🤔 Tet seems to be the most meaningful days of the year, closely tied to fascinating traditional customs. It is believed that in order to welcome a prosperous year and a fulfilling Tet, thorough preparations before the new year are always necessary.
Let’s explore these interesting rituals before Tet in the post below. 👇
1. THE SYMBOLIC BEAUTY OF FLOWERS DURING TET ✨
💟 In the traditional customs of the Vietnamese people, the presence of various flowers during Tet not only brings happiness and a sense of freshness to the beginning of the New Year but also reflects rich traditions and cherished beliefs.
🍀 Depending on each region, there will be different types of typical flowers that contribute to the unique characteristics of our culture. While peach blossoms are most beloved in the northern regions for their representation of strong vitality and a brave heart, people in the southern regions prefer apricot blossoms for their symbolism of wealth and passionate love. Moreover, people tend to choose Marumi kumquat to display in their house during the Tet Holiday due to its lucky meaning and adaptability to any weather condition.
🌸 It can be said that Tet is a vibrant and colorful painting, and it would be even more wonderful if you have the opportunity to admire the different flowers in Tet markets or flower-decorated streets, capturing beautiful moments and purchasing flowers to decorate your home. If you are in Ho Chi Minh City, visit Nguyen Hue Flower Street, adorned with unique flower New Year concepts. Don’t miss Hang Luoc Street if you are in Ha Noi to immerse yourself in the dazzling beauty of hundreds of flowers showcasing their colors, and experience the traditional charm of the old market.
2. THE TIMELESS RITUAL OF TET - FIVE-FRUIT TRAY ⏳
🌕 While many ancient spiritual values have disappeared, the custom of arranging the five-fruit tray on the altar during the lunar New Year is still preserved as a fine legacy of Vietnam’s traditional culture. Tet would not be complete without the presence of five-fruit trays. It is a symbol of the admiration and gratitude of the Vietnamese to Heaven and Earth and their ancestors, and demonstrates their aspiration for prosperity.
🍎 The five-fruit tray usually includes 5 different types of fruit, and the selected fruits represent the homeowner’s wishes and desires for the new year. A hand of green bananas or a finger citron, for example, symbolizes one’s wish for the protection of supernatural powers and ancestors; pomelos and watermelons indicate fertility; and kumquats or persimmons connote wealth and prosperity.
Typically, Northern people usually include a handful of green bananas, a ripe pomelo (or a Buddha’s hand, a shaddock), oranges and persimmons, sapodilla plums, and a bunch of kumquat. Meanwhile, Southerners prefer sugar-apples, coconuts, papayas, mangos and figs for this five-fruit tray as it expresses “wishing for enough fortune” in Vietnamese language.🍀
3. THE SPIRITUAL ESSENCE OF TET IN PEOPLE’S MIND 🤓
🌠 Besides formal preparation, spiritual renewal has also played an important role in welcoming Tet for Vietnamese people for centuries with the hope of heaven and earth’s blessing for a new year.
🐠 The last days of the year are very bustling with traditional rituals such as the farewell to the Kitchen God, which takes place on the 23rd day of the last lunar month, in the hope of receiving blessings for a challenging year. As part of the Vietnamese tradition of remembering their roots, people also express gratitude to their ancestors and deceased loved ones by visiting their graves during the end of the year. Moreover, to conclude the old year and welcome the new one, the year-end ceremony is organized as the last party of the year for people to spend time together and share memories of the last year.
🐉 All of these rituals are cherished traditions that have been preserved for generations. By partaking in these customs, families not only show their gratitude towards the deities but also express their hopes for a harmonious and prosperous year ahead.
😚 Tet is a time of joy, renewal, and rich cultural traditions, offering a meaningful opportunity to connect with Vietnamese culture and celebrate the start of a prosperous new year.
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