Young innovators embrace traditional Tet customs.

A silk scarf with a stylized horse design, a set of red envelopes with cute Vietnamese greetings, a colorful jigsaw puzzle ceramic painting, a Tet gift box with a distinct springtime feel, or adorable ethnic dolls...

All of this demonstrates the abundant creativity of the young team in innovating Tet cultural products and activities, making them vibrant and modern while still retaining strong traditional values.

Traditional Vietnamese clay figurines depicting Tet (Vietnamese New Year).

"Meeting" Tet of the past in Tet attire of today.

As December arrives, the festive atmosphere of Tet (Vietnamese New Year) fills the streets of Hanoi . On Facebook, the "Bach Hoa Bo Hanh" (Hundred Flowers Walking Procession) fanpage is buzzing with activity as many people register to participate in the "Vietnamese Tet - Street Tet" festival. In this atmosphere of transition between the old and new year, joining the "Bach Hoa Bo Hanh Tet 2026" procession is a long-awaited event for many young Vietnamese who love traditional ao dai, especially ancient Vietnamese attire.

Initiated in 2022 by three young people passionate about traditional Vietnamese clothing – Vu Duc, Quynh Nga, and Gia Loc – with the desire to spread Vietnamese attire in daily life, "Bach Hoa Bo Hanh" (Hundred Flowers Walking Parade) has organized 12 events over the past three years, including 7 main seasons and 5 themed programs. Each season has a different theme, each program has its own unique characteristics, but all are spectacular cultural events that leave unforgettable impressions. Whenever groups wearing Vietnamese traditional clothing pass through the streets, many locals and tourists enthusiastically applaud, film, and take pictures. And Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) is one of the prominent parade themes of "Bach Hoa Bo Hanh" leading up to the New Year. For the 2026 Tet season, participants will prepare their own costumes with themes from the Le Trung Hung and Nguyen dynasties.

Setting out themes, "Hundred Flowers Walking Through the Streets" not only showcases the diversity and richness of Vietnamese traditional costumes, truly a "hundred flowers strolling through the streets," but more importantly, learning about the costumes of different periods will open the door to exploring history for young people. Therefore, the creative idea of ​​the Vietnamese traditional costume festival "Hundred Flowers Walking Through the Streets" received the "Small-Scale Campaign, Big Impact" award at the Vietnam Creative Advertising Awards (Van Xuan Awards 2025) in the Communication category. And recently, "Hundred Flowers Walking Through the Streets" officially became a member of the Hanoi Creative Space Network.

Pillows with folk art patterns from Bei An studio.

Behind the allure of "Bach Hoa Bo Hanh" (A Journey of a Hundred Flowers) lies a series of traditional clothing groups diligently searching for and spreading ancient values, such as Y Van Hien, Dai Viet Co Phong, Great Vietnam, Dai Viet Phong Hoa, Viet Vu Tam Thu, Gau Beo Store, Moc Mien Thi... These are young people who immerse themselves in the treasure trove of their ancestors' clothing to restore, adapt, stylize, and modernize it with colors, patterns, and styles suitable for modern times, thereby spreading and attracting other young people to participate. From the idea of ​​reviving traditional clothing among young people, many people now know how to choose traditional clothing to wear on holidays and festivals, not only modern ao dai, but also round-neck ao vien linh, square-neck ao nhat binh, standing-collar ao lap linh, cross-front ao giao linh, loose-sleeved ao tac, fitted-sleeved ao ngu than, and parallel-front ao doi kham... Each style of clothing carries an interesting cultural slice, a fascinating historical thread. Therefore, "Bach Hoa Bo Hanh" and other traditional costume groups have been carrying out the mission of bringing the heritage of our ancestors closer to the public, especially young people, in a vibrant and inspiring way.

Infusing the spirit of Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) into every product.

Young people are reinventing Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) by reviving old values, not just through clothing. In recent years, many restaurants and cafes have been creating photo-worthy spaces with a strong Vietnamese Tet theme. On social media, young content creators like TikTokers Huong Ly, Manh Tien Khoi, Quynh Giao, Hoang Hon, etc., also incorporate Tet themes into their videos . Holding a peach blossom branch while walking through Hanoi's streets; moments of wrapping banh chung (traditional rice cakes) or practicing calligraphy; breaking open a piggy bank to buy ao dai (traditional Vietnamese dress) for Tet; moments of cleaning and decorating the house to welcome the new year... these are Tet concepts brought to the digital space, helping viewers better understand Vietnamese culture and Tet in particular. Mr. Nguyen Lam Thanh, representative of TikTok Vietnam, said: “Many videos on national cultural topics have a huge number of views and interactions. I believe that, through social media platforms like TikTok, the younger generation will be pioneers in spreading heritage values, connecting the past with the present, and strongly inspiring the community both domestically and internationally.”

Vietnamese culture is also "dyed" onto many consumer products. Ten years ago, if consumers wanted to buy New Year's greeting cards or red envelopes with a distinctly Vietnamese style, they didn't have many choices. But now, mass-produced or hand-painted designs are abundant, featuring the colors and patterns of Dai Viet (ancient Vietnam) with cute greetings and phrases adapted to the prominent trends of the year. A representative from Boi An studio shared: "In the creative process of our ancestors, each pattern, motif, and image carried a meaning that today's younger generation may not yet know or understand. Boi An studio researched and recreated these motifs, transforming them into something more modern. We want to bring products that carry the spiritual values ​​of the Vietnamese people but are still easy to understand, accessible to the modern public, and aesthetically pleasing." To celebrate the Lunar New Year of the Horse 2026, Boi An is launching the "Southern Sky Dragon" collection (part of the "Southern Sky Mythical Creatures" project) as a wish for a peaceful, prosperous, and successful new year.

Many other groups of young people also choose to design and create based on the richness of Vietnamese folk culture. At creative festivals or exhibitions and activities showcasing traditional Tet (Lunar New Year), one can see many souvenirs and consumer products that bear the distinct mark of Vietnam but still retain a contemporary feel. These include small, charming fruit platters or colorful Tet feast trays made from dough by traditional toy makers, stylized silk scarves, colorful Bat Trang ceramic paintings, silver jewelry sets, bamboo cups, keychains, handbags, lucky money envelopes, wooden dolls... all created on the foundation of traditional folk art combined with modern design thinking.

Ceramic paintings by QMosaic.

Notably, many of these products were created by young people from colleges and universities specializing in creativity and culture, and even high school students. To celebrate the Year of the Horse 2026, many horse-themed creations were designed by students on ceramic statues, interior decorations, greeting card prints, embroidered scarves and bags, bamboo-framed horse sculptures covered in dó paper, or woodblock prints of horses and wooden seals, all presented in a style that is both folk-inspired and very contemporary. Dr. Lu Thi Thanh Le, from the School of Interdisciplinary Sciences and Arts, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, stated: “Today's youth have a wealth of diverse creative endeavors in culture, including crafts, design, public experiences, game development, and workshops that revitalize traditions. Many of their projects have been well-received by the public and have even been transformed into businesses. These successes demonstrate the deep level of exploration among young people.”

By proactively engaging with traditional cultural heritage, young creators are seeking to retell the story of Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) in the language of the modern era, rather than mechanically copying it. When old values ​​are renewed with youthful thinking, traditional culture, including Tet, will continue to be a vibrant source of inspiration for more and more people to embrace and create together.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/sang-tao-tre-voi-tet-truyen-thong-733889.html