Representing not only the close relationship but also the subtle and thorough of human behaviors, giving gifts on Tet Festival has been long a traditional custom in the ancient culture of Vietnam holidays. As talking and behaving on the very first days of New Year can determine the good fortune throughout the year, Vietnamese are extremely careful in doing it.
Due to the complicated religion beliefs and norms, choosing gifts for Tet Festival is surely not an easy task. While clothes, scarfs and sticky rice square cakes are still the traditionally meaningful gifts that parents and the elderly often receive from children, Vietnamese normally avoid giving sharp items such as forks and knives, kittens, ink (since they consider the color of black as bad fortune).
A branch of peach blossom
In Vietnam, peach blossom, together with kumquat tree, is thought to be the indispensable decoration for Tet Festival. A branch of peach blossom in New Year will drive all the bad fortune and ghosts away as according to the legend, peach blossom is the home of two deities who can control evil spirits. Depending on whether it is grown in mountainous or plain area, from the pink, white to the red ones, there are a few kinds of peach blossom. In Moc Chau, you can easily see wildly high peach blossom trees while in Hanoi, you can see carefully-planted peach blossom in Nhat Tan’s flower garden.
Wine and gift baskets
Nowadays; they replace the old gourds with modern wine bottles with famous brands coming from both local and all over the world while in the past, wine is kept in pottery gourds. However, they still preserve the meaning of wine as the present of the upcoming year. Wine is highly appreciated by Vietnamese people as it takes so much time for wine to ferment and distil. Moreover, once drinking wine, people can feel energetic and warm, which are definitely their wishes for the New Year. It is a good idea to send your Vietnamese business partner a gift basket with branded wine. It is high time to further enhance your bonds.
Red items
In Asia’s beliefs, spring is the season of the most effulgent and brightest and colors, especially red which is regarded as contentment, joyfulness, prosperity and good luck. From the lucky envelopes, beautiful ornaments, to the clothes of the elderly on the first days of New Year, you can see the red color everywhere. You can certainly see the Vietnam’s whole streets covered with the color of red if you visit this country during the Tet Festival. Avoid dark colors and place a priority on red and yellow no matter what gifts you plan to give. For example, try to pick the brightest colors if you want to buy children new clothes.
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Greeting cards
Having its roots from the contemporary era, sending greeting cards is the custom of Vietnamese people. For today’s busy modern life, it is such a convenient, fast and certainly very suitable. A greeting card is the best choice if you are a foreigner and confused about what gifts to give to your Vietnamese friends for the Tet Festival. Typically, they print distinctive images such as parallel sentences, square sticky rice cake, apricot and peach blossom, etc on the vivid colors like red or yellow Tet Festival’s greeting cards.
See more:
- Tips for booking cheap rooms in Hoi An in Lunar New Year
- Four seasons in Hanoi
- How to get a yoga class in Vietnam?
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