TL;DR: Tet flowers and plants in Vietnam are not only for decoration but also carry wishes for good luck. The North favours the deep pink peach blossom, the South favours the yellow apricot blossom, while the kumquat tree (tac) appears in both regions as a symbol of harvest and wealth. Each flower and ornamental plant has its own way of being chosen, cared for and its own layers of meaning, most of which belong to folk belief rather than mandatory rules.
Why do Vietnamese people display flowers and ornamental plants at Tet?
Vietnamese people do not only eat Tet, they also play Tet. Among the pleasures of spring, playing with flowers is considered elegant and also the most purposeful. Bao Tuoi Tre once noted that at Tet, flowers are indispensable in every family: however poor, a household still tries to buy a few bunches of flowers for offerings, while wealthier families play with flowers to decorate and even to show status[2]. Behind the buying of flowers lies the wish for a new year full of luck and good things, because each kind of flower hides its own language, its own style[1].
Two layers of meaning should be distinguished. The first is aesthetic: flowers make the house lively and cheerful. The second is symbolic: flowers and ornamental plants are assigned qualities such as wealth, longevity and reunion. The second layer is purely cultural convention, not natural law, so readers should receive it as a beauty of custom rather than a prediction.
What is the origin and meaning of northern peach blossom?
Peach blossom is the flower that signals Tet and spring for Vietnamese people[1]. According to legend, on Do Soc mountain by the East Sea there was a very large peach tree, and at its root were two deities, Than Do and Uat Luy, who specialised in driving out evil spirits. Believing that peach wood could ward off ghosts, people of old used a peach wood board painted with the two deities and hung it before the house door to expel evil when the new year came; later people used peach blossom placed in the house to drive away misfortune and welcome joy[1].
Peach blossom is regarded as a symbol of the bright cheerfulness of spring and of good things, warming the yang energy of spring, so it suits everyone and every home[1]. The deep pink colour of the flower is also understood to bring joy and hope for a good new year[3].
In cultivation, the peach tree is relatively difficult to grow because it has requirements for cold and humidity that subtropical regions find hard to meet[1]. The tree is usually planted in a place with plenty of sunlight and good air flow. To make peach blossom bloom exactly at Tet, growers must strip some leaves in autumn and bend branches into shape in early winter[1].
Common peach varieties
In the North, dao bich and dao phai are common. Dao bich has a broad canopy, double flowers from deep pink to red, blooming evenly across the branches including large branches and fine twigs. Dao phai has a paler colour, a faint pink, including both double-petalled and single-petalled types[3].
There is also dao bach, and in Ha Noi there is the Thất Thốn (seven tấc) peach variety whose flowers grow in pairs, very distinctive, now seen only in a few private homes[1].
| Peach variety | Flower characteristics | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Dao bich | Double flowers, deep pink to red, blooming evenly on both large branches and fine twigs | Common in the North |
| Dao phai | Paler colour, faint pink, both double and single petals | Common in the North |
| Dao bach | White flowers | Less common |
| Dao Thất Thốn | Flowers grow in pairs; the name means seven tấc | Now only in a few private homes |
How is southern yellow apricot blossom understood in its layers of meaning?
In the South, yellow apricot blossom is the symbol of Tet arriving[1]. Yellow apricot has five petals, regarded as symbolising the five auspicious deities Phuc, Loc, Tho, Khang, Ninh, while the yellow colour symbolises noble glory[1]. Another interpretation also circulates in folk belief: the five petals of apricot symbolise the five blessings of pleasure, happiness, longevity, convenience and peace, and at the same time embody the yin yang and the five elements Kim, Moc, Thuy, Hoa, Tho[3]. These two explanations do not contradict each other but are also not one unified doctrine; they are layers of meaning built up by the community over time.
From after the New Year's Eve moment to the morning of the first day of Tet, if the apricot branch in the house or the apricot tree before the threshold blooms evenly and abundantly, it is considered "hoa khai phu quy", and that year the family will have much luck and fortune[3].
Folk classification of apricot
People of old divided apricot blossom into many types[1]:
- Khanh khau mai: apricot grown in the Khanh Khau mountain region.
- Ha hoa mai: petals like lotus petals, curving around the pistil.
