Lunar New Year or Tet reminds people living away from their homeland of family reunion.
Tet in Hanoi is special. Parents buy new pretty clothes for children. People flock to flower market in Hang Luoc St. The delightful flower market is home to thousands of colorful flowers of all kinds including Son La peach flowers, orchids, camellias, apricot blossom, and so forth. But for Nhat Tan peach blossom, Tet Holiday is incomplete. Nhat Tan Peach Blossom is considered as the most beautiful flower in Lunar New Year. Vietnamese decorates their houses with red – colored Nhat Tan peach flower in Tet Holiday and wishes for happy new year.
Tet is coming soon and everyone is so emotional. Walking around busy crowded markets, we can feel the noisy atmosphere of Tet Holiday
In December 23rd according to Lunar Calendar better known as Kitchen God’s Day, Vietnamese usually carefully clean ancestral altars. In Lunar New Year, Vietnamese usually make the offering to the ancestors. The offering features five types of fruits including bananas, grapefruits, figs, Buddha’s hand fruit, chilies, mandarin oranges.
Late in the last day of the old year, people flock to Hoan Kiem Lake and wait until the clock countdown to midnight. The fireworks sparkling in the dark night signs the arrival of the new year. People wish each other for healthiness, happiness and success. Vietnamese people burn the incenses to worship the ancestors in the first moment of the year.
The Hanoian celebrates Tet Holiday with a range of Vietnamese traditional dishes, including Chung Cake, boiled chicken, frozen meat, meat and vegetable soup cooked with dried pig skin, pork meat and bamboo sprout soup. As for Vietnamese, tea and wine is the most favorite drinks in Tet Holiday.
Flower Markets in Hanoi:
Lac Long Quan Flower market:
Running from Thanh Nien St. to Thang Long Bridge, Lac Long Quan Flower market is considered as the largest and longest market in Hanoi. The market is close to Nghi Tam, Quang An, Quang Ba flower gardens. The flower market only opens several weeks before Lunar New Year. The market is home to a range of flowers including peach flowers, mandarin oranges, violets, daisies and so forth.
Buoi Market:
The flower market begins from Van Cao St. to Buoi Market. Shoppers can also buy cute pets like dogs, cats, fishes here.
Flower Market in Hang Luoc St.
The flower market in Hang Luoc St. has been around for nearly 500 years. The market is very famous and opens from 23 December until 30 December. The market is home to all kinds of flowers including fresh flowers, paper flowers, silk flowers, plastic flowers …. The market is also close to Hang Ma St. so that people can walk around and purchase decorations in Hang Ma St.
Marmalade and sugared dry fruits :
Tien Thinh Shop, 21 Han Duong St.
Mrs. Thu Shop, 147 Ba Trieu St.
Van Loi Shop, 38a Hang Da St.
Hong Lam Shop, 11 Hang Duong St.,
Chưng Cake and Pork Pies:
Quoc Huong Shop, 9 Hang Bong St.
Pork Pies: Huong Lan Shop (166 Tay Son St.); Chien Thu ( No.5, Ward 5 Nguyen Cao St.), Mrs. Luy Shop ( Tran Xuan Soan St.)
Author: Linh Thao