Longevity - A beautiful tradition...

(Baonghean) - Having traveled all over the country to earn a living all year round, the greatest joy for those who live far from home is to be with their family and friends during Tet. In the bustling atmosphere of Spring, we take the opportunity to visit families with elderly people to give lucky money and wish them longevity. This is a long-standing cultural practice that the people of my hometown still preserve today...

Mrs. Tran Thi Thu (Tuong Son commune - Anh Son) turns 85 this year. According to the custom in her hometown, her children and grandchildren will organize a birthday celebration for her. The birthday celebration was planned since last year's Tet, so this year's children and grandchildren living far away all arranged to return to their hometown to attend. Grandchildren from Ba Ria - Vung Tau and Ho Chi Minh City also brought their whole families back to their hometown. From the morning, relatives and neighbors began to stop by to congratulate Mrs. Thu on her longevity. Close relatives brought small gifts with wishes for good health and a long life to see their children and grandchildren grow up. Near noon, the food was prepared, children and grandchildren brought out gifts to give to their mothers and grandmothers; whether small or large, the value was not important, what was important was the heart. The party began, everyone ate and chatted happily, everyone expressed their joy at having a mother, grandmother, or close relative living a long life. The glasses of wine filled with love, the joyful laughter, the poems and songs made the atmosphere of the longevity celebration more joyful and exciting. Mrs. Tran Thi Thu wore a red outfit, her face was gentle, always smiling and thanking everyone for coming to congratulate her. She shared: "Today I am very happy, happy because my children and grandchildren care for me, show me love and respect".

Longevity celebration for Mrs. Nguyen Thi Luyen (Thanh Linh commune - Thanh Chuong).

We went to Dien Xuan commune (Dien Chau) to attend the longevity celebration of Mr. Nguyen Van Uy. Mr. Uy also turned 85 this year, his wife is 5 years younger than him. The children and grandchildren were extremely happy to celebrate the double longevity of their parents and grandparents. They have 7 children and nearly 20 grandchildren who gathered together on this happy day. That is the happiness of old age, the motivation for them to live happily and healthily. Mr. Uy used to be a soldier in Dien Bien, a former teacher, and actively participated in social activities, so many friends and comrades came to congratulate him. More preciously, his friends who used to be active in the Children's Team in the past also formed an association and came to share the joy. The old friends now have gray hair and wrinkled skin and recalled old memories of the time when they were still full of hardship. Then each person read poems and parallel sentences to give to their friend on the occasion of the longevity celebration. Simple verses but full of affection, condensing loyal love, determination to live a useful life, contributing to building the homeland...

From Dien Chau, we went to Thanh Chuong to visit Mrs. Nguyen Thi Luyen's house to congratulate her on her 90th birthday. This age, in the countryside, is considered a very long life. Needless to say, the joy of children and grandchildren when a family member reaches a very long life, all members look forward to the birthday celebration to show their care and affection. At 90 years old, Mrs. Luyen is still lucid and healthy, she comes to each table to chat and thank each guest. Mr. Tran Dinh Hoi - Mrs. Luyen's eldest son shared: "Our extended family has been waiting for this day for several years, everyone hopes that she will live long so that her children and grandchildren can enjoy happiness and fortune".

These days, in my hometown, many families celebrate their parents' and grandparents' longevity. Usually, those who turn 70 years old are celebrated by their children and grandchildren. The next longevity celebrations are usually held on the occasions of 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 100..., meaning the years of full age and the number 5 at the end. The longevity celebration is usually held at home, large or small depending on each family, but must ensure solemnity, joy and warmth. In addition to family members, the guests attending are very close people, who can be brothers, relatives, neighbors and friends of the children and grandchildren in the house. The elderly are very happy to receive the attention, care and love of their children and grandchildren, to see the scene of harmony, reunion and solidarity. This is also an opportunity for children and grandchildren to express their filial piety, gratitude, and wish their parents and grandparents to live long and healthy lives, to be the spiritual support for the whole family. It is also an opportunity to strengthen the relationship between neighbors and friends, to show the solidarity and sharing of community sentiment. This traditional cultural feature has existed for thousands of years and is still maintained and preserved, proving that humanistic features will exist with human life.

In my hometown, in recent years, the village elder association has organized spring meetings and longevity celebrations for the elderly. At the meetings, the elders chatted, asked about each other, and wished each other good health and old age.

Tuong Anh