Teacher on the third day of Tet

(Baonghean.vn) - On the afternoon of the third day of the Lunar New Year (Year of the Horse), teacher To Tam was excited about a date from the old days: "Teacher, please wait at home, we'll come and pick you up." A group of friends who were once her young students, now more or less successful, rushed into the house of their former teacher, who had retired nearly 10 years ago, on a gentle spring day. Then, all of them eagerly swept her away, where many other students were waiting. A youthful freshness briefly reappeared on the face of the teacher who had dedicated her life to the blackboard and chalk.

Former students came to wish their former teacher, Meritorious Teacher Le Thai Phong, former teacher at Phan Boi Chau High School for the Gifted, a Happy New Year.

According to old customs, the saying goes, "The first day of Tet is for the father, the second for the mother, and the third for the teacher." This phrase encapsulates the three most sacred days of Tet, dedicated to the three most precious and important people in each person's life. On the first day of Tet – the beginning of a new year, a new spring – one stays at the father's house to light incense at the ancestral altar, remembering the ancestors of the family. Along with that, one offers wishes for health and well-being to grandparents and parents, those who bore and raised them. This is the most meaningful act on the first day of Tet. The second day is spent at the maternal side of the family. Having a father (paternal) and a mother (maternal) is essential for life; it's a natural order of things. "The third day of Tet is for the teacher" is dedicated to those who nurtured and supported one from infancy, helping them to fly high and far in search of their own purpose. It's a tribute to the gratitude owed to one's parents and ancestors. Tears well up in my eyes, a feeling of gratitude towards those who taught me how to be a good person, and therefore cannot be forgotten. The beauty of the ancient Vietnamese spirit has been established for millennia, and that is what fosters the enduring strength of the nation through the unchanging ups and downs of time.

Meeting her former students in large numbers on the top floor of the tallest hotel in Vinh City, Mrs. Tam was astonished to see her former classmates all grown up. "Who's this? What's this pretty girl's name?" Her slightly dim eyes at 64 years old made it difficult for her to fully recognize her beloved "naughty" students. However, they still remembered her well. "I'm Thanh Lan, I sat at the front desk, you often took me home for dinner because my house was the furthest away, teacher." "And I'm Mai, once on Teachers' Day, November 20th, my family was poor so I only brought you a few homemade rice cakes wrapped in a torn piece of plastic. You hugged me and cried all day because you felt so sorry for me." At this point, the old teacher recalled many things, memories from her years of teaching at Vinh Gifted School flooding back, filling her eyes with tears. But then she suddenly cheered up, knowing her former students had grown up, matured, and spread their wings.

Student Tran Thi Thanh (class of 1990-1994, Vinh Gifted High School), now the Head of the Appraisal Department at the Ship and Boat Finance Company, clung to her teacher, taking many photos with her to "preserve the memories of the Year of the Horse Tet holiday with my second mother." Nguyen Truong Luu, Thanh's classmate, emotionally shared, "This year, the whole class planned months in advance to meet all the teachers from our Vinh Gifted High School days. Without our dedicated teachers, we wouldn't be where we are today." Memories intertwined, overflowing with the colors of spring in the windy, cloud-filled atmosphere of Vinh city. Decades have passed since she left the classroom, yet the warm atmosphere of love suddenly fills the teacher's heart.

Students from the 16th graduating class of the specialized literature program at Phan Boi Chau High School reunited with their former teachers.

Not only during that year's course at Vinh Gifted School, but the third day of Tet (Lunar New Year) has become a tradition for countless generations of students across the country. I remember the first time my mother took me to "Tet Teacher's Day," when I was in elementary school. On the afternoon of the third day of Tet, my mother dressed me in new clothes and personally led me to my teacher's house... The gifts my mother brought to offer to my teacher were nothing extravagant or of great material value. The teacher's day back then was completely innocent and pure.

Now that we have stable careers, every year on the third day of Tet (Lunar New Year), we gather to wish our former teachers from Phan High School a happy new year. These are the people who steered each of their young students towards a bright future. Regarding this custom, retired teacher Doan Manh Tien, a lecturer in the Literature Faculty (Vinh University), said: “The saying ‘First day of Tet is for the father, second day for the mother, third day for the teacher’ encompasses many meanings, reflecting the psychological life of ancient Vietnamese people, but it needs to be understood from many different perspectives. First and foremost, we must be grateful to those who have given us life and nurtured us. In the Vietnamese mindset, we only have one father and one mother, but many teachers. Therefore, the word ‘teacher’ here needs to be understood in a broad sense. Besides teachers who teach literacy and impart knowledge, there are also teachers who pass on skills, impart ethics, lifestyle, and manners – all of whom we must be grateful to and respect.”

The third day of Tet (Lunar New Year) passed in such a warm atmosphere of teacher-student affection. Not only Ms. To Tam, but all the teachers at this memorable reunion at the beginning of the Year of the Horse, and all the former students, felt young again, returning to a cherished time of study, filled with silent sacrifices and profound gratitude. It has become an unchanging tradition in the hearts of us, the students of yesteryear. Even though society has developed to this day, and some people are preoccupied with friends, family, and the pursuit of fame and fortune, forgetting their former teachers—a sad state of affairs—Tet remains an occasion for every heart to beat in unison, recalling a beautiful tradition: the custom of "Tet for Teachers." It is a joy, a sacred happiness shared by everyone.

Tran Hai