Lunar New Year or Tết Nguyên Đán, is Vietnam’s most significant celebration. Similar to pine trees for Christmas holiday in the West, Vietnamese also use many kinds of flowers and plants to decorate their house and to express their wishes. In this article, let’s find out some of the most common trees and flowers for the new year in Vietnam with Noble Network. 

 

Peach Blossoms

Peach blossoms are viewed as a symbol of the Lunar New Year (Tet) and also form an indispensable part of every Vietnamese home, especially in the north of Vietnam. Peach is a woody plant with brown bark. Peach Blossoms can be in dark or light pink, based on their type. They are approximately 2-3 centimeters in diameter when blooming. Each blossom contains many petals stacked on top of each other.

Vietnamese people believe that having a peach blossom tree or branch in the house on Tet holiday helps to ward off bad things, and the flowers and leaves of the peach tree help bring much fortune and luck in the new year. Therefore, people often choose a good plant/branch having large stems, with many buds and blooming flowers.

 

Apricot Blossoms

Similar to Peach Blossoms, apricot blossoms are often used to celebrate Tet holiday. Apricot blossoms, especially yellow apricots, are more common with the Southerners due to the warmer weather in the South. Apricot is also a woody plant, but the stem is softer than peach. Apricot flowers grow in clusters, the number of petals is 5-7 petals.

Vietnamese believe the apricot blossoms bring happiness and good fortune for a new year. Vietnamese usually buy those special plants from lunar mid-December and keep them until lunar mid-January of the New Year because the more it is displayed, the more luck it brings. 

 

Kumquat Tree

Kumquat trees are believed to symbolize luck, health, longevity, and joy because they are always laden with fruits. Kumquats are believed to bring prosperity and wealth, while planting kumquat branches in the ground will drive away calamities and bad things. Therefore, most families, companies and shops choose kumquat trees to display during Tet Holiday alongside peach blossoms and apricot blossoms.

 

Neu Pole

At many Vietnamese villages, Vietnamese people have a custom of erecting a Neu tree, known as bamboo, in front of their house to expel evils, worship deities and pray for good luck for the New Year. They remove it on the 7th day of the New Year to say farewell to their ancestors in heaven.

The decoration on the Neu trees varies between regions and periods. On the top of the bamboo tree, they often hang a snatch of pineapple leaves, chicken feathers and a circle of New Year cards made of bamboo. Each place has different views on how to decorate the tree.

 

Other Vietnamese Lunar New Year Flowers 

Apart from these above traditional flowers and trees, in recent years, many people have many options to decorate their house with different types of flowers. This is the result of economic development. Some common flowers include marigolds – a symbol of longevity, lilies, roses, …  Although there are many types of flowers to choose from, they all represent everyone’s wish for peace and fortune in the first days of the new year. 

 

 

The Lunar New Year 2023 is around the corner, Noble Network would like to wish you a happy new year with health and smooth sailing life!