Tet of Yesteryear: How Vietnam's Beloved Holiday was Celebrated a Century Ago

A collection of rare photographs taken during Lunar New Year in Hanoi in the 1920s.

February 01, 2022 | 07:15

Some of the best holiday activities before moving into the new year is to focus on the past. Reminiscing about previous holidays helps bring people closer together simply by sense of smell, sight or sound. Better yet, generations of Vietnamese people gather by the photo albums, memory boxes, and old traditions.

Let's take a look at some of the signature moments of Hanoi, during Tet.

Lunar New Year in Hanoi A Century Ago in Photos

Tet market in Hanoi. Photo: Petrotimes

Tet market

Some things never seem to change. In the 1920s, about 100 years ago, the Tet market in Hanoi was crowded with buyers and sellers, along with familiar images such as peach branches, firecrackers, shrimp, fish, daffodils, dong leaves.

Votive paper for sale. Photo: Petrotimes

To celebrate Tet Holiday, many temporary markets have appeared in local communities providing specialties of Tet such as peach blossom, fruits by season.

Flower for sale. Photo: Petrotimes

Incense of sale. Photo: Petrotimes

A distinguished activity of Hanoians is displaying narcissus flower at home for Tet.

Bowls of Narcissus flower being sold at Tet market. Photo: Petrotimes

This elegant hobby is the special way Hanoians count down to the New Year. The time and effort putting into this hobby is parts of the cultural values it brings to flower lovers.

Narcissus is admired by many people, however, few people dedicate themselves to this hobby as it requires a lot of patience and meticulous work.

Children love Tet market. Photo: Petrotimes

Peach blossom, apricot blossom, and kumquat trees are indispensable during Tet as long-standing traditional beauty in Vietnamese New Year culture.

Firework for sale.. Photo: Petrotimes

A person selling votive papers to burn during New Year's Eve. Photo: Petrotimes

Offerings to the Kitchen Gods. Photo: Petrotimes

Dong leaves for sale. Photo: Petrotimes

Fruits for sale. Photo: Petrotimes

Fish for sale. Photo: Petrotimes

Photo: Petrotimes

Flower for sale. Photo: Petrotimes

Orange for sale. Photo: Petrotimes

Folk paintings for sale. Photo: Petrotimes

Peach blossom, apricot blossom, and kumquat trees are indispensable during Tet as long-standing traditional beauty in Vietnamese New Year culture. Photo: Petrotimes

Hanoian scrolling the streets to do shopping for peach blossom. Photo: Petrotimes

Cursive writing on red paper for new year's luck. Photo: Petrotimes

Beautiful customs in the first days of the new year

Traditional attires of the nobles (right) and the farmers (left). Photo: Petrotimes

on New Year's Eve, every family will put up a bamboo branch in the front yard to ward off evil spirits and demons and to light the way for the spirits of ancestors to return to celebrate Tet with their children and grandchildren. Thereby, expressing the noble meaning of the Vietnamese people - that is the spirit of filial piety, remembrance of ancestors .Photo: Petrotimes

Ancestor worship display in Hanoi's home. Photo: Petrotimes

Ancestor worship is a longstanding belief and fine tradition of the Vietnamese people. The tradition can be observed at any homes when Tet (Lunar New Year) comes.

During the Lunar New Year festival, Vietnamese at home carefully cook traditional dishes to put on the home altar to worship their ancestors.

According to a Vietnamese concept, everybody’s age will rise when a New Year come, therefore, the first day of Tết is the day for the children to give “longevity wish” for their grandparents and the elders. Photo: Petrotimes

For Lunar New Year Eve, members of all families around Vietnam will give each other best Lunar New Year wishes. There will be firework performance on this occasion

Photo: Petrotimes 2

In the morning of the first day of Tết, the children gather at their grandparents, parents or patriarch houses to worship their ancestors and give their wishes to the grandparents, parents and elders. According to a Vietnamese concept, everybody’s age will rise when a New Year come, therefore, the first day of Tết is the day for the children to give “longevity wish” for their grandparents and the elders.