BUNPIMAY and SONGKRAN in Nghe An

(Baonghean) - These days, coming to the dormitory area for international students of Vinh University, the atmosphere of preparing to celebrate the traditional New Year BunPiMay (Laos) and Songkran (Thailand) (taking place on April 13 and 16) has begun to bustle. Many cultural, sports and physical education activities have been organized by Vinh University in coordination with the Vietnam-Laos and Vietnam-Thailand Friendship Associations in a joyful, warm atmosphere, full of solidarity and friendship...

On the afternoon of April 12, together with members of the Hoa Champa Club, we went down to the Vinh University dormitory, where nearly 300 Laotian students and 21 Thai students are living and studying, to witness the students preparing for the gala night. From afar, we could hear the New Year's atmosphere filling the 5-story building with the sound of guitars, singing, and cheerful greetings. "Today is New Year's Day, I wish everyone good luck. Let's dance together to celebrate the New Year....".



Pray for peace in the new year.

Along with the welcoming song, there were buckets of cold water splashed on the guests right from the foot of the stairs. Then, more surprisingly, the guests were rushed out by charming Lao girls and naughty Lao boys in traditional costumes, tying green and red threads to their wrists with the wishes "Sa bai dee pi mang" (Happy New Year). Although drenched from head to toe with water, the members of the New Year greeting group all felt very happy, because everyone understood that, in the Lao concept, the more water is splashed on the new year, the more luck they will have. The thread on the hand not only represents the solidarity and attachment between ethnic groups, but also the sharing of happiness and health that the international students wanted to convey.

Wrist-tying ceremony is indispensable in Bunpimay Festival. Photo: PV

Having been used to 4 Tet holidays away from home, student SyVonne Rue VaiBonthavy - from Xieng Khouang province - head of the Laotian students studying at the Faculty of Mathematics at Vinh University no longer feels sad. Enthusiastically tying red thread on our wrists, she shared: "Although we cannot enjoy the family atmosphere, Bunpimay and Songkran of Laotian - Thai students in Nghe An are still very joyful and warm with full traditional rituals such as: praying for good luck, splashing water, tying thread on wrists, Lamvong dance. Moreover, we are also very happy, because on Tet there are many Vietnamese teachers and friendsMalecome along...".

For Syvone, Nghe An is like a second home because she has Laotian and Vietnamese blood (Syvone's mother is a Khmu, born and raised in Ta Ca commune, Ky Son district). Although she is a fourth-year student, Sivone has decided to "study for a master's degree at Vinh University and continue to share the atmosphere of celebrating the traditional BunPiMay New Year with Nghe An students...". As for female international students who have just been in Vietnam for a few months and are in the process of learning Vietnamese, such as Laxop sisonphanh and Ton Inthida in Udonxay province, although they are still confused and cannot speak Vietnamese clearly, "the affection and care of Vietnamese teachers and students makes us feel warm".

Although there are not enough spices to prepare and cook like in their home country, the two friends still enthusiastically join everyone to prepare traditional Lao dishes such as chicken, shrimp, fermented bean paste, laap... along with candies and fruits to welcome teachers who are volunteer students teaching Vietnamese in the Hoa Champa Club to celebrate Tet. The students are also busy performing traditional costumes of the two countries Laos - Thailand - a new feature and highlight of this year's New Year festival. To prepare for this performance, the Lao Student Association has been actively practicing for several weeks now, and the costumes have been ordered from Laos with colorful costumes, imbued with the national identity of the LaoLum, Lao Thang and Lao Sung regions...

To have a complete Tet holiday for Thai - Lao students, every year since 2004, Vinh University has coordinated with the Vietnam - Laos and Vietnam - Thailand Friendship Associations to organize a New Year festival. Talking about this activity, Secretary of the Youth Union of Vinh University - Nguyen Hong Soa said: "Vinh University is the university with the most Lao and Thai students studying in the country, so we always try to organize many activities to make them feel close to home, especially on national holidays and New Year's Eve. This year, in addition to organizing exchanges and competitions in traditional sports of the neighboring countries such as football, petanque, and rattan ball, the school will organize an exchange program "Cultivating friendship to celebrate the traditional Lao and Thai New Year" with guests who are overseas Vietnamese in Laos, Thailand, and students studying at other schools in the province such as Nghe An Pedagogical College, Vinh Medical University... In particular, this year, the festival is more exciting because in addition to cultural and artistic performances by Lao, Thai and Vietnamese students, there is also a singing and dancing performance praising the Vietnam - Laos solidarity and friendship of the Vinh City Elderly Club, and a tango dance by members of the Overseas Vietnamese Club. repatriation and the performance of members from the Vietnam - Laos Friendship Association in Tien Thuy Commune (Quynh Luu). Mr. Bui Cong Chinh - Head of Tien Thuy Commune excitedly said: "Although we live in the coastal area, far from Laos, we have a special affection for the land of pagodas, because more than 50 years ago, the people of Tien Thuy had the honor of taking care of and protecting the late President Kaysone Phomvihane, and was considered by former Lao President Nohoc Phomvihane as his second homeland. Currently, with about 50 members, on Lao New Year's Day, although we cannot organize it solemnly, we still try to stage a special performance to express our feelings to our friendly country Laos.

The activities of meeting, exchanging New Year greetings, sharing cultural activities in the jubilant music, Lam Vong dances, hand-woven threads with wishes for good luck and prosperity in Nghe An have made the New Year away from home of Lao and Thai students no less joyful, warm and full of solidarity and friendship... "Not just a normal New Year, this year's New Year also has a special meaning because 2012 is considered the Year of Vietnam - Laos Solidarity and Friendship and the exchange program "Cultivating friendship to celebrate the traditional New Year of Laos - Thailand" will be the opening program for a series of activities of the two countries to be held in Nghe An this year", said Mr. Tran Kim Don - Vice President of the Vietnam - Laos Friendship Association in Nghe An.

With careful and friendly preparation, we believe that Bunpimay and Songkran Festival in Nghe An are not only an opportunity for cultural exchange, strengthening solidarity and friendship, but more importantly, for Lao and Thai students to become more attached to the new environment in Vietnam. This is also an opportunity for Nghe An people who have lived, fought, studied and worked in Laos to meet and recall old memories. On this occasion, the Vietnam - Laos Friendship Association will also award 11 scholarships to Lao and Thai students who are good at studying and training, each worth 500,000 VND...

Khanh Ly - My Ha