Each flower has its own beauty, fragrance and meaning. During the traditional Tet days, peach blossom and apricot blossom are two typical flowers for the flavor of Vietnamese Tet. In the North, in the new years of spring, everywhere we meet fresh peaches. For people in the South, apricot blossom is the soul and beauty of the new year.
Apricot and peach blossom have quite similar characteristics. Only the color of the region where it lives is different. Peach flowers have many types, with pink, gentle flowers, there are trees that are dark pink, attractive. As for apricot flowers, they only have a bright yellow color full of life. Mai has pointed green leaves, like tea leaves. Lush green apricot leaves from spring days. In early winter, the leaves begin to fall sporadically to make room for the sprouting of flower buds. The leaves gently fall, away from the stem, away from the branch, making great sacrifices to rekindle the life of the bright yellow petals. Leaves sacrifice for flowers to add beautiful color forever. The leaves have all fallen off, they may have fallen off by themselves or they have been broken to allow the flower buds to sprout, leaving only the bare trunk. Looking at the dark brown apricot body, curving, flexible, it doesn't have any vitality at all. However, inside those thin branches is a strong, potential life. Each flower bud takes care of nutrition, waiting for the day to emerge, showing off to the earth and sky. The clusters of small buds look like miniature phoenix flowers. The apricot bud is as small as the tip of a little finger, green and shiny. When the old year is about to pass, the apricot begins to open, revealing fresh, thin yellow petals. The color is full of life so that anyone looking at it also overflows with an endless joy.
Five-petaled apricot blossoms are similar to peach blossoms, except that they are yellower, more supple and stronger. Every New Year comes, spring comes, every house carries an apricot tree to decorate. The color of tomorrow makes Tet more cozy and joyful. The red couplets, the red envelopes interspersed with the yellow color of the apricot petals look so beautiful. Mai adorns the house more on Tet holidays. Without tomorrow, perhaps Tet will also be less brilliant. People bend their apricots in beautiful ways. There are trees that grow straight, spreading around many layers of flowers. There is a long and soft curving tree like peacocks. Under the hands of artisans, mai becomes more salty, loving and seductive like girls in full moon age. Apricots are placed in front of the house gate, apricots are placed in the living room, whether rural or urban, Tet days of Southerners are indispensable for the silhouette of apricot trees.
Mai brings fortune to people, bringing vitality to a new year that is about to come. The gentle rays of the spring sun even more adorn the noble beauty of tomorrow. Our children are still eager to hang on apricot branches with wishes and red couplets. Red and yellow colors blend together, bringing a good luck to people. I don't know how Northerners love peach blossoms, but for Southerners like us, apricot blossom is considered the soul, a symbol of the fortune of a new year. Mai shows off her colors with the spring sun during Tet. Mai makes the atmosphere warmer and happier. The fragrance of apricot calls to bees and butterflies. They staggered to find pistils to get honey and celebrate Tet with people. Seeing the yellow apricot blossoming, everyone is excited and eager to return to their family on reunion days. To talk together, share difficulties throughout the year and then try together for a more prosperous, full and happy new year.
Apricot flowers are the traditional beauty of the Vietnamese people. When Tet comes to spring, tomorrow, together with people, join the joyful and warm atmosphere every spring. I love apricot flowers because of its beautiful meaning