Bunpimay and Songkran festivals in Nghe An province.

(Baonghean) - These days, at the student dormitory of Vinh University, the atmosphere of preparation for the traditional New Year celebrations of Bun Pi May (Laos) and Songkran (Thailand) (taking place on April 13th and 16th) is already bustling. Many cultural and sports 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 12th, together with members of the Hoa Cham Pa Club, we went to the Vinh University dormitory area, where nearly 300 Lao and 21 Thai students live and study, to observe the students preparing for the New Year's Eve party. From afar, we could hear the New Year's atmosphere filling the five-story building with the sounds of guitars, singing, and joyful greetings. "Today is New Year's Day, wishing everyone good luck. Let's dance together to celebrate the New Year..."



Perform a ceremony to pray for peace and good fortune in the new year.

Along with the welcoming songs came enthusiastic splashes of cold water on the guests right from the bottom of the stairs. Even more surprisingly, the guests were greeted by charming Lao girls and playful Lao boys in traditional costumes who rushed out to tie red and blue threads around their wrists with the greeting "Sa bai dee pi mang" (Happy New Year). Although drenched from head to toe, the members of the New Year's greeting group were all very happy, because everyone understood that, in Lao belief, the more water they were splashed with in the new year, the more good fortune they would have. The threads on their wrists symbolized solidarity and unity between the ethnic groups, and also represented the sharing of happiness and good health that the international students wanted to convey.

The wrist-tying ceremony is an indispensable part of the Bunpimay New Year celebration. (Photo: PV)

Having spent four Lunar New Year holidays away from home, SyVonne Rue VaiBonthavy, a student from Xieng Khouang province and the leader of the Lao student delegation studying Mathematics at Vinh University, no longer felt sad. Enthusiastically tying red threads around our wrists, she shared: "Although we can't enjoy the atmosphere of our families, the Bunpimay and Songkran festivals for Lao and Thai students in Nghe An are still very joyful and warm, with all the traditional rituals such as: prayers for good luck, water splashing, wrist-tying, and Lam Vong dance. Moreover, we are very happy because there are many Vietnamese teachers and friends there to celebrate the New Year."Male"Let's all come and attend..."

For Syvone, Nghe An is like a second home because she has both Lao and Vietnamese blood (Syvone's mother is a Khmu woman born and raised in Ta Ca commune, Ky Son district). Although a fourth-year student, Syvone has decided "to pursue a master's degree at Vinh University and continue sharing the atmosphere of the traditional BunPiMay New Year celebration with fellow students in Nghe An...". As for the female international students who have only been in Vietnam for a few months and are in the process of learning Vietnamese, such as Laxop sisonphanh and Ton Inthida from Udonxay province, although they are still unfamiliar with the language and don't speak Vietnamese fluently, "the affection and care of the Vietnamese teachers and students make us feel warmhearted."

Although they didn't have as many spices and ingredients as they did back home, the two friends enthusiastically joined everyone in preparing traditional Lao dishes such as chicken, shrimp, chili sauce, and laap (a type of Vietnamese sausage)... along with sweets and fruits to welcome the teachers, who are volunteer students tutoring Vietnamese in the Hoa Cham Pa Club, to celebrate Tet (Vietnamese New Year). The students are also busy preparing for a performance of traditional ethnic costumes from both Laos and Thailand - a new and highlight of this year's New Year celebration. To prepare for this performance, the Lao Student Association has been actively practicing for several weeks, and costumes have been ordered from Laos, featuring vibrant outfits that reflect the unique ethnic identities of the Lao Lum, Lao Thang, and Lao Sung regions...

To ensure a complete Lunar New Year celebration for Thai and Lao students, since 2004, Vinh University has collaborated with the Vietnam-Laos and Vietnam-Thailand Friendship Associations to organize New Year's festivities every year. Speaking about this activity, the Secretary of the Youth Union of Vinh University, Nguyen Hong Soa, said: "Vinh University has the largest number of Lao and Thai students studying in the country, so we always try to organize as many activities as possible to make them feel at home, especially on national holidays and New Year's Day. This year, in addition to organizing exchanges and competitions in traditional sports of our neighboring countries such as football, pétanque, and sepak takraw, the university will organize an exchange program "Deepening Friendship to Welcome the Traditional New Year of Laos and Thailand" with guests including Vietnamese expatriates from Laos and Thailand, and international students studying at other schools in the province such as Nghe An College of Education, Vinh Medical University... Especially, this year, the festival will be more vibrant because in addition to cultural and artistic performances by Lao, Thai, and Vietnamese students, there will also be a song and dance performance praising the solidarity and friendship between Vietnam and Laos by the Vinh City Senior Citizens Club, and a tango dance by members from the Club of Returning Overseas Vietnamese. The cultural performance was presented by members from the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Association branch in Tien Thuy commune (Quynh Luu district). Mr. Bui Cong Chinh, the branch chairman of Tien Thuy commune, enthusiastically said: "Although we live in a coastal area, far from Laos, we have a special bond with the land of temples. More than 50 years ago, the people of Tien Thuy had the honor of sheltering and protecting the late President Kaysone Phomvihane, and the former Lao President Nohok Phomsavan considered this his second home. Currently, with about 50 members, on the occasion of the Lao New Year, although we cannot organize a grand celebration, we still try to stage a special cultural performance to express our feelings to our Lao friends."

The activities of meeting, exchanging New Year greetings, and sharing cultural activities amidst lively music, Lam Vong dances, and hand-threading with wishes for good fortune in Nghe An made the Tet holiday away from home for Lao and Thai students no less joyful, warm, and full of solidarity and friendship... "This year's Tet is not just an ordinary Tet holiday; it has a special meaning because 2012 is considered the year of Vietnam-Laos Friendship and Solidarity, and the exchange program 'Deepening Friendship to Welcome the Traditional Lao-Thai New Year' will be the opening program for a series of activities between the two countries to be organized in Nghe An this year," said Mr. Tran Kim Don - Vice Chairman of the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Association in Nghe An.

With careful and heartfelt preparation, we believe that the Bunpimay and Songkran festivals in Nghe An will not only be an opportunity for cultural exchange and strengthening solidarity and friendship, but more importantly, for Lao and Thai students to become more attached to their new environment in Vietnam. It will also be an opportunity for people from Nghe An who have lived, fought, studied, and worked in Laos to meet and reminisce about the past. On this occasion, the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Association will also award 11 scholarships to outstanding Lao and Thai students, each worth 500,000 VND...

Khanh Ly - My Ha