My parents' old house remains the same – red brick steps, moss-covered tiled roof, and rows of tall betel nut trees. In the days leading up to Tet, the house is filled with the joyful atmosphere of family reunion. Mother busies herself washing banana leaves, rinsing sticky rice, and measuring mung beans. Father chops firewood and lights the stove, white smoke rising and mingling with the cold wind. The children chirp and help, everyone busy but with joyful hearts. Making banh chung (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes) is not just a task, but a place where everyone reminisces about the past. By the glowing fire, the crackling of burning wood fills the air, and the aroma of banh chung rises. Mother and sisters make ginger jam, coconut jam, banh in (a type of Vietnamese cake), banh thuan (another type of Vietnamese cake)... The whole kitchen seems to warm up with the breath of spring. Outside, the children chatter and run around, playing and listening to their grandfather tell stories of Tet of yesteryear: nights of crisp firecrackers, mornings of the first day of Tet dressed in new clothes, laughter echoing through the small alley.
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| Photo: GC |
Tet in the countryside is not just about the roof over your head, but also about the warmth of community spirit. Families help each other wrap bánh chưng (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes), watching over the pot of bánh chưng overnight, sharing stories of the past and new year while sipping hot tea. Those who have been away love to stroll along the familiar village paths – now paved with concrete, but still retaining the spirit of the old countryside, where childhood memories of setting off firecrackers, flying kites, and playing hopscotch were cherished. The scent of smoke, the earth, and the people blend together to create a spring symphony.
During Tet (Vietnamese New Year), every home is incomplete without a peach blossom branch or a pot of apricot blossoms. In the North, the vibrant pink peach blossoms are placed on the ancestral altar, brightening the entire house. In the South, the bright yellow apricot blossoms bask in the early morning sun, like the joyful smile of nature. On the 15th day of the 12th lunar month, fathers often pluck apricot blossom leaves, secretly hoping that when the flowers bloom, all the children and grandchildren will have returned home. Each bud, each spring breeze, seems to carry the joy of reunion.
The most sacred moment is the New Year's Eve dinner on the thirtieth day of the lunar month. The table is meticulously set: sticky rice cakes, pork sausage, bamboo shoot soup, pickled onions... The warm scent of incense fills the house. Father raises a glass of wine to toast the ancestors, mother gently wipes away tears as she watches her children gathered around. Outside, the sound of fireworks resounds, the spring rain falls softly, and hearts are filled with emotion. At the moment of midnight, everyone clasps their hands in prayer: May the new year bring peace and tranquility, good health for parents, and a joyful reunion of children and grandchildren.
Nowadays, many people are busy, sometimes having to celebrate Tet far from home. But no matter how much time changes, deep down in every Vietnamese person, there remains a longing for their old home, for the pot of sticky rice cakes simmering over the fire, for their mother's laughter, and for their father's gentle gaze. Because Tet – after all – is not just a holiday, but a journey back to one's roots, to love.
DUONG MY ANH
Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/van-hoa/sang-tac/202602/mua-xuan-sum-hop-ben-mai-nha-xua-8587b25/
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