Shopping for Tet is shopping for joy

One of the things that philosophers talk about today is that technology helps people have more free time. Tet today is no longer something that makes people too busy and has more time to find joy.

One of the things that philosophers talk about today is that technology helps people have more free time. Tet today is no longer something that makes people too busy and has more time to find joy. Thanks to that, Tet comes earlier and earlier, without waiting for the first peach blossoms to appear on the streets or for the spring rain to remind people, Vietnamese people are excited about Tet starting from "enjoying" the preparations for Tet.

At the end of the solar and lunar year, almost everyone is in a hurry when the work deadlines of the year come to an end. That is when people clearly feel the footsteps of spring, even though the earth and sky still have the cold air of winter.

If in the past, altar decorations or food for the feast had to be prepared early due to limited supply, today, what must be considered early are "big money" items such as home renovations, new appliances, especially technology and home entertainment items. A living room with “grand” items has always been the most suitable place to display the homeowner’s “five or ten years’ progress”. More than half a century ago, Dong Ho paintings or Hang Trong four-season paintings were enough to bring the Tet color to the living room, bringing wishes close to life based on many natural conditions. Nowadays, modern audio-visual equipment can replace that, as they are the standard of living. But lovers of art or the past have another, albeit more expensive, way: collecting antiques and paintings. Antiques for Tet therefore have markets for exchange. In Hanoi , Hang Luoc flower market has several rows of peach, kumquat or Tet flowers, but there are many times more stalls selling antiques and old items. It seems that time has stopped here. Things from the past attract people who want to pick them up and enjoy the traditional features, seemingly in sync with the emotions brought by Tet. A set of bronze worshiping objects, a vase with the theme of the four seasons... People see objects that seem to come out of the story collection Echoes of the Past or the essay Copper Crab-Eyed Incense Burner by Nguyen Tuan, a time when people were deeply attached to the past, thus preserving the soul of an "old-style" Tet. Although Hanoi has many streets such as Nguyen Thai Hoc and Hang Gai that sell decorative paintings all year round, the recent excitement of the art market makes owning a beautiful painting in the house during Tet easier, and also a joy to have a work of lasting value. Some homeowners have a need to access masterpieces of Vietnamese and international artists, and of course their monetary value is not small, so getting the desired paintings must be done during the year. Buying a worthy work to hang in the house seems to have completed the goal of a beautiful Tet for art enthusiasts.

Heritage Magazine