From "First Writing of the Year" to "Tet for Promoting Learning"
(Baonghean.vn) - In the Vietnamese psyche, the first day of the year is a crucial day for a new beginning. During that time, people often take advantage of the opportunity to do many things to bring good luck for the whole year: "Officials" open their "seals," "merchants" open their "businesses," "farmers" open their "cultivations," and "scholars" open their "pens." The custom of "Opening the Pen at the Beginning of Spring," hoping for "success and achievement" in the new year, has become a beautiful tradition of the Vietnamese people. From this beautiful tradition at the beginning of Spring, it has now developed into the meaningful "Tet Education Promotion" movement in each locality, family, and clan...
Quynh Doi commune (Quynh Luu district) is a land of "spiritual and talented people," a heroic commune that has produced many wise and talented individuals and writers. In the past, Quynh Doi had only two occupations: studying and silk weaving. Many poor families still tried to send their children to study, even if it meant "begging for a few words of wisdom." During the feudal era, Quynh Doi had 531 students (Bachelor's degree holders), 203 graduates (Master's degree holders), with 958 people passing 116 provincial examinations, including 13 top-ranking graduates.
Since the August 1945 Revolution, Quynh Doi commune has an estimated 500 university graduates, 23 master's degree holders, and 33 doctoral degree holders. This tradition of valuing education has been preserved and promoted. To this day, many families in Quynh Luu still maintain the custom of "First Writing of the New Year." After the ancestral worship ceremony at the moment of the New Year's Eve, the family prepares a table, placing it respectfully in the central room. Family members take turns writing on paper, perhaps a poem, the names of their parents, or simply New Year's greetings...
The Spring Calligraphy Ceremony of the Calligrapher from Nghe An Province
Many families meticulously prepare traditional Vietnamese paper and brushes, with elderly members of the household dressed in traditional attire to begin the "first writing of the year" ceremony. The first words of the new year are carefully preserved by their descendants, serving as a reminder to focus on their studies and avoid neglecting them. Mr. Kieu Ngoc Bat, Chairman of the Quynh Luu District Education Promotion Association, stated: "To this day, many families in Quynh Luu in general, and Quynh Doi in particular, still organize the 'First Writing of the Year' for their children and grandchildren. While there are no brushes or paper, and no need to write in classical Chinese characters like the scholars of old, the meaning of 'First Writing of the Year brings great fortune,' signifying the beginning of writing to encounter good things and simultaneously demonstrating respect for literacy and the importance of learning, remains just as valuable."
For many years now, the Cultural Village of Hamlet 5, Thanh Tuong Commune (Thanh Chuong District) has maintained the "Spring Opening Ceremony for Intellectual Development". On New Year's Eve, the hamlet's leaders, Party branch, and education promotion association organize an awards ceremony for outstanding students and underprivileged students who have overcome difficulties in the hamlet; there is also a cultural performance and a quiz with prizes, and fun math problems... The program concludes with advice from the elders and wishes for a successful year of study for their children and grandchildren.
For nearly 10 years, Block 9 in Trung Do Ward (Vinh City) has organized the "Spring - Connecting Hands for Education" program, bringing together children and grandchildren from the block, successful people working far from home, and high-achieving students at the block's cultural center. Besides awarding scholarships from the block, high-achieving students share their study tips with younger students. Meanwhile, successful people working far from home contribute to the block's scholarship fund.
With this approach, the community annually raises tens of millions of dong for the scholarship fund, awarding dozens of gifts and scholarships to children in the community. Similarly, building on the tradition of giving New Year's greetings to children and grandchildren, the Nguyen Duy clan (Thanh Chuong) initiated a "Scholarship Tet" campaign, encouraging families within the clan to give scholarships to their children and grandchildren on the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year. Instead of red envelopes containing money, they give notebooks, books, pens, or school bags... to encourage their children and grandchildren to study hard and be well-behaved in the new year.
Based on the significance of this traditional custom, starting in 2004, the Provincial Association for the Promotion of Learning organized the first "Learning and Talent Promotion Tet" (Lunar New Year). Over eight "Learning and Talent Promotion Tet" events, each with a different theme, the overall focus has been on: building a strong Association; promoting learning and talent from each family and clan, and working with the entire population to build a learning society; and creating a highlight for learning promotion work in the new year... Various forms of activities have been organized, such as: holding seminars on the tradition of valuing learning and respecting teachers; organizing "Learning Promotion Poetry" contests; "Learning Promotion Singing Contests"... attracting a large number of members. Especially during Tet, those who live far from home return to reunite with their families and clans, expressing their heartfelt support for the learning promotion movement of their clan and hometown. Beyond its symbolic significance, this is considered an effective fundraising method; on average, each "Education Promotion Tet" across the province raises over 15 billion VND for the education promotion fund.
The 9th "Tet Education Promotion" campaign in the year of the Dragon 2012 was launched from the 15th day of the 12th lunar month of the year of the Rabbit to the 15th day of the 1st lunar month of the year of the Dragon with the stated goal: "To comprehensively and deeply improve the quality of education promotion emulation movements, especially the emulation movement of studious families and studious clans."
"Tet for Promoting Education" is considered the starting point for the movement to promote education and talent in the new year; it calls for and mobilizes the participation and support of the entire society, and the care and concern of each family and clan for the education of their children. From there, it contributes to building a successful learning society and glorifies the tradition of studiousness of the homeland.
Phuc Thanh