The elaborate hobby of growing daffodils among Hanoians.

From the 15th day of the 12th lunar month onwards, Vietnamese people look at trees and flowers to know when spring has arrived. Some flowers are expected to bloom precisely on New Year's Eve or the first day of Tet.

ZNews•08/02/2026

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Among the many traditional Vietnamese New Year customs, flower arrangement is a must-mention. In the North, there are peach blossoms and daffodils; in the South, there are apricot blossoms. Flower arrangement is not just about beautifying the landscape; it also carries the dreams and hopes of those who enjoy it – that if the flowers bloom precisely on New Year's Eve or the first day of the Lunar New Year, the family will surely have good fortune this year.

Full Moon of the 12th Lunar Month: Pruning daffodils, removing leaves from apricot blossom trees.

In his work " Celebrating Tet with Daffodils ," writer Vu Bang recounted in detail the hobby of growing daffodils. He said that from the middle of the twelfth lunar month onwards, his teacher "only slept a few hours each night," spending the rest of the time awake watching the weather and tending to the daffodils.

The process of peeling daffodils is a very meticulous one. Vu Bang recounted: "I saw my teacher sitting hunched over, gently peeling off each bulb with his hands, dipping the daffodil bulb into a basin of water like a mother tenderly bathing her newborn child [...] Around him were three or four basins of water and two or three peeling knives: each type of water was used for a different purpose, and the knives were also different: the smallest one for the leaves, a medium-sized one for the stem, and the largest one (but still not larger than an orchid leaf) to touch the stem so the leaf wouldn't be straight."

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People buying daffodils at Dong Xuan Market in old Hanoi . Archival photo.

The most arduous task is caring for the daffodils. The author recounts, "If the weather gets even slightly hot, I worry so much, I lose my appetite, just like worrying about a sick child: I fan them, immerse them in a large tank, put them under the bed, near a well to keep them cool, to prevent them from blooming." If the weather gets too cold, they have to find a warm place around the house to encourage the daffodils to bloom. Daffodil enthusiasts care for their plants to the point of "losing sleep and forgetting to eat," just so the daffodils will bloom in time for New Year's Eve, as Vũ Bằng recounts.

According to the author, a "champion" daffodil bulb must be "perfect" in every respect: "the leaves are like swords, embracing the bulb without touching it; the roots must not only be pure white but also long; the bracts must look exquisite and be arranged elegantly, without being visually cluttered."

Daffodils also appear in the literature of Nguyen Tuan, in his essay " The Flower." The writer Nguyen Tuan himself likened flowers to a way of measuring time used by the ancients: "About half a century ago, I still saw our ancestors measuring time with flowers. The daffodil bulb would be pruned on a certain day in December, exposed to sunlight and dew, and treated with a lamp in a certain way, and it would fully bloom (smiling) precisely at midnight on New Year's Eve. Like the hour and minute hands indicating the end of the year, the flowers would bloom profusely to welcome the new year waiting at the slightly ajar temple gate..."

In the South, starting from the 15th day of the 12th lunar month, people also begin pruning the leaves of apricot blossom trees. In the book " Tet in Three Regions, " the author recounts pruning the leaves to encourage the apricot tree to concentrate all its nutrients on budding. "Depending on the weather conditions or the experience of each person, they themselves time the pruning of apricot blossom leaves. This timing will help the apricot tree bloom most beautifully and abundantly right on the first days of the new year," the author writes.

December 23rd: A vibrant Tet flower market.

After the 20th day of the 12th lunar month, the streets are bustling with flowers. The Tet flower market is a tradition deeply rooted in the Vietnamese spirit. The Tet flowers at the market are diverse and colorful, including apricot blossoms, peach blossoms, chrysanthemums, marigolds, cockscomb, sunflowers, peonies, poinsettias, lilies, orchids, and more.

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Hang Luoc flower market in Hanoi . Archival photo.

In Hanoi, Hang Luoc flower market is a distinctive Tet (Lunar New Year) memory for the capital's residents. This flower market only convenes once a year, during the period leading up to Tet, from the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month until New Year's Eve. Flower vendors from famous flower villages such as Ngoc Ha, Tu Lien, Nghi Tam, Nhat Tan, and Quang Ba all bring their flowers here to showcase their beauty.

In Central Vietnam, Nghia Hiep - Nghia My flower village (Quang Ngai province) specializes in growing chrysanthemums. This is a major supplier of chrysanthemums to markets from Da Nang and the Central Highlands all the way to Ho Chi Minh City every Tet holiday.

In the South, there are two famous flower villages: Sa Dec village (formerly Dong Thap province ) and Cai Mon flower village (formerly Ben Tre province). In the book " Tet in Three Regions ," the author notes that during each Tet season, one can witness the sight of large boats overflowing with apricot blossoms, chrysanthemums, cockscomb flowers, bougainvillea, etc., sailing down the major rivers from the Southwest to the canals of large cities to sell during Tet.

In Ho Chi Minh City, traditional flower markets include Ho Thi Ky flower market, the " On the Wharf, Under the Boat" flower market on Binh Dong and Nguyen Van Cua streets; Tao Dan Park flower market, and 23 September Park flower market.

On the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month, a vase of Tet flowers is an indispensable item on the altar dedicated to the Kitchen God and the Stove God.

New Year's Eve and New Year's Day: Anxiously waiting for the flowers to bloom.

This is the time when flower growers reap the rewards after all their hard work. In " Celebrating the Lunar New Year with Daffodils ," Vu Bang recounts that before the decisive day, "both my teacher and my mother couldn't sleep, staying up all night to watch over each flower bud."

At this time, flowers are no longer just decorative plants; they become messengers of good fortune, a response from heaven and earth to the homeowner's sincerity. All hopes for the new year, all the feelings of anticipation at the transition between seasons, are poured into the blossoms of spring in the new year.

In his book "Then Spring Returns..." (Tet Book 2026) , author Nguyen Tuong Bach describes the exhilarating feeling of admiring blooming flowers and sprouting green shoots in the early days of spring: "While the air was still cold and the ground still frozen, I don't know what whispering voice prompted the trees to sprout green buds, countless sharp, needle-like shoots, lush green like hope." For the author, the trees and flowers blooming in springtime represent "the profound goodness and beauty in heaven and earth, something always ready to offer to humanity."

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