New Year customs of coastal people

(Baonghean.vn) - Spring has come to the land and sky, and under the roofs of coastal people, they are excitedly welcoming a new year with new faith and hope. For coastal people, Tet is not only a family reunion but also has many community activities and unique customs with their own identity.

People of Dien Ngoc fishing village come to the Whale Temple on the first day of the new year.

Spiritual habits and beliefs in worshipping gods have become a custom and a unique feature in the cultural life of the people in the Dien Chau estuary. Therefore, despite struggling with the waves far offshore, in the sacred moment of the first day of the new year, the people of the Dien Ngoc coastal area come together to respectfully prepare offerings to the river gods and tutelary gods at the Whale Temple (whale worship) which has existed for hundreds of years.

Giant whale skeletons are still preserved at the temple.

The awareness of gratitude to the gods at the beginning of the new year is also a belief and confidence for a peaceful voyage. Mrs. Nguyen Thi Loan - Ngoc Van Hamlet - Dien Ngoc shared: At the beginning of the new year, boat owners in the commune as well as outside the commune come here to pray for peace for their families and for their careers so that next year everything will be smooth, everyone believes that he will bless, protect, and give wealth and prosperity to their profession.

The custom of "buying salt at the beginning of the year" has become an indispensable traditional beauty of coastal people. Therefore, for decades, Ms. Bui Thi Thanh, Dien Kim commune, has reserved the whitest and most beautiful salt to sell on the morning of the first day of Tet. This is a custom passed down from her grandfather and father and today she still maintains it. Not only to bring luck to everyone and herself, her family, but also to pass on a beautiful custom of coastal people with the wish to pray for richness and consensus in the family, the richness and fullness in the solidarity between people. Ms. Bui Thi Thanh said: "We do not take any profit or profit, but at the beginning of the year, our people get luck, salt is salty to make the beginning of the year, everyone buys 10 thousand to get luck to do business to prosper and make a fortune."

The custom of selling and buying salt for good luck at the beginning of the new year in Dien Chau

The Tet activities in the coastal villages of Dien Chau seem to be more vibrant, rich and diverse than those in purely agricultural villages. In each village, there are unique and distinctive customs and cultural forms bearing the "sea mark". The customs are expressed in many aspects such as spiritual culture, folk games, fishing festivals, enjoying traditional arts.... This beauty has become a deeply rooted belief in each coastal villager, helping them gain more strength, confidence and solidarity to carry out their plans and efforts throughout the year.

Mr. Nguyen Van Dung - Vice Chairman of Dien Ngoc Commune People's Committee said: Along with economic development, the spirit of entertainment during Tet is also carried along, especially cooking competitions, swings in the hamlets, especially the tradition of people in coastal areas is playing human chess during Tet.

It seems that the flavor of spring in the villages along the waves lingers longer, because of the vibrant and rich cultural life of the people here. The unique customs in the Dien Chau coastal area have shown the sense of gratitude and the desire for abundance and peace of the coastal people every time Tet comes and Spring returns.

Mai Giang