Hanoi has changed, obviously as its citizens' habit of welcoming Tet.
Flowers for decoration on Tet holidays
Hanoians are fond of flowers as a decorative item for their homes, especially during Tet holidays. Peach blossom is preferred most for the biggest holiday of the year. Thus, the Hang Luoc flower market has existed over 500 years and provided millions of peach branches for Hanoians. At present, the market dramatically dwindled. New flower markets have emerged, stretching from Yen Phu, Au Co, to Lac Long Quan streets. A few days before Tet, these roads became ‘a flower river’, offering mostly peach blossom.
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Old: A Hanoian girl selects Tet flowers |
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Today: a girl looks for a peach branch for Lunar New Year festival |
Special Tet markets at year end
Tet markets are not just for serious shoppers but for everybody to breathe in the festive air and enjoy the colorful spectacle.
Long ago, the phrase "sam Tet"(buying things for Tet) was spoken with passion by Vietnamese housewives. The psychology of buying everything they thought essential for Tet is unchanged. The difference is commodities offered are more and more abundant.
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Old Tet market at year end |
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Buying chicken |
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Today Tet products are plentiful and sparking |
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And sales campaigns |
Square glutinous rice cake
Square glutinous rice cake (Banh chung) is a traditional dish. In ancient days, people only ate banh chung on Tet. But today, the cake is available all year round.
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Cooked banh chung in the past |
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and now |
Offerings to ancestors & visits to pagodas
Hanoians have given special respect for spritual life. On the 23rdof December in Lunar Calendar, every family prepares a grand farewell for Tao Quan - the Kitchen Gods - on their annual journey to Heaven at Tet Tao Quan (Kitchen Good Day). A large bowl of water with an alive golden carp or three small ones is kept aside. The carps are all will be freed into a pond, lake or river after the worshipping ceremonies are finished. Tao Quan can only travel up to Heaven with the help of golden carps as the carp is used to be Heaven's animal and is a very good swimmer.
On New Year's Eve, a salver of vegetarian meal is displayed outdoor to wish for a prosperous year.
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Former Tet simply is welcomed with a teapot, a tray of jams, and a small flower pot |
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Honours change manners – Nowadays, Tet becomes sophisticated and more colorful |
On the first day of New Year, people flock to pagodas and temples to pray for good fortune, peace and contentment.
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A woman at Quan Thanh temple in 1990s |
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Unchanged atmosphere |
Firecrackers
In Vietnamese custom, letting off firecrackers is to drive away evil spirits and unluckiness and welcome luckiness and new expectations.
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Red firecrackers in old Tet |
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At present, firecrackers are prohibited. On New Year's Eve, fireworks are set off at central locations. |
Lucky money on Tet
Giving Li xi” (Southernly called) or "tien mung tuoi" (Northernly called)- or lucky money, is a popular traditional custom.
The convention of giving “li xi” has its roots in the folklore about the ogre called Tuy. Once upon a time, living in a huge peach blossom tree in the East Sea were all evil spirits on Earth. While being kept inside the tree and controlled by deities, they always tried to escape and harmed people. However, on New Year’s Eve, as the deities had to gather together at Heaven, Tuy would appear, rubbing small children’ head to make them burst into loud wails and get high fever. Thus, the whole family had to stay awake all night to protect the children from the ogre.
However, some Deities while once stopping by a village had turned themselves into gold coins. Parents covered those coins in red cloth and placed under a child’s pillow. Later, when Tuy came, the coins sparkled and drove it away. Good news quickly spread out all over the country, and from that time on, Vietnamese have had the tradition of giving small children lucky money in red envelope on the first day of Lunar New Year.
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In the past, only children of rich families have lucky money |
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At present, almost all children have the joy |
Enjoying Tet
In the past, people enjoyed Tet with such activities as visiting parents, their teachers, relatives, and friends. At present, the activities at Tet include travelling.
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Dẫu không thanh lịch cũng người Tràng An” (Though not elegant also is Trang An people) |
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A mother and her daughter on the street in 1990s on Tet holidays |
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On the occasion of long holidays, families prefer tourism |
Quiet streets
Ha Noi is always crowded with both natives and people from other provinces. When Tet comes, people return to their native land and Ha Noi becomes quiet and pure.
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A corner of Kham Thien street in ancient time |
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... and at present time |
VGP