On the traditional Tet holidays, from the city to the countryside, every house is decorated with peach and apricot blossoms. Perhaps we are too familiar with the image of the Northern peach blossom and the Southern apricot blossom, but besides the meaning of decorating for the house to be more sparkling and beautiful on New Year days, the blossoms also bring other meanings.

The Northern peach blossom symbolizes the beauty of this 4,000-year-old land of Vietnam. The red-petaled peach blossom brings the meaning of affluence and happiness all year round. Besides, in order for each peach blossom to bloom on Tet holidays, these flowers have to go through a cold winter. Because of that, peach blossom can only live and bloom in the North of Vietnam. The image of peach blossom blooming after winter has shown resilience, and strong will to overcome many difficulties and challenges to achieve good results. Each peach tree in the yard or a flower in the house has a meaning of strength and effort as well as a proof of good success.

Peach blossom is an indispensable image on Tet holidays in the North of Vietnam

Coupled with the Northern peach blossom is the Southern apricot blossom. With a bright yellow color, the petals of apricot blossom are as soft as silk and faintly fragrant. Each apricot blossom is like "carrying" the warm yellow sunshine of the Southern area. With its own name, apricot blossom brings a homonym with the Vietnamese word “may” in “may mắn” which means “luck” that implies wishing for a favorable and prosperous year. Like the peach blossom, the Southern apricot blossom symbolizes the precious temperaments and qualities of the Vietnamese people. The apricot and peach blossoms are an indispensable image for the Vietnamese Tet holidays.

Apricot blossoms bring brilliant yellow color of the Southern area

Besides Chung cake and red couplets, peach blossom and apricot blossom are indispensable on Vietnamese Tet holidays. The peach blossom of the Northern area and the apricot blossom of the Southern area have contributed to bringing diversity to Vietnamese Lunar New Year, adorning the "S-shaped country" more beautiful in spring days.

By Thanh Tien
Admissions Department