Kick off the festival with the raising of the bamboo, marking the beginning of Tềt. In The Village, see the raising of Cây Nêu (a tall piece of bamboo with a good luck message on a red scroll and firecrackers). This is identical to traditional ceremonies seen throughout Việt Nam today. According to Vietnamese legends, the red color and the bamboo ward off the evil spirits during the absence of the Kitchen Gods, Ông Táo who leave their family to visit the palace of the Jade Emperor. Each Village chooses a Village Deity (Thanh Hoàng) during the Lunar New Year – usually a person of high respect and, often who has done something to positively impact the village or the country.