Various ways to celebrate Tet in Asian countries
(Baonghean.vn) - Like Vietnam, in addition to each country's own customs during Tet, some Asian countries also have very unique ways of celebrating Tet.
1. South Korea
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| Korean children play Yutnori at the beginning of the new year. |
Korean people welcome the New Year by participating in traditional folk games on New Year's Day such as: Yutnori, kite flying, shuttlecock kicking...
One of the most popular games is Yutnori.The game is played by moving pieces and players use Yut sticks as dice. The path of the Yut sticks on the board symbolizes the movement of the planet Sun, which means wishing for a new year full of goodness and prosperity.
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| New Year's Field Burning Festival in Korea. |
In addition, in some other places in Korea, there is also a field burning festival at the beginning of the new year. Accordingly, Korean people will pile firewood and straw in an open field, wait for the moon to rise and light a fire. They believe that the fire will drive away evil spirits and bring good crops. Some people also gather in front of the big fire to pray for their family and loved ones.
2. China
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| Lion dance in China on the occasion of New Year. |
Lion dance is considered a popular dance during Chinese New Year because it symbolizes good luck and because the lion is considered the king of all animals. Currently, there is no official document explaining exactly when the lion dance tradition began. But regardless of when the lion season began, it has become a traditional dance of the Chinese people on important occasions.
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| Red lanterns are decorated everywhere on the occasion of Chinese New Year. |
In addition, on New Year's Day in China, people also have the custom of burning firecrackers and hanging red lanterns, with the belief that the noise of firecrackers and the bright red color of the lanterns will scare away wild animals, preventing them from destroying human life.
3. North Korea
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| Children in North Korea enjoy Tet. Photo: Reuters |
In Korean culture, the rituals of “expelling demons” and “burning hair” are indispensable during the New Year. To “expelling demons”, Koreans will make straw effigies, stuffing money in the middle. Then, early in the morning of the first day, they will throw them at crossroads with the hope of driving away evil spirits and welcoming good things.
“Hair burning” is done by collecting the hair that falls out during the year into a small box, and throwing it out in front of the house on the evening of the first day of the month to ward off evil spirits and diseases.
4. Japan
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| Enter photo description |
In Japan, takoage kite flying is quite popular during the New Year. The kites have different shapes and decorations depending on the region.
Kites were originally used to pray for a child’s growth and a happy future, but now they are considered part of the Tet celebrations. Along with the New Year, there are regional kite competitions where kites as large as 10 meters are used.
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| The Japanese also play karuta. |
During the New Year, Japanese people also play karuta cards. The cards have pictures or Japanese words. When playing, one player reads a card out loud and the others compete to get the corresponding card. The person who gets the most cards wins. In Uta karuta, through competitions, players learn more about poems and idioms.
5. Mongolia
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| Horse racing on the occasion of New Year in Mongolia. |
During Tsagaan Sar, Mongolians often sing when their hosts offer them drinks. They also race horses and throw dice made from animal ankle bones. Horse racing is the second most popular sport in the country, after traditional wrestling. "A Mongolian without a horse is like a bird without wings," according to an old Mongolian saying..
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| Wrestling at the Naadam festival in Mongolia |
In addition, in Mongolia there is the Naadam Festival which takes place every July. Naadam is held throughout the steppe, but the largest scale is still in Ulanbaatar.
6.Singapore
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| The Lantern Festival is the first activity of the month of Chunjie Festival activities in Singapore. |
The Lantern Festival is the first activity of the Chunjie Festival month, taking place in Chinatown - the center of the Lunar New Year Festival in Singapore. The Lantern Night opens at a specific time depending on each year, but usually outside of mid-January and about 15-20 days before the first day of the Lunar New Year with decorative images corresponding to the animals symbolizing that year according to the rule of the 12 zodiac animals.
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| Singapore River Hongbao Festival becomes annual cultural event in Singapore |
During the 15 days from New Year’s Eve to the 15th of January, spring celebrations are held all over Singapore, where people visit relatives and friends and hold parties. Parents and married relatives will give “hong baos” (lucky money in red envelopes) to unmarried relatives as a way to wish them good luck.
