MIKAELA DRAGON
Our family's Tết preparation
The week before the first day of the Lunar New Year is dedicated to preparations.
food shopping
As most markets and shops will be closed during Tết, households tend to stock up on food for the whole celebration. Mum would send my sister and me to get food, bits and bobs.
I remember going to the market to shop, then getting distracted talking to the vendors and completely forgetting what I needed to get.
My mum's favourite image of the series. In her own words 'it's really that you went shopping for me'
five-fruit tray
A "Mâm Ngũ Quả" (five-fruit tray) on the ancestral altar during Tết symbolises gratitude to our ancestors and our aspiration for prosperity.
My Mum's version is slightly different from tradition — she picks grapefruits, apples, mangos, dragon fruits and tangerines for their longevity and resistance to the heat.
cleaning
To get ready for a fresh new year, it's important to deep-clean the house before Tết arrives.
We scrub our house from top to bottom, including handwashing my Mum's beloved collection of tea sets, porcelain and glassware. We fill every corner with bright-coloured flowers — Mum's favourite is orchids, so we always have loads of them for Tết.
flower shopping
Every year, ahead of Tết, thousands of vendors flock to Saigon to sell flowers and ornamental plants. The activity runs around the clock, transforming city streets and parks into vibrant, temporary, colourful markets. Often, we go as a pair — one drives the moped, the other holds the flowers in the back seat.
I am particularly fond of yellow apricot blossoms, the symbol of Tết in the South of Vietnam. Something about that shade of yellow — pure sunshine — has always made my heart leap.
food offering
A Tết meal is a feast for the eyes and a comfort for the soul — dishes that carry our traditional stories across generations.
This is what Tết tastes like in our home. A table neatly filled with a traditional Tết cake, boiled chicken as the centrepiece, meat jelly, king prawn salad, stir-fried vegetables, mung bean sticky rice, mushroom and bamboo shoot soup, pickles, jasmine rice, and my absolute childhood favourite — braised pork with quail eggs. Other families often use duck eggs, but I much prefer quail eggs, so Mum uses them instead.
Bánh Tét
Bánh Chưng and Bánh Tét are two versions of traditional Vietnamese Tết cake. Bánh Chưng is square, symbolising the earth. It has an outer layer made from green phrynium or banana leaves, filled with green beans, fatty pork, spices, and fragrant sticky rice. Bánh Tét is more common in the South and has a long cylindrical shape.
Because my family has relatives in the West, we're often gifted special variations of Bánh Tét with slightly different outer layers and fillings.
Our Countdown
As the night comes close to the Countdown, we wrap up all our cleaning to get ready for the New Year.
dressing up for Tết
Leading up to the countdown, we dress up smartly so that we are ready for the New Year.
New clothes, new shoes, new everything from top to bottom to start the year on a high.
First Visitor of the Year - Xông Đất
Visiting relatives, teachers & friends
Tết = Family time. For many families, it's the only time they reunite all year. The first day is dedicated to your immediate family, followed by visits to relatives and friends on subsequent days — joyful gatherings, red envelopes (lì xì) for the children, good wishes all around.
Games
During their visits, friends and relatives gather to play games — sitting on the floor or a straw mat. Tiến Lên, a shedding card game, is the most popular. Others, such as Blackjack or Bầu Cua, are also common.
I always looked forward to an intense, hours-long session of Tiến Lên with my friends, munching on prawn crackers, beef jerky and dried watermelon seeds.
going to town in Saigon
During Tết, locals in Saigon flock to downtown District 1 to take photos — dressing in traditional áo dài to pose with the festive decorations. A perfect day out for friend groups and families alike.
Thank you to my Mum, Dad, and Sister — who raised me with endless love, joy and creativity. Thank you for your collaboration on this project. This is for us.
Cám ơn Ba Mẹ và Chị đã nuôi con/em lớn với tình thương vô bờ, niềm vui và óc sáng tạo. Cám ơn cả nhà đã tham dự vào dự án này của con. Thương tặng cả nhà.
MIKAELA DRAGON a.k.a MI
Info
What I do
Freelance Creative Director in Ad, Media and Tech. Night School's Principle. An active campaigner for gender equality, diversity and neuroinclusion in the creative industry.
My background
Born and raised in Saigon, shaped by London.
My AI approach
As a force for good, a collaborative tool to support human creativity, to educate and celebrate cultures.
Career
(2022 – 2023) Creative Director — Amazon PXT Tech
(2019 - 2022) Creative Lead — Amazon Treasure Truck
(2017 - 2019) Freelance Senior Creative
