The Thắng family’s first Tết portrait, taken in 2003, marking the beginning of a 22-year tradition of annual family photos. — Photo courtesy of the Thắng family

GIA LAI — At exactly 9am on the first morning of Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday, as incense smoke curls gently above the ancestral altar, nearly 100 people fall into line in the courtyard of a modest house in Gia Lai Province.

Four generations, from a 96-year-old patriarch to a two-month-old great-grandchild, pause, smile and face the camera. 

For this family, the New Year does not truly begin until the photo is taken.

For 22 consecutive years, the extended family of Nguyễn Ngọc Sang has marked Tết with the same ritual: a single, carefully staged family photograph capturing everyone present. What began as a spontaneous snapshot has quietly become a living archive of love, lineage and time.

Nguyễn Thị Thắng, 22, a third-generation family member now living in Quy Nhơn Ward, calls the growing collection “our inheritance of memories”.

“In our latest photo, taken at the last Tết (2025), the frame is completely full,” she said. “There are four generations standing together, from my grandfather to the youngest baby, who was just two months old.”

The tradition dates back to 2003 Tết, the year the family welcomed a new bride, Thắng’s mother. One uncle happened to bring a camera and suggested taking a group photo. About 40 people gathered in the first image.

“No one planned it,” Thắng recalled. “But from that moment, taking a family photo on the morning of the first day of Tết became an unwritten rule.”

Two decades on, the annual portraits have become a visual timeline of the family’s growth. Children once held in arms now return with children of their own. The number of faces has more than doubled, from around 40 to nearly 100.

Even the role of photographer has evolved, from the original uncle to a younger cousin armed with professional equipment to ensure no one is left blurred or half-hidden.

The Thắng family’s latest Tết portrait, taken in 2025, bringing together four generations as part of a 22-year family tradition. — Photo courtesy of the Thắng family

To keep the tradition running smoothly, the family has set a clear routine. After the ancestral offering ceremony on the morning of the first day of Tết, every nuclear family gathers at Sang’s home. By 9am sharp, everyone must be present.

Organising nearly 100 people, especially with young children, is no small feat. In the early years, the scene was often chaotic, with children running about and adults unsure where to stand. Today, the process is almost instinctive.

“It takes about 15 minutes now,” Thắng said. “The elders sit in the centre, younger adults stand behind, and the children sit or stand in front.”

In recent years, the women of the family have even begun wearing matching áo dài, adding a sense of ceremony and elegance to the annual portrait.

Most family members live in or near Quy Nhơn, making gatherings easier. Those working far from home make a point of returning, treating the photo as a promise that cannot be broken.

Nguyễn Hiểu, 32, who married into the family eight years ago, said she has never missed a single Tết photo.

“After the photo and receiving lucky money from grandfather, we all line up and go together to visit relatives,” she said. “It usually takes until late afternoon.”

For the family, the photographs are more than keepsakes. They are a way of honouring their patriarch’s teachings about unity and belonging.

“My grandfather always reminds us that family is our foundation,” Thắng said. “These photos help us hold on to memories, to see how we’ve grown up surrounded by love, and to remember those who won’t always be with us.”

The albums are carefully preserved by Sang himself. When Thắng recently shared the photos online, tens of thousands of people expressed admiration for a tradition so patiently sustained.

To outsiders, the images may simply show a large family smiling for the camera. To those within the frame, they are a quiet testament to something rarer: a family that has chosen, year after year, to stand together and be counted. — VNS