In those days, to have a proper Tet (Lunar New Year) celebration, many families had to save up agricultural products months in advance and wait until the markets close to Tet to sell them, hoping to save enough money for the festivities. From beans, sesame seeds, peanuts, castrated roosters to fish caught from the cooperative's ponds... Each item, however small, carried the hopes of the seller. If the price was good, the Tet would be grand, and the children would have new clothes. If sales were slow and prices were low, the Tet would be sad, and there would be little left over after the New Year to provide meals for the farmers. Even so, despite the scarcity of goods, they were generally of good quality, not abused, and rarely counterfeited or sold fraudulently. Market management officials often appeared at the markets, but arrests related to counterfeit goods were rare.
Nowadays, people think of the twelfth lunar month (December) with a different mindset, as few mothers still worry about finding new clothes for their children. No one has to calculate how much to buy food early to avoid shortages or price increases. Many families eagerly plan what to eat and do for Tet (Lunar New Year) well in advance, even from the Gregorian New Year, without waiting until the twelfth lunar month. And by the end of January or the beginning of December, some families have already brought home expensive antique trees and bonsai or ordered Tet specialties to use gradually.
For many families, Tet is becoming increasingly prosperous, with plenty of food, Tet decorations, and Tet trips . There's no longer a need to wait until the pre-Tet market to sell agricultural products and reward oneself with a bowl of noodles or a cake at a market corner after a year of hard work.
Despite having more resources, the memories of Tet shopping during difficult times remain unforgettable for many. During those difficult times, some items required careful consideration rather than extravagance, but when purchased, they were genuine, high-quality goods, cherished and carefully preserved. This is in contrast to today, where people spend a lot of money on goods that aren't necessarily authentic or worth the money. Some even buy items and then forget about them in a corner of the house. Others, dissatisfied with their purchases, readily discard them to buy something else, creating waste. Still others are labeled nouveau riche for splurging on Tet decorations without fully understanding the meaning of their purchases or for excessive ostentation...
The buying and selling activities during Tet (Lunar New Year), both in the past and present, give us much to ponder about in our lives.
Hanh Nhien
Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/ngam-chuyen-mot-thoi-sam-tet-273326.htm
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