In the past, the house burned paper fireworks, now only fireworks are allowed. In the past Tet, the whole family gathered to pack banh chung, today many families choose to buy ready-made banh chung. These interesting features partly clearly show the difference between the old Tet and the present Tet.
“Fat meat, melon, onions, red couplets, green rice cake firecrackers” has become a traditional cultural feature of Vietnamese people every Tet to spring. If the old New Year’s house had paper fireworks hanging in front of the door to burn, today fireworks are replaced on New Year’s Eve. Fireworks are fired at large venues, people are eager to go out early, find the best places to watch the fireworks.
In the past, burning paper firecrackers is a traditional beauty of Tet holidays
Nowadays, fireworks are replaced on New Year’s Eve
Traditional Tet was simple with simple Tet jam boxes, not too fussy. The cardboard box of Tet jam is simply packed, inside there is a little bit of pumpkin jam, coconut jam, peanut jam or jujube which was considered a “luxury” product during the subsidy period. Nowadays, Tet jam boxes are stylized more and more luxurious, many families also choose to make Tet jam at home to ensure safety, deliciousness as well as beautiful colors. Besides Tet jam boxes, luxury Tet gift baskets are also chosen by many families as gifts.
Simple and rustic Tet jam box
Today’s Tet jam is diverse in both designs, products, flavors, and colors
Wrapping banh chung on Tet is a beautiful traditional culture that can never be changed. If in the past Tet the whole family gathered to pack banh chung together, today many families choose to buy ready-made banh chung and banh tet from the store to save time. However, there are still many families who choose to pack banh chung at home to bring the warmth of Tet home to their families, as well as share with their children and grandchildren the unique cultural features of the nation.
In the past Tet, the whole family gathered to pack Chung cake
This Tet, the demand to buy ready-made banh chung and banh tet is increasing day by day
Tet shopping habits are still preserved from the old Tet to the present Tet. In the past, on the days before Tet, families would go to the countryside market to buy clothes, utensils, and food. If in Hanoi, the old streets like Hang Ngang and Hang Dao are always crowded with people. Today, people choose to shop for Tet at commercial centers and supermarkets to ensure food safety and hygiene, and the price is also affordable.
Hang Ngang and Ngang Dao streets in the days near Tet during the subsidy period are always busy and bustling with people shopping for Tet.
Housewives are shopping for Tet in the supermarket.
Whether Tet in the past or the present, lucky flowers and ornamental plants on Tet holiday are still popular with people.
One of the other differences between the past and present Tet is the tendency to go far away for Tet instead of near Tet. Many families choose to travel on Tet holiday as a way to relax and relieve stress after a year of hard work.
The rise of social networks has changed many people’s habits and lifestyles. During Tet, people do not need to go to their homes, meet face-to-face to wish Tet, but just need a smartphone to send good New Year wishes everywhere.
On the evening of 30, many families still keep the habit of gathering together, turning on TV to watch Tao Quan and many programs to welcome spring. Meanwhile, many people choose to entertain themselves by plowing movies, reading stories or sleeping in during Tet holidays.
The old Tet gift basket is usually not too fussy with a simple cardboard Tet jam box, a bottle of glutinous wine or a few familiar fruits. In this Tet holiday, gift baskets are more and more luxurious with all kinds of foreign wines, high-class jams and fruits with unique letters and prints.
In the past, people only needed peach branches, apricot branches or small pots of kumquats to decorate their houses during Tet. Today, all kinds of strange and unique fruit trees such as pomelos, bonsai peaches, mangoes printed with letters, square watermelons, etc., are selected for display in the house.
When Tet is over, cleaning and decorating the house for Tet is one of the Vietnamese family chores that cannot be ignored. In the old days, family members used to help each other clean up. Today, many people spend money to hire someone to do house cleaning services according to their needs with just a few quick steps on the phone.
The old New Year on the last day of the old year, the sisters often washed clean with locusts, or steamed with leaves to remove dirt and bad luck of the old year, but now, every month from Tet In heaven, the sisters went to the hairdresser, drying, curling, straightening and dyeing to dress up on Tet.
In the old New Year, when we went out, we often saw uncles and uncles taking pictures for a walk. If anyone is interested, take a picture, then have to wait a few days to get the picture. And now, everyone has their phones in hand to take virtual photos, sometimes the time to take pictures is more than having fun and enjoying the scenery.
Witty verses to show the difference between the old Tet and the present Tet:
This Tet is not like the old Tet
No one remembers how old Tet was
What emotions do you feel in the past Tet?
This New Year’s emotions are put into nothingness
In the old New Year, the boss rewarded him with dollars
This New Year, the boss rewards lots of goods to use
The old New Year doesn’t want to pass
This New Year, I just want to stay home
Old New Year walking around
This New Year’s hammock bends the sidewalk
Old New Year sweets and tea
This New Year, young people just want to smoke weed
Old New Year’s pot of love
This New Year’s “killing and punishment” is closer to each other
In the past, everything was simple
This New Year borrows to be better than everyone
The old New Year is over, Happy New Year
This New Year’s Tet is over, many people are sad
The old New Year received envelopes
This New Year, children and grandchildren are asking for gifts
Old Tet gathering near and far
This New Year, I only see bars and discos
The old New Year filled the streets with firecrackers
This New Year, let’s set off firecrackers on the ward
In the past, go to the tree viewing festival
This New Year, go to the festival to break trees and break branches
In the past Tet, gentle children
New Year’s Eve has become a “player”
Even though a lot has changed
But don’t forget Tet who remembers!
There are still many cultural beauties as well as traditional customs preserved from the past Tet to the present New Year such as asking for luck in early spring, lucky money, traveling for spring or asking for letters… Despite many changes, Tet still remains. It is an important occasion for the whole family to gather, wish Tet together, and pray together for a peaceful and happy new year.