Cover of Tết Việt Nam Xưa (Vietnamese People Celebrate Tết in the Past), features Vietnamese and their lifestyles during Tết (Lunar New Year) in different time periods. — Photo courtesy of the publisher

HCM CITY    A new book on the culture and lifestyle of Vietnamese people during Tết (Lunar New Year festival) has been released in HCM City.

The book, Tết Việt Nam Xưa (Vietnamese People Celebrate Tết in the Past), features Vietnamese and their lifestyles during the festival in different periods in the past.

It includes articles by Vietnamese and foreign cultural researchers, authors and artists, including French Jean Marquet and Georges Pisier, both of whom lived in Việt Nam in the 17th and 18th centuries. 

Vietnamese scholars Nguyễn Văn Huyên and Phạm Quỳnh, famous in the 20th century, are also featured.

Tết Việt Nam Xưa includes 50 folk pictures and photos featuring Vietnamese in daily life during Tết, including their food, clothes and cultural activities.

The book Tết Việt Nam Xưa (Vietnamese People Celebrate Tết in the Past) includes 50 folk pictures and photos featuring Vietnamese in daily life during Tết holiday.  Photo courtesy of the publisher

 The 193-page work also features stories about the origin of Kitchen Gods, square sticky rice cake, and the five-fruit tray.

“Our book is a special gift for people who love and want to discover Vietnamese culture, especially the life of people in Tết in the past,” said historian Nguyễn Mạnh Hùng, the book’s editor-in-chef.

“The book represents our memories of our grandparents who educated younger generations to love and keep our tradition every Tết.”

Hùng, former headmaster of the HCM City-based Hồng Bàng International University, spent several years collecting the information and documents on the Lunar New Year festival.

He has released dozens of books and research works about Việt Nam’s history and culture.

The book, Tết Việt Nam Xưa, published by the Thế Giới Publishing House, is available at bookstores and online shopping websites. — VNS