccording to legend, the game was invented in northern Vietnam by workers in rice paddies while they waited for the harvest season to start.The game is similar to roulette, but players put money on pictures of a gourd or animals - crab, deer, chicken, fish, shrimp - instead of numbers.
They also make offerings at homemade shrines to pay respect to those who came before them.īut gambling is a big part of the celebration, and many put their hopes on Bau Cua, also known as gourd and crab, an ancient board game that is played only around the first week of the new year. The celebration also has a more somber note, with people attending temple to pray for ancestors.
