Incense for Vietnamese Lunar New Year

This year the end of January welcomes the lunar new year.

Although widely known as Chinese New Year, the celebration's Vietnamese name is Tet Nguyen Dan, or Tet for short.

Marking the end of winter and the first day of spring, Tet Nguyen Dan is the most celebrated and significant Vietnamese national holiday.

This family business making incense sticks, which is located in a small village bordering Hanoi, is preparing for their busiest time of year.

Incense is extremely significant and has a central role in Vietnamese culture. It's believed that through burning incense your prayers are transmitted to the deities and to the spirits of the ancestors.

The burning of incense must, by tradition, only happen in odd numbers: 3, 5, 7 or 9 sticks, each number possessing its own meaning.

So, this family of incense makers will likely remain in business for generations to come.

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