When dry firewood becomes a Tet (Lunar New Year) commodity.

(Baohatinh.vn) - The bare, dry branches that are used daily are becoming a popular item during Tet in Ha Tinh.

Báo Hà Tĩnh•08/02/2026

In Thanh Sen ward, numerous dry firewood stalls have sprung up to serve the needs of the local people. Here, various types of dry trees and branches are piled up in diverse forms for customers to choose from: from large and small trunks to long and short logs…

Signs that read "Firewood for sale for Tet" have sprung up in many places.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich (owner of a business in Thanh Sen ward) said: "The dry firewood was salvaged from the storms in September and October. The business collected it, stockpiled it in a yard, dried it, and sold it during Tet. On normal days, very few people buy it because there's no need for it, but in recent days, many customers have called, and on some days we've sold nearly 2 million VND worth of dry firewood."

Piles of dried wood have suddenly become valuable Tet (Lunar New Year) goods.

Firewood is sold by the "ox cart" at a price of 300,000 VND per cart. The dry firewood sold during this period is longan and eucalyptus wood, due to its characteristics of burning steadily, producing a good amount of charcoal, and producing little smoke, making it very suitable for people to cook banh chung (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes) and build campfires. Customers are mainly concentrated in urban areas.

Dry firewood is sold by the truckload.

Due to the high demand for firewood, many people have offered to buy and transport it directly to people's homes. Mr. Nguyen Van Loc (Thanh Sen ward) said: "In the past few days, many people have asked me to buy firewood for them. Some families want small branches, while others want large but short pieces of firewood. I deliver it to their homes, and in addition to the cost of the firewood, I charge extra for the transportation."

This is Mr. Nguyen Van Loc's third trip of the day to collect firewood.

“These types of firewood have always been plentiful in my hometown. They're even carelessly thrown along the roadside and in vacant lots where no one bothers to take them, let alone buy and sell them. But this Tet holiday, I came here to work sorting and sawing firewood for a business, and I found it interesting that there were many buyers. It's somewhat understandable, as it's a need for things like cooking banh chung (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes) and building bonfires in the central wards,” shared Mr. Trinh Minh Tai (Cam Hung commune).

Many people find it quite interesting that dry firewood has been "upgraded".

The unexpected emergence and popularity of seemingly ordinary products like firewood during this year's Lunar New Year not only brings significant revenue to businesses but also reflects an interesting shift in the Tet market.

People mainly buy firewood during Tet (Vietnamese New Year) for cooking banh chung (traditional rice cakes) and lighting bonfires.

Amidst a plethora of modern and sophisticated goods, the rise of simple, rustic items reflects a trend towards returning to original values and closer to the traditional lifestyle of the people.

From a little-noticed byproduct, firewood has been upgraded to a Tet (Lunar New Year) commodity, creating a unique appeal as consumer demand extends beyond convenience to include memories, customs, and emotions associated with the spring season.