Warm New Year's Eve Amidst the Covid-19 Pandemic in Nghe An

Take epidemic prevention seriously

Due to the complicated developments of the Covid-19 epidemic in the area, the occasion of welcomingSpring of the Year of the TigerIn 2022, the People's Committee of Nghe An province directed to stop organizing festivals and limit the number of people participating in longevity celebrations, tomb sweeping, death anniversaries, weddings... to adapt to safety.

A corner of Tru Son commune (Do Luong) on ​​New Year's Eve of the Year of the Tiger 2022. Photo: Nguyen Dao

People of Tru Son commune (Do Luong) gather in small groups to light a fire to warm themselves up, waiting for the New Year's Eve moment. Photo: Nguyen Dao

Like people across the country, for Nghe An people, New Year's Eve is a sacred moment, when family members gather together to share their thoughts, feelings and look forward to good hopes for the new year. Especially in families with elderly people, New Year's Eve is the time when generations of children and grandchildren reunite and offer incense to the ancestral altar to show their respect.

In recent years, Nghe An people also tend to gather in public places such as squares, stadiums, and village cultural houses to dance, sing, and light campfires to welcome the New Year.New Year Eve. The large space and large number of people make the New Year's atmosphere more joyful and exciting.

The extended family of Mr. Bui Cong Tiem, Quyet Thang hamlet, Tuong Son commune (Anh Son) asked small families to come and offer incense at the ancestral altar at certain times to avoid large gatherings. Photo: Cong Khang

But this New Year's Eve, the roads from the city to the countryside were quite deserted, and public entertainment venues were still sparsely populated. Because most people stayed home to gather with their families and loved ones during the sacred moment of transition from the old year to the new year.

Mr. Bui Cong Tiem in Quyet Thang village, Tuong Son commune (Anh Son) is the patriarch of the clan. On New Year's Eve in previous years, his descendants often came in large numbers to offer incense and prepare food, eat together and chat for hours. This year, descendants from all over the country returned to their hometown to celebrate Tet, and the situation wasCovid-19 epidemicIt's complicated so don't gather in large groups to eat.

Each small family only arranges 1-2 members to attend the year-end party, and children and grandchildren do not gather to offer incense at the same time and are divided into time slots to limit contact. "We know that gathering all the children and grandchildren in the branch to sit and chat will be more fun. But the epidemic is still complicated, we must both pay attention to epidemic prevention and maintain the cozy atmosphere of the extended family" - Mr. Bui Cong Tiem said.

Warmth of reunion

Vinh City will not organize fireworks display on New Year's Eve this year, so the family of Mrs. Uong Thi An (85 years old) in Le Loi ward decided to stay home and gather around the pot.Chung cakeMrs. Tien has known how to wrap banh chung since she was not yet 20 years old. Every year on Tet holiday, she teaches the next generation how to wrap banh chung beautifully and squarely.

Ms. Uong Thi An, Le Loi ward (Vinh city) wraps banh chung in time to cook and scoop out the cakes for New Year's Eve offerings. Photo: Duc Anh

On New Year's Eve, Ms. Uong Thi An told the next generation touching stories about Tet in the past... Photo: Duc Anh

This year, since the afternoon of the 29th of Tet, Mrs. Tien and her grandchildren have been diligently wrapping banh chung for all of her children and grandchildren's families. The cakes have been wrapped, and the whole family is sitting around cooking the banh chung to be able to scoop them out before New Year's Eve to worship their ancestors. By the warm fire, Mrs. Tien tells her children and grandchildren about the Tet holidays of the past, tells fairy tales to the grandchildren, and the family atmosphere is more joyful and cozy.

Mr. Nguyen Hai Phong, Truong Thi ward (Vinh city) said: "In the past, on New Year's Eve, I often took my children to the Square to watch fireworks, but this year the whole family will return to Hung Nguyen hometown to celebrate New Year's Eve with grandparents. The children really like it because the countryside is quiet, and grandparents tell them many stories aboutNew Year's Daylong ago. The most important thing is to enjoy a warm family atmosphere, limiting the risk of disease transmission."

New Year's Eve in Thach Giam town (Tuong Duong). Photo: Dinh Tuan

On New Year's Eve, the Management Board of Hoa Tay block, Thach Giam town (Tuong Duong) offered incense and offerings at the altar of President Ho Chi Minh at the block's Cultural House. Photo: Dinh Tuan

According to our records, not only in Vinh city and Anh Son district but also in many areas from Dien Chau, Thanh Chuong, Do Luong to the mountainous border district of Tuong Duong, on New Year's Eve, people tend to reunite, welcome the new year with their families and pay attention to disease prevention and control.

It can be said that this year, many families in Nghe An have implemented measures to prevent and combat the Covid-19 epidemic according to the direction of the Provincial People's Committee. Most people stay at home, do not gather, eat in large groups, and localities do not organize cultural and artistic activities in public places on New Year's Eve. This helps to make the atmosphere in each family warmer, happier, truly New Year's Eve.member.