Tet Flower Power in Hanoi

In Hanoi, the biggest holiday of the year is Tet, celebrating the Lunar New Year. Tet usually falls around late January/early February and has to be the biggest season for flower sellers, especially at Quang Ba Flower Market, in Tay Ho, near where I lived. I noticed marumi kumquat plants were in as high demand as evergreen trees at Christmas in the West. A couple of weeks before Tet, the streets are crowded with motor scooters burdened with bushy green pyramids covered in with small orange fruit. Although the fruit looks like a mandarin orange, it is sour (the peel is the sweetest part) and few people eat them. The kumquat tree symbolizes gold, wealth, unity and perfection.  So the selection on each tree purchased is not taken lightly. The marumi kumquat is a tree with five characteristics that must be considered when buying – fruit, flowers, leaves, branches and roots. Combined, they symbolize wealth and happiness for the new year. Tips for choosing a good plant? The tree must have both ripe and green fruit, mature leaves and new buds. If it has all these, the family will enjoy wealth and luck in the new year.
Another popular item at the nursery is peach trees since its flowers blossom in spring – sometimes even during Tet holidays, but it was too cold for this during my time there. Vietnamese believe this symbolizes a strong vitality and brave heart. The colour of the flowers is important, too. In Hanoi, the dark pink blossom is favoured, showing the love and joy spread among people in this unique time of the year.