Preserving the beauty of village culture during Tet

Like the folk couplet “Fatty meat, pickled onions, red couplets/ Pole pole, firecrackers, green Chung cake”, the Tet customs of Vietnamese villages are also changing, some are lost, some are preserved and will last forever… Preserving traditional customs and traditions alongside eliminating bad customs is a matter of concern today.

Going to the pagoda at the beginning of the year is a beautiful cultural feature of Vietnamese people.

Tet in the countryside is always more flavorful than in the city, because the village is the place where beautiful customs and good habits are nurtured and passed down through many generations, creating a village culture full of affection and humanity. Tet Nguyen Dan, the biggest Tet of the year for Vietnamese people, these beauties are clearly expressed, although each village and each region has its own characteristics, but "great similarities, small differences", small differences but the general features are quite similar.

Mr. Phan Ke Binh (1875-1921) from Thuy Khue village, Ba Dinh, Hanoi wrote about Tet Nguyen Dan in the book “Vietnam customs” (1915) that half a month before Tet, every household was busy preparing for Tet… The country teachers went to the market to write parallel sentences to sell. Those who went to trade or work far away from home took time off to go home for Tet. A few days before Tet, everyone cleaned their houses and washed their worship items. The red parallel sentences were brightly pasted on doors and pillars, and paintings and scrolls were hung politely.

There are also many places that erect poles and sprinkle lime powder in the yard and alley. On New Year's Eve in the city, people worship in the middle of the yard, in the countryside, people go to the shops, beat drums, and set off firecrackers loudly. Some people go out on the street to pick small branches and leaves, or go to the village well to carry a bucket of water, or go to the fields to get a bucket of plowed soil to fertilize the roots of trees... all with the meaning of receiving good fortune.

It seems that over the past century, until this Binh Than spring, the Vietnamese people's way of celebrating Tet has not changed much, only the means have changed. Although they do not hang as many parallel sentences as in the Confucian era, every family still decorates their house to welcome the spring; firecrackers are no longer required by the Government for safety purposes... but "fatty meat, pickled onions, red parallel sentences" still exist in contemporary life. In the countryside, people still sprinkle lime powder around their houses, which was said to ward off evil spirits but was actually to kill insects and disease-causing pests. This beauty has been passed down from generation to generation.

From the afternoon of the 30th to the third day of Tet, every day, people prepare offerings to worship their ancestors, the God of the Land, the God of the Kitchen, and all places of worship in the community have ceremonies. Tet offerings are always sumptuous and complete, demonstrating the economic capacity of each family and the culinary skills of the owner. Food and drink are now more abundant than before and the needs are also different, but traditional culinary delicacies such as banh chung, gio, nem, etc. are still present on the Tet tray, alongside many newly introduced dishes.

On the first morning of Tet, after the ancestral worship ceremony, children and grandchildren wish their grandparents and parents longevity with lucky money, and grandparents and parents also give lucky money to their grandchildren in a warm and happy atmosphere. On the first day of the year, everyone is careful, only talking about happy things and good things.

Relatives, close friends, neighbors come to each other's houses to wish each other a new year of peace, prosperity, and children's academic progress...

Tet is an occasion for family reunion, remembrance of those who have passed away, an occasion to strengthen solidarity within the clan outside the village, to strengthen love for the homeland, that spiritual value is still the red thread running through the custom of celebrating Tet, welcoming Spring of our nation. Going to the pagoda, gathering in the communal house yard to play swings, play chess, watch bonsai, cockfighting... are very rustic and joyful activities.

Tet is also an occasion to celebrate longevity, congratulate the elderly on turning 60, 70, 80 years old... according to the tradition of respecting the elderly, "the court respects titles, the village respects old age" - the court respects titles, the village respects old age - of our ancestors. Each village has a different way of organizing, but they are similar in visiting, congratulating, and giving gifts to show care and respect for the elderly. It is also said that Mr. Tam Nguyen Yen Do came to wish an old man a long life and bowed twice, causing the old man to refuse, not daring to accept the gift. Mr. Nguyen Khuyen said: I did not bow to you, I bowed to your heavenly title (the title given by heaven, which means longevity). Currently, this custom is organized very richly by families, Elderly Associations, and residential communities, depending on the conditions of each locality.

However, besides many good customs, there are also many old customs that have remained or have recently appeared, making Tet become heavy and troublesome. Tet cannot be without eating and drinking, but if you indulge in it, it will be costly, wasteful and harmful to your health. If it leads to drinking and getting drunk, it can also cause unwanted consequences, especially traffic accidents. Another bad habit is gambling in the spring. Instead of healthy family and community activities, many people indulge in gambling, from cockfighting to tom, tam cuc, xoc dia, many people are exhausted because of Tet.

The custom of celebrating longevity is also worth discussing. While many places organize a simple tea party or a salty party within the family, many localities arrange a lavish feast, which is very expensive. Families with good economic conditions can hold a celebration, while families with difficulties must also try to follow the village custom, turning the celebration of longevity into a worry and unnecessary expense. It is thought that the Associations of the Elderly and local authorities should have guidance and encouragement to make the celebration of longevity for the elderly joyful and healthy, in accordance with the spirit of "frugal according to family circumstances" that has always been reminded.

Time is an endless flow, people have created Tet to mark time, to make life more beautiful, more joyful. Our nation has a long-standing cultural heritage, many unique customs, but under the pressure of increasingly strong international integration today, preserving pure customs in general, surrounding Tet and Spring celebrations in particular is a concern not only of the State but also of the whole society, each community and each individual.

According to dangcongsan.vn