Top 10 Indispensable Items for Every Tet Celebration

Similar to the Christmas tree in the Western culture, every Tet holiday in Vietnam sees households bustling with the acquisition of ornamental plants for Tet. Two popular and traditional types of plants during Tet are peach blossom and cherry blossom branches. Peach blossom is a flowering plant with yellow blossoms belonging to the Prunus genus, which is favored by people in the Southern region during Tet. Yellow peach blossoms are mainly distributed in the Truong Son mountain range, Quang Nam, Da Nang to Khanh Hoa. The yellow color of peach blossoms symbolizes the warmth of the sun, joy, and prosperity. Therefore, people in the Southern region often display peach blossom trees in their homes with the hope of welcoming the new year with abundant joy and prosperity. According to the belief of many people, the more petals peach blossoms have, the more beautiful they are. If a peach tree in bloom has seven-petal flowers, it is believed to bring great prosperity and fortune in the new year.

If peach blossom is favored by people in the South, cherry blossom branches are cherished by those in the North during Tet. Perhaps because peach trees prefer warmth while cherry trees bloom only when the weather warms up. Cherry trees come in many varieties, including pink cherry, wild cherry, fading cherry, etc. Generally, cherry blossoms have pink flowers with thin petals, symbolizing freshness, joy, and happiness in the new year. In some places, cherry trees are also called New Year's poles. Although peach trees are favored by people in the South and cherry branches are favored by those in the North, nowadays, people in the South can also enjoy cherry blossoms, and people in the North can also appreciate peach blossoms. Besides peach blossom and cherry blossom branches, other popular plants during Tet include kumquat trees, orange trees, with the meaning of bringing fragrant flowers and sweet fruits in the new year.

New Year's Eve marks the transition from the last day of the old year to the first day of the new year. It is one of the significant ceremonies in the customs and cultures of many nations. On this occasion, many Western and Eastern countries often hold fireworks displays or other festivals to end the old year (New Year's Eve) and welcome the new year at exactly 12:00:00 AM on January 1 for the Gregorian New Year, while for the Lunar New Year, New Year's Eve is the sacred moment on the 30th night of Tet, when the atmosphere transitions to the spring equinox, officially starting the new year.

After watching the program 'Meeting each other at the end of the year', we will together welcome New Year's Eve. On every New Year's Eve in major locations of big cities or some provinces, there are New Year's Eve fireworks displays. For many people living in big cities, New Year's Eve fireworks displays are an indispensable part of the Tet holiday.

An indispensable dish in the New Year's Eve meal in particular and the Tet holiday in general is the Square Cake (Bánh chưng) and Cylinder Cake (Bánh tét). According to legend, Square Cake has been associated with the story of Lang Liêu's Square Cake from the Hung Kings era. The round and white Square Cake, and the square and green Cylinder Cake represent heaven and earth: 'heaven is round, earth is square'. Basically, Square Cake is a traditional dish of Northern families, while Cylinder Cake is present in the kitchens of Southern families.

However, Square Cake and Cylinder Cake have relatively similar recipes: Both are made from glutinous rice with mung bean and pork fat filling, wrapped in banana leaves or dong leaves. However, Square Cake is square-shaped while Cylinder Cake is cylindrical (similar to a wrapped sausage). Cooking Square Cake and Cylinder Cake usually takes a long time, and for our ancestors and parents, watching over the cooking process of these cakes was often spent on long nights by the fire with folk games or playing cards. Although nowadays, the younger generation in the city no longer personally make Square Cake and Cylinder Cake or watch over them like before, the memories of those nights by the fire watching over the cakes are surely a beautiful, unforgettable memory for many generations on every Tet holiday.

An extremely important and indispensable item on every family altar is the Fruit Tray. The Fruit Tray refers to a tray of fruits with about five different types of fruits that are often displayed on the Lunar New Year's Day of the Vietnamese people. The Fruit Tray is usually arranged on the ancestral altar or on the guest reception table. Arranging the Fruit Tray on Tet signifies showing respect to the ancestors and demonstrating the virtue of remembering one's roots. The fruits also symbolize the year-round achievements of the descendants offered to their superiors.

The Fruit Tray consists of 5 different types of fruits. Depending on the region, the homeowners will choose a Fruit Tray suitable for their family. Displaying the Fruit Tray is one of the common Tet decoration activities of the Vietnamese people. The origin of the Fruit Tray comes from the Vu Lan festival of Buddhism. The image of the Fruit Tray - 'the 5-color fruits' appears in the Ullambana Sutra. According to Buddhist beliefs, the 5-color fruits symbolize the five virtuous roots: faith, determination, mindfulness, concentration, and insight.

Traditionally, from generation to generation, during the Lunar New Year, family members take turns to offer New Year's greetings, gifts, and blessings to their grandparents, parents, and each other. Afterwards, the younger generation receives red envelopes from their elders, containing some money. Not only within the family, but also during the New Year, anyone can give red envelopes to others along with lucky wishes. Giving red envelopes is a beautiful tradition during the Tet holiday, as it reflects our care and concern for the younger generation and demonstrates our generosity in sharing our blessings acquired from the past year with those around us.

Sharing our wealth with others means we will receive more blessings in return. With the hope that our loved ones start the new year peacefully, every year during Tet, everyone prepares new money to offer blessings and celebrate each other's birthdays. Surely, upon receiving these red envelopes, family members will feel more tightly bonded and united as the spring approaches.

