Traditional beauty of Lunar New Year
(Baonghean.vn) - Lunar New Year is the traditional New Year of the Vietnamese people for many generations. Among them, there are many beautiful features of the old Lunar New Year that still exist today.
1. Cooking Chung cake for Tet
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The custom of making banh chung has been a long-standing tradition of Vietnamese people every time Tet comes and Spring comes. On the days before Tet, the whole family, from old to young, men and women, sit together to watch the pot of banh chung. Around the pot of banh chung with the flickering fire, everyone chats about the old year. This is also a rare occasion of the year for all family members to gather and reunite after a year of hard work. |
2. Ask for calligraphy on Spring Day
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The old Tet holiday was associated with the image of "Chinese ink, red paper" scholars on the streets. This is a long-standing cultural tradition that demonstrates the nation's love of learning and respect for history. The words requested for worship are often the words Heart - Happiness - Virtue with the wish that children will study well and the family will prosper. |
3. New Year's greetings
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The custom of giving lucky money has existed since ancient times, with the meaning of bringing good luck and blessings to the child, as well as praying for luck in the new year. Currently, this custom is still maintained, but has been somewhat "transformed" to focus more on material things than praying for luck. |
4. Tet fruit tray
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The five-fruit tray is an indispensable part of the altar on Tet holiday in every family to worship ancestors. Although each region has a different way of arranging the fruits, they all have the same meaning of wishing for a lot of fortune and a full life in the new year. |
5. Erecting the Tet pole
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The Tet pole has the meaning of warding off evil spirits and driving away bad things in the old year. The pole is usually erected from December 23 - the Kitchen God's Day and is taken down on January 7. Nowadays, very few families erect poles. The old pole is associated with the idiom: "Fatty meat, pickled onions, red parallel sentences/The pole, firecrackers, green square cakes". |
6. Spring Writing
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The custom of writing the first words of the year was previously performed by scholars such as calligraphers, teachers, and scholars. After the New Year's Eve ceremony, they would pick up a pen and write parallel sentences or meaningful words on red paper. The words "writing the first words of the year" must be thought of by themselves and not copied from others. These words are about their names, hometowns, or good wishes and feelings about family, friendships, work, and studies. |
7. Picking the first spring buds
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Picking the first buds of spring is a tradition to bring happiness to the family. In the past, people only picked small branches of strong trees such as figs, si, banyan trees... Nowadays, picking buds has gone astray, picking indiscriminately causes damage to trees. Therefore, instead of picking buds, you should choose a flower tree, peach branch, kumquat pot with many buds to bring blessings and luck during the coming of Tet and Spring. |