Tết khuyến học ở các dòng họ
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.
Keeping 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.
Không chỉ dừng lại ở việc trao thưởng, nhiều dòng họ còn chủ động theo dõi, đỡ đầu những trường hợp học sinh có nguy cơ bỏ học. Câu chuyện của Phạm Thị Thúy An – con gái chị Võ Thị Tâm, sinh viên năm thứ nhất Trường Đại học Luật Hà Nội ở xã Minh Châu là một minh chứng. Mồ côi bố từ nhỏ, gia đình thuộc diện khó khăn, An cùng em gái hiện đang học lớp 11 từng đứng trước nguy cơ phải nghỉ học giữa chừng. Nhưng nhờ nguồn hỗ trợ kịp thời từ Quỹ khuyến học của dòng họ Võ Đại Tôn, em đã có thể tiếp tục hành trình học tập.
“Mỗi dịp Tết đến, đứng trước bàn thờ tổ tiên nhận phần thưởng của dòng họ, em cảm nhận rất rõ trách nhiệm của mình. Đó không chỉ là tiền bạc, mà là niềm kỳ vọng của cả gia đình, dòng họ”, Thúy An xúc động chia sẻ.
Theo báo cáo của Hội Khuyến học tỉnh, năm 2025, cùng với Tháng khuyến học (vào tháng 9), Tết khuyến học đã trở thành đợt cao điểm vận động nguồn lực xã hội cho giáo dục. Toàn tỉnh huy động được khoảng 90 tỷ đồng cho Quỹ khuyến học, trao hơn 150.000 lượt học bổng, phần thưởng cho học sinh, sinh viên.
Từ thực tiễn ở cơ sở, ông Trần Văn Phúc - Chủ tịch Ủy ban MTTQ xã Minh Châu cho biết: “Tết khuyến học không đơn thuần là hoạt động trao thưởng đầu năm, mà là dịp giáo dục truyền thống một cách tự nhiên và sâu sắc. Khi con cháu chứng kiến ông bà, cha mẹ trân trọng cái chữ, các em sẽ sớm hình thành ý thức học tập bền bỉ”.
Trong không khí chuẩn bị đón Tết Nguyên đán Bính Ngọ 2026, Tết khuyến học tiếp tục hiện diện như một nét đẹp lặng lẽ nhưng sâu sắc. Giữa nhịp sống hiện đại, những phong bao đỏ trao cùng lời căn dặn đầu Xuân đã làm nên một “cái Tết rất Nghệ” – Tết của tri thức, nghĩa tình và khát vọng vươn lên từ mỗi mái nhà.