As Tet approaches and spring arrives, everyone eagerly prepares to welcome Tet, decorating their homes in the hope of having the fullest and most prosperous Tet possible. In the past, to adorn their homes for Tet, every family hung red couplets inside their homes, symbolizing wishes for luck, success, and peace in the new year. In the traditional culture of ancient Vietnamese people, the tradition of hanging Tet couplets indoors during the spring festival was also a refined pleasure, demonstrating the artistry and intellectual play of words of the users of couplets. Considered as the spiritual essence of the Tet holiday, it is the quintessence of the origins.

To decorate homes and to celebrate the Spring, from scholars to ordinary people, the tradition of hanging red couplets on Tet still remains. These couplets are written in Chinese characters (in black or gold) on red or pink papers, hence they are called red couplets. The term 'red couplets' itself appears in Tet couplets:

Fatty meat, pickled onions, red couplets

New year tree, firecrackers, green square cakes.

Not only that, red couplets also convey Tet wishes for luck, fortune, and prosperity that families desire in the new year, while also reflecting the joyful spirit of Spring despite life's unexpected challenges. Therefore, hanging red couplets indoors has become increasingly popular nowadays.

Playing Tet paintings is a diverse and colorful pastime, varying according to local customs and the social status of the owner. Above the altar, there is usually a folk painting hanging, depicting five fruits, a calligraphic scroll… sometimes a Chinese character (Virtue, Fortune, Merit…). Tet paintings have long become a tradition, a pastime of the Vietnamese people, and it's not just the wealthy who play these paintings, even those with less money can also engage in this activity. It is an indispensable part of the space of the traditional Tet holiday of yesteryears.

The vibrant colors of Tet paintings evoke a sense of warmth, coziness, and the lively atmosphere of spring in every Vietnamese household. Nowadays, to welcome a new year with hopes of receiving luck, fortune, and health, people often choose a beautiful Tet painting to decorate their homes. It not only makes your home more elegant, modern, and impressive but also carries auspicious feng shui meanings.

The New Year Tree is usually erected on the 23rd day of the lunar month of December, after bidding farewell to the Kitchen Gods. Folk beliefs suggest that when the protective deities are away, the New Year Tree is raised to drive away evil spirits, dispel negativity, and safeguard the family's peace. Each ancient Tet custom carries beautiful meanings, dispelling misfortune and welcoming good fortune. Similar to the midnight fireworks on New Year's Eve, the New Year Tree symbolizes the elimination of past misfortunes and the hope for more blessings in the new year. The New Year Tree is also known as the Heaven-Earth-Human tree, connecting Earth with Heaven and human aspirations. Various symbolic items are hung on each branch to express people's wishes that may reach the divine.

The New Year Tree is a tall bamboo tree, about 5 - 6 meters high. Various items are often hung at the top (depending on the region), such as horse figurines, talismans, cactus branches, woven straw wine gourds, paper carp (for the Kitchen Gods to use as a means of returning to heaven), dyed cloth flags, red silk threads, and sometimes people even hang small clay bells, so that when the wind blows, the clay bells collide, creating joyful tinkling sounds... It is believed that the items hung on the New Year Tree, along with the sounds of the clay bells, serve as a signal to spirits and demons that this is a house with owners, and they are not allowed to disturb... In the evening, a lantern is hung on the New Year Tree to guide the ancestors back home to celebrate Tet with their descendants.

The reason why kumquat trees are often displayed during Tet is because, in Chinese pronunciation, the word 'kumquat' sounds similar to the word 'gold' in 'gold ingot,' symbolizing luck and blessings. Therefore, kumquat trees are often chosen for decoration during Tet. When selecting a tree, buyers often choose those with healthy green leaves and evenly ripe golden fruits, symbolizing prosperity and the promise of a fruitful year ahead, abundant in health and success. If a tree with both ripe and green fruits, as well as budding blooms, is chosen, it signifies completeness, success, and good fortune. Kumquat trees are also symbols of health, peace, longevity, and good luck in relationships.

During Tet, kumquat trees are typically decorated in the living room. Tet kumquat trees come in various intricate styles but must ensure lush green leaves and abundant golden fruits, symbolizing prosperity and the promise of a fruitful year ahead, abundant in vitality. Kumquat is the name used in the North, while the South refers to it as the calamondin. It is a type of evergreen tree that can be grown as an ornamental or bonsai tree indoors, symbolizing luck when displayed during Tet. These trees are often planted in suitable-sized ceramic pots or other containers to create a visually appealing and attractive display that complements the feng shui and landscape of the house.

When it comes to Tet, alongside the blooming flowers, square sticky rice cakes, pickled onions... one surely cannot forget about the sweet preserves that mark the beginning of the year. More than just food, Tet preserves hold a special significance in the hearts of Vietnamese people. For years, preserves have been a staple in the Tet candy trays of Vietnamese families. Whenever guests come to offer Tet greetings, the hosts invite them to indulge in an array of colorful preserves on the tray, sip hot tea, and exchange well wishes for the new year.

As the weather turns cold, Tet preserves emit a fragrant, sweet aroma, blending perfectly with a cup of warm tea, an essential accompaniment for welcoming guests during the new year. In the memories of many generations, Tet preserves carry the traditional flavor that is cherished by many children every Tet season. The preserves remain, the old Tet stories remain, from many years past. Tet is the time when distant children return to the warmth of home, gathering with family to fully enjoy the happiness of reunion. Parents, grandparents, children, and grandchildren gather together to welcome a warm Tet with hot tea and sweet Tet preserves, exchanging smiles and loving glances, full of affection. The sweetness of preserves is the flavor of happiness, of fulfillment, of togetherness.