Don't create joy from the sadness of Tet flower sellers

Intentionally waiting until the 29th or 30th of Tet to buy Tet flowers to force traders to lower prices is not advisable and should be avoided from both a customary and ethical perspective...

In the days leading up to Tet, amidst the hustle and bustle and the creeping cold of Hanoi winter, the story of buying flowers and ornamental plants has become a controversial topic for many people. People wonder whether they should wait until the 29th or 30th of Tet to buy peach, apricot and kumquat trees at a cheap price, or should they buy early, choose carefully, both to beautify the house and to fulfill their duty to those who have put so much effort into growing them?

Walking around famous flower markets in Hanoi such as Quang Ba and Den Lu, it is not difficult to see that flowers and ornamental plants are still abundant, even though the Lunar New Year 2025 is only a few days away. The calls of vendors are mixed with the cold wind, while kumquat pots, peach blossoms, and lilies stand there, as if waiting to "go home".

The habit of many families to buy flowers close to Tet does not always come from the intention of waiting for cheap prices. Illustrative photo

According to traders, the number of customers this year has decreased significantly, even though the selling price has been adjusted lower than last year. A beautiful kumquat tree over one meter high costs from 500,000 to 1 - 2 million VND, while bouquets of lilies and gladiolus only cost 200,000 - 300,000 VND, yet buyers are still very sparse...

Many shop owners, due to the pressure to clear their inventory, have decided to sell off their products today, accepting the situation rather than "losing everything". However, there are also those who have expressed a firm opinion, even on the 29th or 30th of Tet, they would rather take a knife and cut off the roots and throw them away than suffer the situation of being forced to lower the price, determined not to let the products they have worked so hard to take care of become an undervalued item.

In fact, the habit of buying flowers close to Tet of many families does not always come from the intention of waiting for cheap prices. Simply because the day is close, many people will easily calculate the right time for the flowers to bloom. This is the experience gained after years of unstable weather causing flowers to bloom early, many people have to pour ice to slow down the blooming, otherwise they will display dry branches and wilted plants in the house, losing the freshness of the first days of the new year.

There are also families who do not have time, are busy with special work and only have free time on the 28th or 29th of Tet, so they have to go to the market at the last minute to choose.

However, it is not uncommon for traders to deliberately wait until the 29th or 30th of Tet, when they have to accept a price reduction to recover their capital. This is not advisable, because according to the ancients, shopping for Tet is not only about decorating the house but also showing respect to ancestors, so it is necessary to choose carefully, especially to complete before making the year-end offering tray. Therefore, waiting to squeeze the price to have cheap bonsai is no different from losing the sacredness of this custom.

Morally, it also damages the labor value of farmers who spend all year taking care of each peach and kumquat tree. Sometimes, it is this price pressure that causes small traders to bitterly cut off peach branches and throw kumquat trees into the landfill on the last day of the year - an action that replaces the sighs of those who are "making life beautiful", but the results are underestimated and paid for cheaply.

So, if you have the means, you should buy a Tet tree early, don’t let a pot of fresh kumquat or a brilliant peach blossom be buried in regret and sorrow. Let Tet truly be an occasion for sharing, a moment when everyone together cherishes small but profound values, so that each flower color, each ornamental plant in the house carries the breath of connection and gratitude.

Source: https://congthuong.vn/dung-tao-niem-vui-tu-noi-buon-cua-nguoi-ban-hoa-tet-371334.html