Tet (Lunar New Year) for promoting education in various clans.
In the days leading up to the Lunar New Year of the Horse 2026, while the villages of Nghe An are bustling with preparations to welcome the new spring, in many families, a very special "Tet season" is quietly taking place: the Tet of Promoting Learning. Beside the ancestral altar, along with incense and sticky rice cakes, are red envelopes and the first strokes of calligraphy of the new year – a place where knowledge is cherished as a sacred value, continuing the tradition of studiousness in Nghe An.
Keep the flame of learning alive in every family lineage.
In the last days of the twelfth lunar month, when the villages of Minh Chau commune are fragrant with the scent of incense and banana leaves, and the colors of spring are approaching, the ancestral temple of the Vo Dai Ton clan lights up earlier than usual. Besides preparing offerings to their ancestors, the clan's Education Promotion Committee is busy reviewing the list of descendants who have achieved academic success over the past year.
Mr. Vo Xuan Hung, head of the clan's Education Promotion Committee, carefully flipped through the pages of his worn-out notebook. "This is something we do every year; it's become a tradition. Tet is for family reunions, but it's also an opportunity to remind our children and grandchildren that education is a major concern for the entire clan," Mr. Hung shared.
According to Mr. Hung, in 2025, the Vo Dai Ton clan will have more than 30 students and young people who will be honored. Besides those who achieved the title of excellent student, many were recognized for their significant progress in their studies. "We don't chase after achievements. What's important is that the children have the desire to improve and make persistent efforts," Mr. Hung said, his voice slow but full of passion.
Along with Minh Chau, Quynh Doi village (Quynh Anh commune) has long been known as a land of scholarly achievements, where the tradition of valuing education has been steadfastly preserved through many generations. In particular, the Ho family has consistently maintained a tradition of promoting education as an indispensable part of their family life.
Every Lunar New Year, at the ancestral temple, the Education Promotion Committee arranges tables and chairs, prepares new paper and pens, and finalizes the list of descendants participating in the calligraphy ceremony and honoring academic achievements. Red envelopes bearing the names of each student are neatly placed next to the ancestral altar. For the descendants of the family, this is not only a ritual to bring good luck at the beginning of the year, but also a solemn reminder of the path of knowledge that their ancestors have built and nurtured over hundreds of years.
Mr. Ho Ngoc Dai, Head of the Family's Education Promotion Committee, shared: "Tet (Lunar New Year) is the most opportune time to inspire a spirit of learning. The Spring Calligraphy Ceremony helps the children enter the new year with a clear understanding that studying is not only a personal responsibility but also a source of pride for the entire family."
For many years, the Ho clan has effectively maintained the "Clan-wide Education Promotion" movement, "Tet Education Promotion," and "Education Promotion Drumbeat," while also encouraging descendants to participate in the calligraphy ceremony at the village communal house during each Lunar New Year. Three rounds of scholarship fund awards are held regularly each year, promptly motivating those who achieve high academic results, pass university entrance exams, receive academic titles or degrees, or win international awards. To date, the Ho clan's scholarship fund has raised over 1 billion VND, not including the individual funds of the sub-branches; each year, it awards scholarships to over 200 children, with a total expenditure of over 60 million VND.
In Do Luong commune, the Nguyen Van clan also considers the Tet Scholarship Program a central activity during the first days of the new year. Every Lunar New Year, the clan organizes a ceremony to begin writing the first words of the year for all their children and grandchildren at all levels of education, creating an atmosphere of academic competition right from the start of the year. On the 15th day of the first lunar month, a solemn scholarship award ceremony is held with full rituals: offering incense to ancestors, recalling the clan's tradition of valuing education, discussing the academic progress of the past year, and recognizing outstanding students.
A cornerstone for the movement to promote learning at the grassroots level.
Not only in the Vo Dai Ton, Ho, or Nguyen Van clans, but the Tet (Lunar New Year) celebration for promoting education has become a familiar tradition in many localities throughout the province. Typical clans such as Nguyen Thuc (Dong Loc commune), Phan Dinh (Dai Dong commune), Nguyen Trong (Thien Nhan commune), Chu (Kim Bang commune), Ngo (Duc Chau commune)... all maintain the tradition of rewarding and encouraging their children and grandchildren to study at the beginning of the Spring. Whether organized formally at the clan's ancestral temple or integrated into informal gatherings, the common thread is that education is always placed on par with the principle of "drinking water, remembering the source."
From those simple family activities, the movement to promote learning and talent development in the province has spread and become a well-established practice. According to the summary of work...scholarshipBy 2025, Nghe An province currently has over 10,200 family clans, of which 8,070 have been awarded the title of "Learning Family Clan," accounting for 80.5%, an increase of 130 clans compared to the previous year. Throughout the province, more than 11,500 Education Promotion Committees are operating in family clans, residential areas, agencies, and units, instilling a spirit of learning deeply into community life.
Beyond simply awarding scholarships, many clans actively monitor and support students at risk of dropping out. The story of Pham Thi Thuy An, daughter of Vo Thi Tam and a first-year student at Hanoi Law University in Minh Chau commune, is a prime example. Orphaned at a young age and from a disadvantaged family, An and her younger sister, currently in 11th grade, faced the prospect of having to drop out of school. However, thanks to timely support from the Vo Dai Ton clan's scholarship fund, she was able to continue her education.
"Every Tet holiday, standing before the ancestral altar and receiving the reward from the clan, I feel a strong sense of responsibility. It's not just about money, but also about the expectations of my entire family and clan," Thuy An shared emotionally.
According to the report of the Provincial Association for the Promotion of Learning, in 2025, along with the Month of Learning Promotion (in September), the Tet (Lunar New Year) for the Promotion of Learning became a peak period for mobilizing social resources for education. The entire province mobilized approximately 90 billion VND for the Learning Promotion Fund, awarding more than 150,000 scholarships and prizes to students.
Based on practical experience at the grassroots level, Mr. Tran Van Phuc - Chairman of the Fatherland Front Committee of Minh Chau commune, said: "The Tet Education Promotion event is not simply an activity of awarding prizes at the beginning of the year, but an opportunity to educate about traditions in a natural and profound way. When children witness their grandparents and parents valuing literacy, they will soon develop a persistent learning mindset."
In the atmosphere of preparing for the Lunar New Year of the Horse 2026, the Tet of Promoting Education continues to be present as a quiet but profound tradition. Amidst the modern pace of life, the red envelopes exchanged along with words of encouragement at the beginning of the year have created a "very Nghe An Tet" – a Tet of knowledge, compassion, and aspirations for advancement from every household.
