The most important symbol of Tet is " hoa mai" or " hoa anh dao ",
a small, yellow flower with five to eight petals. The value of these
flowers is determined by the number of petals - the more petals, the
more expensive the flower. A bush of hoa mai is essential to the
celebration of Tet. While hoa mai is preferred in the South, rosy
peach is more commonly used for this ceremony in the North.
Hoa mai and hoa dao, representative of the spirit of Tet, also
symbolizes prosperity and well-being for the family.
Tradition holds that the longer a bush of hoa mai or hoa
dao lasts, the more prosperous the family will be in the coming year.