Peach blossom, yellow apricot, kumquat trees and Tết taboos: what they mean and how seriously to take them

Short answer: peach blossom, hoa đào, is the Tết tree of northern Vietnam; yellow apricot blossom, hoa mai, plays the same role in the south; and kumquat trees loaded with orange fruit appear everywhere as a sign of abundance. The five-fruit tray on the altar differs by region and often spells out wishes through puns. Common taboos in the first three days of the year include sweeping the house or taking out rubbish, breaking things, lending or borrowing, and saying anything unlucky or arguing. Most are folk ideas about starting well; kept light, they are fun, taken too far, they become a burden.

For a foreigner, Tết week can feel like a city transformed: streets lined with flower markets, motorbikes carrying entire trees, and then a sudden quiet as everyone goes home. Knowing what the decorations mean makes it easier to join in.

Peach blossom: the northern Tết tree

Peach trees flower right around Tết in the cool northern winter. Their pink is seen as the colour of spring and new life, and folk belief also credits the peach with warding off evil, linked to a legend of two door-guardian gods who stood beneath a peach tree. Hanoians associate it with the peach-growing villages along the Red River, such as Nhật Tân.

Cut branches fade fast in heated or sealed rooms. Keep them in clean water, cut the stems at an angle, change the water every two or three days, and keep them away from heaters. Potted trees need moderate watering and natural light.

Yellow mai: the southern Tết tree

In the hot south, peach trees struggle, so yellow mai (often translated as yellow apricot blossom, though it is a different plant) takes their place. Its five bright yellow petals suggest prosperity. Many southern families practise lặt lá mai, stripping the leaves around two weeks before Tết, depending on the weather, so the tree blooms on time.

Leaf stripping is a genuine horticultural technique: removing leaves pushes the tree to put its energy into buds. Timing depends on the variety and on whether the season runs hot or cool, which is why experienced growers are proud of getting it right.

Kumquat trees and fruiting pots

Kumquat trees, cây quất, covered in small round fruit, stand at house and shop entrances to signal plenty. Choose one with evenly spread fruit and green leaves that are not dropping. After Tết many families return the tree to the grower, who replants it, or keep it to grow on.

Large potted kumquats are heavy. Put them on flat, solid ground, not on a raised step or the edge of a balcony, especially with small children running around.

The five-fruit tray, north and south

Many southern families avoid bananas because the word sounds like "tipping over", and oranges because cam echoes a word for enduring hardship. These are folk wordplay. As for the number, plenty of families set out more than five fruits; "five" here means abundance rather than an exact count.

Taboos for the first three days

• No sweeping or taking out rubbish: you might sweep your luck out of the door. Families clean thoroughly before New Year's Eve and just pile rubbish in a corner for three days.
• Do not break things: if a bowl breaks, people often say a cheerful phrase to cancel the omen.
• No lending, borrowing or debt collecting: to avoid a year of shortfalls and friction.
• No unlucky talk or arguments: speak of good things, avoid illness and death.
• Avoid all-white or all-black outfits: they recall mourning.

Some taboos have an obvious social logic: not arguing and not chasing debts keeps the peace. The sweeping rule should bend when a child spills food or a glass breaks; cleaning up immediately is about safety. As a guest, follow your hosts' lead and you will not go wrong.

Day one for father, day two for mother, day three for teachers

A Vietnamese saying sets the traditional order of new year visits: the first day with the father's side of the family, the second with the mother's side, the third visiting teachers. Many families are more flexible now, but the sense of order remains.

Lucky money, lì xì, is essential: crisp new notes in red envelopes, given to children and to elderly relatives. There is no required amount; it is the gesture that counts. Do not open an envelope in front of the person who gave it.

Firecrackers and Tết safety

Exploding firecrackers have been banned in Vietnam for a long time; only certain types of fireworks permitted under current rules may be used. Check the regulations and the instructions, and keep children and flammable materials well away. Tết is also a season of extra incense, candles and fairy lights, so check decorative light strings for damaged wiring and unplug them at night.

Pagoda visits, the first outing and picking "lucky buds"

On the first morning of the year many families choose an auspicious hour for xuất hành, the first time they leave the house, usually heading for a pagoda, a communal temple or relatives. Visiting a pagoda at the start of the year to pray for peace is very widespread. The old custom of hái lộc involved snapping off a young sprig from a tree and bringing it home for luck.

In recent years many pagodas and local authorities have asked people not to break branches, since thousands of visitors in a few days can strip a tree bare. Many pagodas now hand out small red envelopes or ready-made sprigs instead, and buying a sprig at the gate keeps the custom without harming anything. Crowds at popular pagodas on the first days can be intense: keep children close, watch your belongings, and place incense where the pagoda indicates rather than lighting a whole bundle.

Families who like to tuck a lucky coin into a red envelope can look at coins at Vật Phẩm Phong Thủy, a Vietnamese-language shop that delivers within Vietnam. Do not give coins to children under three, who may swallow them; hand the coin to a parent instead.

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