Traditional flower for Lunar New Year in Vietnam
21/04/2024Tết (Lunar New Year) is Vietnamese New Year and is the most important celebration in Vietnamese culture. Tết holiday are the days for relaxation, meeting, happiness and joy. Similar to pine tree Christmas holiday in the West, Vietnamese also decorate with fresh flower that is an habit and contributing to adorn the home more luxury. There are 3 kinds of plants that can not missing in Tet Holiday: Peach Flower and Marumi kumquat in North. Ochna integerrima in South.
Around Lunar mid – December, the people buy those plants from flower market or garden flower (Some even try to have peach flower branches/ tree from the mountains because of its impressive vitality). Those plants will be keep until lunar mid- January of the New Year
Peach Flower and Marumi Kumpuat are familiar in the North and Yellow apricot blossom in the South.
*** 1. Peach blossoms – a symbol of Lunar New year:
Peach blossomsare viewed as a symbol of the Lunar New Year (Tet) and also form an indispensable part of every Vietnamese family, especially in the north of Vietnam. North people say that peach blossoms is spring. It is symbol of spring in Vietnam. The pink colour of peach blossoms shows the love and joy spread among people in this unique time of the year. There are two kinds of peach flower: Light peach with light pink colour and Nhat Tan flower village is specialty peach with dark pink colour.
The red flowers are believed to hold the essence of “ngu hanh” – the five basic elements (metal, wood, water, fire, earth) that can drive away evil spirits and bring about peace and happiness to people. Red is believed by many to be the colour of prosperity.
As they also symbolise growth, people arrange a branch of peach blossoms at home during Tet with the hope for a year of good health, prosperity, wealth, and joyfulness.
*** 2. Marumi Kumquat bears different story. A tree with 5 characteristics: fruits, flowers, leaves, branches and roots is symbol for wealth and happiness for the new year. The tips for choosing a good tree must have green fruits, mature leaves and new bud which represents lucky and healthy to the family in the New Year.
During Tet, it is believed that the more fruits there are on a kumquat tree inside a house, the more luck will come to the owner in the new year.
A kumquat tree with many fruits makes a house brighter and warmer, especially in the cold weather in the north.
The tree is a popular decoration for the living room during Tet. Its fruits symbolise the fertility and fruitfulness that the family hopes will come in the coming year. Greeting cards and good luck symbols are hung on the Tet tree.
*** 3. Yellow apricot blossom – a symbol of Tet in Vietnam. It is in the South represent good luck, wealth, good health, happiness and love. During Tet, many Vietnamese families use the plants and flowers to decorate their houses in order to create a lively atmosphere and colorful touch aligned with the enthusiastic and cheerful spirits of the holiday.
The yellow apricot blossom only blooms once a year in late January or early February, Vietnamese believe the blooming blossoms bring happiness and good fortune for a new year.
The New Year is all about starting fresh, leaving the troubles and frustrations of the old year behind. Come and discovery Tet holiday atmosphere once in my Vietnam vacation.
