As a much-anticipated gift before the Lunar New Year, these books for Tet (Vietnamese New Year) are filled with joy and memories, preserving traditional values and passing them on to the present generation through small stories. These books, rich in spiritual value, contribute to maintaining the tradition of reading during the spring season and fostering a reading culture in every Vietnamese family.
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| Bookstores in the province have set aside a special section for Tet (Lunar New Year) books. |
"Knocking on the door" of spring
Tet books have existed for nearly a hundred years. According to researcher Nguyen Ngoc Hoai Nam, the first Tet book published was "Book for Watching Tet" in the year Mau Thin 1928 by Tan Dan Bookstore. This book paved the way for the Tet book genre in Vietnam, mainly consisting of humorous essays and witty poems by famous writers of the time, aiming to bring readers refreshing laughter and lighthearted, witty stories and poems on the first day of the year.
Warmly received by readers, Tet books flourished from then until 1945. Researcher Nguyen Ngoc Hoai Nam stated: "The unique book publications for Tet, from their inception in the spring of Mau Thin year 1928 until 1945, were rich and diverse, occupying a significant position in literary life from North to South, and even in Indochina, with the participation of many authors and writing groups belonging to different stylistic movements, such as Tan Dan Thu Quan, Nam Ky Thu Quan, Tu Luc Van Doan, Quoc Hoc Thu Xa… Some notable names include: 'Spring Festival Book 1929', 'Southern Vietnam Tet Book', 'Spring Sunshine Tet Book', 'Modern Tet Book'… and the last one was 'Spring Book' published by Xay Dung Publishing House (1958)."
After a period of silence, since 2019, Dong A Culture Joint Stock Company has been publishing "Lunar New Year Books for the Year of the Pig," reviving the tradition of producing Lunar New Year books. Several other publishing houses have also joined in producing Lunar New Year books, creating a beautiful trend every New Year.
Because these publications appear only once a year, Tet books are not only carefully crafted in terms of content but also meticulously designed in terms of aesthetics. Entering its eighth year, Dong A Culture Joint Stock Company continues to bring readers the special edition "Tet Book 2026 - Anthology of Literature, Poetry, Music, and Art on the Theme of Spring and Tet." The book will be available from mid-December 2025, bringing spring to the door through essays, short stories, poems, music, and beautifully illustrated pictures.
Across five parts, the anthology "Tet Book of the Year of the Horse 2026" features contributions from writers of many generations. The articles, imbued with the spirit of spring, include works by authors such as Nguyen Thi Minh Thai (Warm Family Meal in Vietnam), director Xuan Phuong (Three People in Traditional Vietnamese Clothing During the Resistance War), Ma Van Khang (Whispering Flowers Bloom), Nguyen Thi Thu Hue (Returning to the Old Days), Nguyen Tuong Bach (Then Spring Returns)... Readers are transported back to familiar memories of Tet of yesteryear, the warmth of Vietnamese family meals, listening to the whispering of blooming flowers, and immersing themselves in poems carrying new aspirations and faith…
Cultural beauty
Along with music , films, photos, calendars, and Tet newspapers, Tet books are also an indispensable "spiritual treat" to enjoy during Tet. Turning the pages, immersing oneself in the words, reading Tet books has become a refined pleasure every spring. And in recent years, many people have chosen Tet books as gifts for relatives and friends.
This is the sixth year that Kim Dong Publishing House has released "Enjoying Tet." The 2026 anthology includes 21 works, offering colorful spring stories set across the country. Throughout the pages, the image of the horse, a symbol of perseverance, freedom, loyalty, and aspiration, is vividly portrayed through literature and painting. A new feature of this year's publication is the inclusion of a comic strip with interesting and meaningful content for young children.
A meaningful gift that poet Lu Mai is giving to children this Tet holiday is her poetry collection "Tet in Truong Sa, My Homeland." The central character is a 6-year-old girl named Hat Dua, born and raised in Truong Sa. Through the eyes of a child, the work takes readers to Tet in this remote island, with images of peach blossoms, New Year's poles, ships bringing Tet gifts from the mainland, and New Year's feasts by the waves. Through four- and five-word verses, poet Lu Mai conveys a message of gratitude to the soldiers on the distant islands. She says: "I hope readers can feel: To have a fulfilling Tet, there are those who silently stand guard in the spring."
A unique publication this Tet holiday, combining "fairy tales" and Tet, is "Modern Tet Fairy Tales" by author Tran Tuyet Mai. These cheerful, clever, and innocent stories about folk customs and traditions, presented in a fresh, modern language, will help young readers appreciate the Tet reunion even more. Author Tran Tuyet Mai shared: "I realized that perhaps no one has written fairy tales about Tet before. Therefore, this work was born, with a title that playfully sounds similar to the word 'fairy tale.' I hope that children in the age of social media, robots, and airplanes can still rediscover the magical Tet in the food..."
Besides newly released books, the "I'll Be Home for Tet" bookshelf, which includes many previously published works, is also a warm and nostalgic corner for those who are far from home.
These Tet (Lunar New Year) books contribute to providing meaningful publications at the beginning of the year to encourage the development of reading culture. What could be better than seeing ancient traditions revived in the heart of the modern world ? Take a moment to feel the festive atmosphere of Tet, stand amidst the spring, and read a Tet book; your heart will be as joyful as Tet itself.
Text and photos: PHUONG THU
Source: https://baovinhlong.com.vn/van-hoa-giai-tri/202602/trang-sach-goi-xuan-ve-8bc00e7/
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