Memories of the 'Tet celebration profession' of children in border areas

Tet brings with it the vibrant colors of flowers, the fragrant aroma of banh tet, and the bustling mood of welcoming the new spring. For me, Tet also evokes beautiful memories of childhood, of the innocent 'Tet-welcoming jobs' of children in the countryside.

Countryside garden on Tet holiday is full of sunshine and smiles - Photo: MINH PHUC

Our old Tet was simple but full of joy.

Those were days of running and jumping on the red basalt soil, holding a few pieces of sugarcane, green mangoes, and young jackfruits, laughing and giggling together.

On nights when we gather around a pot of banh chung and banh tet, with a layer of banh ú steamed on top, I often wait to eat the banh chung first.

Spring in memory

Every spring, the red soil of the East puts on a new coat. The vast cashew orchards bloom, revealing the yellow and red of the fruit under the green canopy. Pepper plants climb thickly on the pillars, lush green like the promise of a bountiful harvest.

Song Be Bridge, the stream connecting two banks of memories, every time I pass by, I seem to hear the call of many old springs.

After a while, we reached Cong Chanh intersection (now Thanh Binh town, Bu Dop, Binh Phuoc province), where I grew up with many childhood stories.

The days before Tet are busier than usual here. Adults are busy harvesting cashews and fertilizing pepper gardens.

The Tet market right next to the red dirt road is colorful with bright yellow apricot flowers, many sweet candy stalls, and colorful new clothes.

Now, every time I cross Song Be bridge and follow the familiar road home, my heart is filled with memories.

The image of my mother walking briskly in the market, my father bending over in the garden, and myself, the child of that day, seemed to come alive in the memories of the old days that were never far away, still imprinted in my heart.

Tet is the happiness from small gifts and the first lesson in life about the value of labor and sharing.

'Tet Celebration Job' of Border Children

In the bustling atmosphere of the days before Tet, we children also have our own "Tet-welcoming jobs", simple but full of excitement.

When school was out for Tet, I followed my mother to the market. She sold a few small items, while I wandered around, discovering all the interesting things. After the market, I ran to the garden to pick up peppercorns, pick up strings of beads that had fallen under the trees, collect them and sell them for a few coins.

Sometimes, my friends and I would go out together to find wild bitter melon vines, milkweed, eclipta prostrata, and nettles, familiar herbs that adults often buy to make tea or medicine. The small, neat bundles of plants, exchanged for a few coins, became our great joy.

I still remember my job as a waiter, helping the uncle sell vermicelli with meatballs. Every early morning, his stall was filled with steam from the broth pot, the smell of vermicelli and pork roll filled the market. I quickly carried the steaming bowl of vermicelli from the shop to the market goers.

Seeing that I was quick and enthusiastic, he often rewarded me with a bowl of hot noodles, satisfying my thirst for a crowded Tet market morning, filled with laughter and love.

In those days, I followed my friends to collect old bullet shells and scrap metal.

We kids split up to search, sometimes along the road, sometimes in the bushes along the edge of the forest. Every time we picked up an old bullet shell or some leftover copper or steel, we cheered as if we had found a treasure.

Collecting all day, selling to scrap collectors for a few coins, is enough to be happy, happily sharing to buy snacks, a feeling of naive happiness.

The children's Tet was very simple. Each of them only wished for a new set of clothes, a pair of nice sandals, or a small, pretty bag to put their lucky money in.

Some kids love shiny hairpins, others dream of building blocks or dolls. Each kid finds their own way to make their dreams come true.

Early in the morning, some children followed their mother to the field to pick up cashew nuts, put them in bags and bring them home. Others helped their father water the plants and hoe the soil. These small "Tet jobs" made us feel more mature and proud.

The red soil of the East, my hometown, leaves behind warm memories every Tet season. The seemingly small "Tet-welcoming jobs" of the children are the foundation that built the person I am today.

Every time spring comes, my heart is filled with pride about my childhood, my homeland and eternal values.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ky-uc-nghe-don-tet-cua-tre-nho-vung-bien-20250127082345031.htm