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Hang Ma Street in Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, is a famous street selling many Christmas decorations. During these days, Hang Ma Street is adorned with the vibrant colors of Christmas trees, bells, dried flowers, snowmen, wreaths, and more.
The atmosphere on Hang Ma Street is bustling in the days leading up to Christmas.
As the peak season approaches, vendors have to work from early morning until late at night.
Hang Ma Street is known as one of the most popular tourist and shopping destinations in Hanoi. It's especially crowded during holidays like Lunar New Year, Mid-Autumn Festival, and Halloween. Each festival brings its own unique goods; during Tet, there are apricot and peach blossoms, auspicious greetings, and dazzling firecrackers. Mid-Autumn Festival is illuminated by lanterns, while Christmas brings snowflakes, Christmas trees, and tinsel in various colors.
The main colors of Christmas, such as red, green, white, and gold, are all attractively displayed in the Christmas decorations sold in the stores.
For nearly a month now, Hang Ma Street has been bustling with tourists, especially young people, coming to take photos and capture memorable moments of the Christmas season. The festive atmosphere, combined with the chilly winter weather of Hanoi, has led visitors to wear eye-catching outfits suitable for Christmas.
Small decorative items such as round shapes, pine cones, bows, letters, etc., are sorted into baskets and placed flat on the floor for customers to easily choose from.
Speaking to Travellive, Nhu Quynh (24 years old) said: "I'm very excited by the sparkling lights of Hang Ma Street. Every year at this time, I come here to check in and take eye-catching souvenir photos, but the closer it gets to the day, the more people flock here."
The shops were always bustling with buyers and sellers.
Many young people arrived at Hang Ma Street very early to celebrate Christmas, all wanting to capture the most beautiful photos of the holiday season.
Như Quỳnh was eager to check in and experience shopping in the bustling atmosphere of the place.
Hoai Thu and her boyfriend happily posed for commemorative photos ahead of Christmas.
Many shops selling Christmas decorations are clustered together, and when night falls, the entire street lights up, creating a dazzling spectacle. Besides the mass-produced goods that small traders import and sell, the handcrafted items on display are equally beautiful and more affordable. The dominant colors in the shops are Christmas colors, including red, white, and green.
Although not a traditional Vietnamese holiday, Christmas has been celebrated in a very elaborate and solemn manner in recent years.
This year, decorative items also come in a wider variety of designs.
Small business owners on Hang Ma Street also said that this year, the prices of Christmas decorations are stable compared to previous years. The designs are also more diverse and are prepared for sale several months in advance. Many vendors are still hoping for a brighter Christmas season this year after a long period of disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The reindeer antler headband, priced at 40,000 VND, is said to be the best-selling item this year.
The cluster of red berries is an eye-catching decoration.
Christmas, also known as the Nativity of Christ, Noel, or Christmas Day, is a holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, according to most Christians. The holiday is officially celebrated on December 25th, but is often celebrated from the evening of December 24th because, according to the Jewish calendar, the start of a day is counted from sunset, not midnight.
Many vendors are still hoping for a turnaround this Christmas after a long period of disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Christmas is also a time for families to reunite, gather together, enjoy fun parties with friends, and personally decorate their homes and hang gifts on the Christmas tree.
