Each flower has a different meaning, but in general, playing with flowers on Tet brings the family luck, peace, and happiness in the new year.
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| Each flower has a different meaning, but in general, playing with flowers on Tet brings the family luck, peace, and happiness in the new year. |
In the greatest Vietnamese classical poem, The Tale of Kieu, written in the late 18th century, the word “flower” appears 130 times. If one were to count the names of specific flowers, the number could reach four digits. The author of The Tale of Kieu , Nguyen Du (1765-1820), must have grown up in an environment saturated with flowers and grasses, so it was impossible not to mention them. How clever he was to turn flowers into something capable of conveying a myriad of meanings, both literal and figurative, in a way that other words or methods might not have been able to express.
As a child, I knew some of the poems of Kieu by heart, from the songs my mother sang to me when she rocked me to sleep in my cradle. However, it was not until I was five or six that flowers became a part of my subconscious.
It was the 1930s, we lived on Hang Gai Street, right in the heart of Hanoi’s Old Quarter. In a small room upstairs, we had an altar to the Tiger God, with a tiger in the shape of a tiger. On the first day of the lunar month, my mother always burned incense to pay respect to the god. The offerings included a bowl of rainwater and a plate of flowers. On that special day, a familiar florist always brought my mother flowers wrapped in banana leaves and tied with bamboo strips.
More than decoration
In Vietnam, flowers and incense are considered channels of communication between humans and gods. The fragrance of flowers and incense sticks permeates the air. Vietnamese people use the compound noun huong-hoa, meaning “flower fragrance,” to refer to votive offerings.
The Vietnamese are extremely careful when choosing flowers for offerings. Only certain types of flowers can be displayed on the altar. Votive flowers include Soi flowers, Ngau flowers, Hong flowers, Lily flowers, Don flowers, Dragon claw flowers, Orchids, Thien Ly flowers, Moc flowers, Lotus flowers, Royal poinciana flowers… Jasmine flowers are not used for worship because this flower blooms and gives off its fragrance at night, so people think it is related to prostitution.
Ngau flowers are very good for scenting tea and tobacco. Because they are small and pretty, they are used to describe a special kind of smile as in the following folk song:
Smile like the Ngau flower,
The head scarf looks like a lotus flower.
Lilies are white, but unlike the European lily, they were once used only at funerals and Thanksgivings and were never given as gifts. Peonies are red or white-yellow but have no scent. The Dragon's Claw flower is shaped like an animal's claw and gives off the scent of ripe bananas. The small white Magnolia tree is often grown in temple gardens and is used to scent tobacco. The Morning Glory flower is a small tree that can be used to make broth.
The lotus is an important flower in many cultures. It is believed to be the first living thing on earth and it still covers a large body of water today. It symbolizes the female genitals, the source of life and joy. Buddhists and Hindus consider the lotus flower to be beautiful in color and a symbol of virtue even though it grows in mud. The Vietnamese have a folk song about the lotus as follows:
Yellow stamens, white flowers, green leaves,
Near the mud but not smelling of mud.
Buddhists believe that when the Buddha sits on a lotus flower, the flowers represent his essence, which is unaffected by the corruption of earthly existence - the cycle of life and death or reincarnation. Therefore, lotus petals and lotus buds have become a common decorative motif in temples.
Royal poinciana has red petals shaped like the legendary phoenix's tail. The flower is used for worship. In addition, people also use it for decoration.
In the old days, gardeners did not sell decorative flowers. Flowers were also cut from branches and sold for the purpose of offering as votive offerings. Because of their love of beauty, people often grew their own flowers. They built a special yard to grow ornamental plants, including flowers. These “gardens” were usually a small pond or small water tank, with a miniature mountain in the middle, surrounded by flower pots on terracotta pedestals.
Nowadays, many people grow flowers as a hobby. They grow all kinds of flowers such as orchids, camellias, chrysanthemums, wolfberries, magnolias, dahlias, carnations, nightshades (or nightshades – the magnolia family), lilies, jasmine, cereus, roses, peach blossoms, apricot blossoms, narcissus, camellias, hibiscus, etc. However, because flower connoisseurs are often scholars, they only choose to grow flowers that symbolize traditional moral values.
Orchids are a must-have in the garden of connoisseurs, as these flowers are said to represent the nobility of traditional scholars and the pure nature of women. Some prefer the White Pearl Orchid for its delicate and delicate fragrance.
Personal philosophies
Other flowers also have their own meanings in the philosophy of flower growers. Chrysanthemum, the flower of Autumn, symbolizes politeness, is associated with noble appearance and gives off a gentle fragrance.
The Queen of the Night flower is a cactus flower. The flower is as big as a rice bowl. It only blooms at night and is pure white. Old scholars like to sit and drink wine while watching the Queen of the Night flower bloom.
Some people believe that it was the French who brought the rose to Vietnam because before that, this flower had never appeared in Vietnamese literature, even in Kieu. This is probably the reason why the rose is less praised in Vietnamese literature than other flowers.
Hibiscus is a type of hibiscus flower. When it blooms, the flower is white but quickly turns red and withers very quickly. Thus, this flower symbolizes ephemeral beauty.
Camellia is a type of camellia with bright red flowers and yellow pistils. It is also a favorite of traditional scholars.
Some flowers are associated with the Vietnamese Lunar New Year. The most popular flower during Tet is the Mai flower (white apricot, yellow apricot), one of the first flowers to bloom signaling the coming of spring, symbolizing the spirit of gentlemen. According to many people, the more petals the apricot flower has in a house, the luckier and more prosperous that house will be in the new year.
In the South, people decorate their houses with yellow apricot flowers during Tet. The yellow color of apricot flowers has long been considered a symbol of wealth and prosperity. People display apricot flowers during Tet with the wish for a prosperous and wealthy new year.
In the North, people prefer peach blossoms with bright red or pink petals. Peach blossoms not only bring a cozy atmosphere to every home, but according to feng shui, they also bring good luck to the homeowner during the New Year, because peach branches or "peach bonsai" trees symbolize spring because they have leaves, buds, flowers and young fruits. In folk paintings, the four-panel painting depicts four types of flowers in the year, and peach blossoms represent spring. Peach blossoms are yang energy, so playing with peach blossoms, faded peach blossoms, seven-inch peach blossoms or white peach blossoms will bring yang energy to the house. If Tet is cold, the pink color of peach blossoms will warm the house and bring family members closer together.
Peonies and Narcissus are also Tet flowers. Flower lovers often display flowers in sets: the Four Friends set (for friends) including Apricot, Orchid, Chrysanthemum and Bamboo; the Four Seasons set (four seasons) including Apricot (Spring), Lotus (Summer), Chrysanthemum (Autumn) and Coniferous plants (Winter).
In the countryside, some other flowers are also popular. Hibiscus grows along the fence. Spiderwort has red leaves and flowers, giving off a fragrant scent at night. By the rainwater tank are orchids and of course Areca flowers with their gentle flowers giving off a fragrant scent into the air at dawn. Bright yellow squash blossoms on thatched roofs. Rose hips decorate bushes along the fence. The sacred Dai Linh tree stands solemnly in the garden of pagodas and temples. The Kapok tree spreads carpets of bright red flowers in front of the communal house yard.
In recent years, people’s lives have been increasingly developed, and cultural and spiritual needs have become richer and more diverse. In addition to peach, apricot, kumquat, etc., there are many more choices such as trees with unique bonsai shapes or imported flowers.
Each flower has a different meaning, but in general, playing with flowers on Tet brings the family luck, peace, and happiness in the new year.
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