A colorful Lunar New Year book season

This year's Lunar New Year book season has seen a diversity of content and format, with publishers positioning the books as cultural products rather than simply a sales race.

The Lunar New Year book for the Year of the Horse 2026, published by Dong A Culture Joint Stock Company.

Developing an increasingly distinct identity.

In the slower pace of life leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year), the Tet book market continues to be a special "flow" in the publishing industry. Instead of mass production or chasing sales trends, Tet books are typically released within a short period, meticulously invested in both content and design, becoming a spiritual gift symbolizing family reunion and evoking memories of spring.

During the Lunar New Year of the Horse 2026, the market for Tet books became more vibrant with the participation of many publishers and book companies. Besides familiar publications such as "Tet Books for the Year of the Horse" by Dong A Publishing House or "Enjoying Tet in the Year of the Horse" by Kim Dong Publishing House, there were also many new titles such as "Tet and Mother" (Nguyen Duong Quynh), "Fireworks on New Year's Eve" (text by Minh Quyen, illustrations by Thu Nam), "Spring Invites the Earth to Bloom" (Mia Studio Quynh Huong), "Our Family's Tet Traditions", "Opening it up reveals Tet" (Chieu Xuan)... Each book reflects a different aspect of Vietnamese Tet, from traditional customs to modern perspectives.

The format of Tet books is also becoming increasingly sophisticated. The special edition "Tet Book of the Year of the Horse 2026" by Dong A is presented in a lacquer box, printed in limited quantities, and aimed at collectors. Many other publications use fine art paper, embossed covers, and include small gifts, transforming books into refined spring gifts that can be both read and cherished.

In the realm of emotionally rich books, the poetry collection "Tet in Truong Sa, My Homeland" by poet Lu Mai makes an impression by recounting Tet on a distant island through the innocent voice of six-year-old Hat Dua, expanding the scope of Tet from family to the concept of the homeland.

On the occasion of the Lunar New Year 2026 (Year of the Horse), Ho Chi Minh City General Publishing House introduces the children's poetry collection "My Mother's Tet of Yesteryear" by Cao Mai Trang, illustrated by Nhat Anh Pham. The 56-page book contains 50 poems, recreating familiar images of Tet in the past such as cleaning the house, going to the market, making banh chung (traditional rice cakes), watching fireworks, receiving lucky money, conveying a message about family reunion and cherishing moments of togetherness.

Representatives from the Ho Chi Minh City General Publishing House emphasized that Tet books are positioned as cultural products, aiming to create a shared reading space for the whole family, fostering a love for the Vietnamese language and traditional values.

The content of the Tet book focuses on introducing the cultural aspects of the Vietnamese Tet holiday.

Maintain the price to expand your audience.

A notable aspect of this year's Lunar New Year book season is the generally stable price level, not significantly higher than last year, despite continued pressure from printing, paper, labor, and shipping costs. Most publications are priced from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dong, depending on whether it's a standard or special edition.

Economic experts believe that maintaining stable prices is a strategic choice for many publishers to sustain purchasing power and expand their readership, rather than maximizing short-term profits. When prices are stable, Tet holiday books are more likely to be included in the list of New Year's gifts for families, businesses, and schools, thereby creating a ripple effect of reading culture.

A representative from the Ho Chi Minh City General Publishing House stated that the unit proactively balanced costs and optimized the printing and distribution processes to maintain prices similar to last year, with the goal of making Tet books more accessible to readers and viewing them as a spiritual gift for the family.

However, this year's Tet book sales have only seen a slight improvement, not the breakthrough seen in previous seasons, as consumers remain cautious about spending. Therefore, publishers and bookstores are focusing on increasing product value through attractive designs, gift wrapping, and complimentary gifts, while also implementing promotions, free gift wrapping, or fast delivery during peak periods to stimulate demand.

Many publishers view Tet (Lunar New Year) books as a cultural "playground" rather than a sales race. Each book is not just for sale, but also to preserve the leisurely reading atmosphere of the first day of the new year – a place where people can turn pages, sip tea, and chat about the stories within. Therefore, maintaining stable prices is not only an economic decision but also a way to protect the spiritual value of this special type of book.

Compiled by THU THẢO

Source: https://baohaiphong.vn/mua-sach-tet-da-sac-mau-535268.html