British scholar: Tet reflects diverse aspects of Vietnamese culture.

Having married a Vietnamese woman, British researcher Kyril has celebrated Tet (Vietnamese New Year) in Vietnam many times, and the Vietnamese New Year festival is always a fascinating experience for him.

Tet Nguyen Dan (Lunar New Year), with its unique traditions and customs, is an important part of and reflects the diverse aspects of Vietnamese culture.

British political and historical researcher Kyril Whittaker made this observation about Tet in Vietnam during a conversation with a Vietnam News Agency reporter in the area.

Having married a Vietnamese woman, Kyril has celebrated Tet (Vietnamese New Year) in Vietnam many times, and the Vietnamese New Year festival is always a fascinating experience for him.

Kyril Whittaker, a researcher of Vietnamese politics and history, offers incense in commemoration of President Ho Chi Minh at the Vietnamese Embassy in London (UK). (Photo: VNA)

As Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) approaches, a joyful and enthusiastic atmosphere permeates everywhere, from cities to rural areas, with the lively music of the song "Tet in My Hometown."

Everyone is busy preparing for Tet, buying new clothes, and getting food and drinks ready for the biggest holiday of the year. Throughout the country and even abroad, people return to their hometowns to celebrate Tet and reunite with their families after a busy year of work.

Mr. Kyril pointed out that Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) showcases the diversity of Vietnamese culture, from cuisine, music , and art to social interaction, through beautiful customs and traditions such as ancestor worship, making banh chung (traditional rice cakes), first-footing, New Year greetings, giving lucky money, wearing traditional ao dai (Vietnamese long dress), performing traditional music and songs about Tet and spring, and folk games…

According to him, Tet is an occasion to strengthen relationships when all families open their doors to welcome guests, from relatives and friends to colleagues and neighbors.

A British scholar, a member of the British Communist Party, pointed out that Tet also has historical significance, with customs of ancestor worship and gratitude to national heroes who contributed to the founding and preservation of the nation.

Historical factors are also reflected in how Vietnamese people celebrate Tet (Lunar New Year) in different historical periods.

During wartime, Vietnamese soldiers celebrated Tet (Lunar New Year) simply by singing and enjoying their meager, precious rations due to the harsh conditions.

Today, Vietnam is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, with improved living standards, allowing people to celebrate Tet (Lunar New Year) with full traditional customs and practices.

In particular, Tet reflects the ecological culture of the Vietnamese people, which is the relationship between people and the land and vice versa. Kyril cited typical Tet dishes such as watermelon seeds, pumpkin seeds, banh chung (rice cake), pickled onions; the five-fruit platter; and flowers and ornamental plants used for Tet decoration such as peach blossoms, apricot blossoms, and kumquats...

Another beautiful Tet custom that showcases Vietnam's ecological culture is planting trees on the first day of the New Year, a movement initiated by President Ho Chi Minh and maintained by generations of Vietnamese leaders to this day. Kyril points out that this tradition preserves Vietnam's agricultural culture and biodiversity.

Parents giving their children New Year's greetings is a cultural tradition during the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, and giving these greetings also expresses the wish for the children to have a peaceful and well-behaved new year. (Photo: Thanh Tung/TTXVN)

According to British scholars, ecological perspectives are deeply rooted in Vietnamese culture, as expressed in the words of Vietnamese leaders such as "Every good person, every good deed is a beautiful flower, our entire nation is a beautiful forest of flowers," or the viewpoint "Putting the people first," and more recently, the "Bamboo Diplomacy" policy - integrating the ecological characteristics of bamboo with Vietnamese diplomacy.

British researchers concluded that Tet is a culturally significant Vietnamese festival, and that Tet itself embodies this unique culture.

Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought further strengthen this cultural richness, while also providing a foundation for the continuous development of society for the betterment of all its people.

According to Vietnamplus.vn

https://www.vietnamplus.vn/hoc-gia-anh-tet-phan-anh-cac-khia-canh-da-dang-cua-van-hoa-viet-nam-post927401.vnp

Source: https://thoidai.com.vn/hoc-gia-anh-tet-phan-anh-cac-khia-canh-da-dang-cua-van-hoa-viet-nam-196696.html