In the Past, Families Lit Firecrackers; Today, We Only Have Fireworks. In the past, families gathered to make traditional rice cakes, whereas today many choose to buy ready-made rice cakes. These interesting differences reflect the distinct contrast between Tet celebrations of the past and the present.
The Differences Between Tet Then and Now
1. Firecrackers
“Fatty pork, pickled onions, red couplets, hanging bamboo, green rice cakes” has become a traditional cultural symbol of the Vietnamese during Tet. While in the past, households had paper firecrackers hung at their doors to light, today, fireworks have replaced them on New Year’s Eve. Fireworks are launched at major locations, and people eagerly go out early to find the best spots to enjoy the display.
In the past, lighting paper firecrackers was a traditional beauty of Tet
Today, fireworks replace firecrackers on New Year’s Eve
2. Tet Candies
In the past, Tet was simple with just plain Tet candy boxes, not overly elaborate. The Tet candy boxes were made from cardboard, simply wrapped, containing a small amount of candied squash, coconut, peanuts, or jujubes, which were considered “luxurious” items during the subsidy period. Nowadays, Tet candy boxes have become increasingly sophisticated, and many families choose to make their own Tet candies at home to ensure safety, taste, and appealing colors. In addition to traditional candy boxes, luxurious Tet gift baskets are also popular.
Simple, rustic Tet candy boxes of the past
Today’s Tet candies are diverse in style, products, flavors, and colors
3. Tet Rice Cakes
Wrapping rice cakes during Tet is a beautiful traditional cultural practice that remains unchanged. In the past, families would gather together to wrap rice cakes, while today many opt to buy ready-made rice cakes from shops to save time. However, many families still prefer to wrap rice cakes at home to bring the warmth of Tet back to their households and share unique cultural elements with their children and grandchildren.
In the past, families gathered to wrap rice cakes
Today, the demand for buying pre-wrapped rice cakes is increasing
4. Buying Flowers and Ornamental Plants for Tet
In the past, everyone hurriedly jostled in the markets to carefully select the most blooming peach branches. Everything needed for Tet could only be bought at the market, making the Tet market a vibrant and memorable place in everyone’s memories.
Archive Photo: Tet Flower Market in Old Hanoi
The traditional Tet celebration always kept people lingering longer in the streets to eagerly choose the best and most beautiful items for decoration, ensuring the family had a splendid New Year’s Day. Whether you have grown older or not, the Tet market surely remains vivid in your mind, doesn’t it?
Archive Photo: Tet in Hue in 1923
Today, the practice of preparing for Tet has changed. Now, one can sit at home and order goods from e-commerce platforms and online stores that deliver straight to their door. Nonetheless, it remains essential to have a branch of apricot, peach, or kumquat tree in every home. Additionally, people tend to enjoy bonsai plants and expensive flowers such as orchids, kumquat trees, white apricot flowers, or wild peach flowers. It can be said that plants and flowers are indispensable links between Tet then and now.
Photo: Gia Doan
5. Tet Shopping
The habit of shopping for Tet has been preserved from the past to the present. In the old days, families would visit local markets to buy clothes, utensils, and food as Tet approached. In Hanoi, streets like Hang Ngang and Hang Dao were always bustling with shoppers. Nowadays, people prefer shopping for Tet in shopping malls and supermarkets for better food safety and reasonable prices.
The streets of Hang Ngang and Hang Dao were always crowded with people shopping for Tet in the subsidy period.
Housewives now shop for Tet in… supermarkets.
Whether in the past or now, lucky flowers and ornamental plants during Tet are always favored by people.
6. Spring Outings
One of the other differences between Tet then and now is the trend of traveling far during Tet instead of staying close to home. Many families choose to travel during Tet as a way to relax and relieve stress after a year of hard work.
7. New Year Greetings
The rise of social media has changed many habits and lifestyles. During Tet, people no longer need to visit in person to extend their New Year greetings; a smartphone is all it takes to send well wishes everywhere.
8. Entertainment During Tet
On the evening of the 30th, many families still maintain the tradition of gathering together to watch the New Year’s Eve programs. Meanwhile, many others choose to unwind by binge-watching movies, reading books, or sleeping in during the Tet holidays.
9. Tet Gift Giving
In the past, Tet gift baskets were typically simple, often consisting of a box of traditional candies wrapped in cardboard, a bottle of rice wine, or a few familiar fruits. Nowadays, Tet gift baskets have become more luxurious, filled with various imported wines, premium candies, and uniquely carved fruits.
10. Tet Decorative Plants
In the past, people only needed a peach branch, a yellow apricot branch, or a small kumquat tree to decorate their homes for Tet. Today, however, a variety of exotic fruits and plants such as golden pomelo, bonsai peach, fruit-engraved mangoes, and square watermelons are chosen for display in homes.
11. House Cleaning for Tet
As the year ends and Tet approaches, cleaning and decorating the house is one of the essential family tasks for Vietnamese people. In the past, family members would help each other with cleaning. Today, many people hire cleaning services with just a few taps on their phones.
12. Beauty Preparations
In the past, on the last day of the old year, women would often bathe with soapnuts or steam with herbal leaves to cleanse away the dirt and misfortunes of the past year. Nowadays, women start visiting hair salons months in advance to style, blow-dry, curl, straighten, and dye their hair for Tet.
13. Photography
In the past, during outings, we would often see older men casually taking photographs. If someone was interested, they would take a photo and then wait several days to receive the printed picture. Nowadays, everyone has their smartphones ready to capture images instantly, often spending more time taking pictures than enjoying the festivities and scenery.
Here are some humorous verses highlighting the differences between Tet then and now:
This Tet is nothing like the Tet of old
No one remembers how Tet used to be
Old Tet stirred emotions deep within
New Tet’s feelings seem to fade away
Old Tet, the boss rewarded with dollars
New Tet, the boss rewards with goods instead
Old Tet didn’t want to drift away
New Tet, just want to finish and stay home
Old Tet, strolling around the streets
New Tet, weaving through crowded sidewalks
Old Tet, cakes and tea abound
New Tet, young folks just want to smoke
Old Tet brought family ties so close
New Tet, “gambling” brings us together more
Old Tet was simple and plain
New Tet, borrowing to outdo others
Old Tet ended with laughter and cheer
New Tet ends with grievances, oh dear!
Old Tet, we received red envelopes
New Tet, grandchildren clamor for gifts
Old Tet brought everyone near
New Tet, we only see bars and clubs
Old Tet, firecrackers lit up the streets
New Tet, firecrackers are just for the police!
Old Tet, going to festivals to enjoy trees
New Tet, going to festivals to break branches
Old Tet, children were gentle and mild
New Tet, young ones are now “party people”
Though much has changed over time
Don’t forget Tet, oh dear friends, keep it in mind!
There are still many beautiful cultural traits and traditional customs preserved from Tet of old to Tet today, such as wishing for good fortune in the new year, giving lucky money, spring outings, or writing calligraphy… Despite numerous changes, Tet remains an important occasion for families to reunite, extend wishes, and hope for a peaceful and happy new year.