- Dan huong mai: dark yellow apricot, many flowers, strong fragrance, blooming early.
- Ban khau mai: petals curved, not opening wide like other types.
- Cau dang mai: small flowers, no fragrance.
Besides the yellow apricot types above, in Luc Tinh there is also a white apricot called Nam mai[1].
How to choose apricot at Tet
According to folk experience, a beautiful apricot branch has a large base, rough bark, the more moss the better, and shapes such as a kneeling leg, a flying crane or a phoenix. Buyers also pay attention to how the branches are divided on one base: large and small branches arranged in tiers, flowers spread evenly, strong large branches, graceful branches, plump buds, young leaves just sprouting[1].
What does the kumquat tree (tac) mean at Tet?
In Vietnamese belief, the kumquat tree (tac) symbolises a bountiful harvest and the beginning of a good new year. Therefore when Tet comes, families often choose a fresh, luxuriant kumquat tree with the wish to increase money and luck for the new year[3].
At the start of the new year, if the kumquat tree gathers the full "tu quy" of green shoots, flowers, ripe fruit and green fruit, it is said to bring much luck and convenience[3].
Besides peach, apricot and kumquat, what other Tet flowers are there?
Alongside the three main types, many other flowers and ornamental plants are also commonly displayed at Tet with their own meanings[3]:
| Flower, plant | Assigned meaning |
|---|---|
| Gerbera daisy | Symbolises wealth, prosperity, money and flourishing, just as its name suggests |
| Marigold (cuc van tho) | Bright yellow and vivid orange colours brighten the space; a wish for health, longevity and luck |
| Phat tai plant | Also called than tai plant, green phat du plant, phat loc plant; carries the meaning of luck and a change of fortune in the new year |
| Chrysanthemum | A flower rich in varieties such as cuc chau sa, dam hong, hac linh, hoang long trao, hoang kim thap[1] |
With the gerbera daisy, before there were many imported types, northern people had only two kinds, single gerbera and double gerbera; later many new varieties were imported and propagated, so the two old types are less displayed[3]. Marigold is also said to help drive away mosquitoes and insects[3].
Why does each region choose a different kind of flower?
This question is usually answered by two reasons combined: climate conditions and regional custom. On climate, the peach tree has requirements for cold and humidity that subtropical regions find hard to meet, so peach suits the North better[1]. On custom, Bao Tuoi Tre noted that playing with flowers at Tet depends not only on the household's economic situation but also on regional custom and the player's own beliefs; the two most common flowers are apricot and peach[2].
According to Tuoi Tre newspaper, since national reunification not only northerners but also southerners, many of them of northern origin, have looked for peach blossom to display at Tet[2]. The same article says people in the centre and south favour apricot blossom, partly because of climate and partly because of outlook on life[2].
Which layers of meaning are facts and which are beliefs?
This is the point that needs separating when reading about custom. Verifiable facts include: variety names, botanical characteristics, how to grow and how to choose the plant. For example, the fact that peach needs leaves stripped in autumn and branches bent in early winter to bloom exactly at Tet is an observable cultivation technique[1].
The remaining layers of meaning such as "five auspicious deities", "five blessings", "hoa khai phu quy" and "tu quy" are folk beliefs[1][3]. They have clear cultural and psychological value, giving flower players more joy and expectation, but they should not be presented as predictions about the fortune or misfortune of a specific year.
Nhat Nguyet's suggestion when choosing flowers and plants at Tet
Nhat Nguyet's suggestion: if you choose flowers according to custom, start from the actual conditions of the house. Which way does it face, how much light, how much space for a pot, how much time you have each day to care for the plant. A healthy peach branch or apricot tree of the right shape that suits the space will be more beautiful and last longer than an expensive tree placed in the wrong spot.
On the symbolic side, you can choose a flower corresponding to what you want to remind yourself of in the new year: the freshness of peach, the reunion and prosperity of apricot, or the bountiful harvest of kumquat. This is a personal way of using symbols, not a promise about financial or health outcomes.
Finally, if the goal is to keep the custom for children and grandchildren, explaining to children why the family displays this kind of flower matters more than buying a very expensive tree. A custom lives because people understand what they are doing and why.
