Every spring, in many villages throughout Phuc Son commune, the traditional New Year's longevity celebration is held with solemnity and warmth. Amidst modern life, this custom is still preserved as a familiar cultural practice, connecting generations within families and communities.
On the morning of the third day of the Lunar New Year (Year of the Horse), My Tien village (formerly part of Bot Xuyen commune) was bustling with the atmosphere of celebrating longevity at the beginning of the year. According to Dinh Xuan Toan, head of the My Tien village's Elderly Association, the village currently has over 200 elderly people aged 70 and above. This Lunar New Year, 26 elderly people in the village, turning 95, 90, 85, 80, 75, and 70, received longevity certificates from the Vietnam Elderly Association . For many years, the village has maintained the tradition of holding a collective longevity celebration on the morning of the third day of the Lunar New Year, a practice that has gained the people's consensus.
From early morning, the village lion dance troupe sets off from the village temple (at the beginning of the village), travels along the main road to the end of the village, and then returns. Children and grandchildren escort the elders to the end of the lane, joining the lion dance troupe to the lively drumming of the New Year, before returning to the village temple. There, the elders are seated according to age, with the oldest seated above and the younger below, demonstrating respect and the traditions of the village.
Following the rituals of presenting offerings to the deities, celebrating longevity, and paying respects to the village guardian spirit, representatives from the Party Committee and the Elderly Association of the village delivered congratulatory speeches and respectfully presented certificates of longevity to each elderly person. Children and grandchildren, along with the elderly, recited congratulatory poems in a solemn yet warm atmosphere. The ceremony was concise and restrained; immediately afterward, the elderly were taken home by their children and grandchildren for a family gathering and celebration.
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Sharing more about the organization, Mr. Dinh Xuan Toan said that about 30 years ago, many families in the village prepared feasts to invite relatives and neighbors to celebrate longevity. However, because every family prepared a feast, some families ended up with leftover food, which was both wasteful and created economic pressure. Based on this reality, the village's Elderly Association has promoted and encouraged people to keep the celebrations within the family circle, mainly involving children and grandchildren, thus preserving the joy of celebrating longevity while saving money and adapting to each family's circumstances. This approach has now become a tradition and is well-received by the villagers.
According to the customs of My Tien village, the third day of Tet (Lunar New Year) is also the day when each family prepares a meal to offer incense and bid farewell to their ancestors, after which the descendants return to their daily lives: some go to the fields, others to school, work, or factories. For families with elderly members reaching old age, in addition to the meal offered to ancestors, they may prepare a few more meals for the children and grandchildren to celebrate and gather together at the beginning of the year. Before that, on the evening of the second day of Tet, My Tien village was bustling like a festival, as children, grandchildren, and villagers came to celebrate and wish the elders well in a warm and affectionate atmosphere.
In the joyous atmosphere of celebrating his birthday at the beginning of the year, Mr. Kim Ngoc Tha (80 years old) emotionally shared that attending the birthday celebration at the village temple, being welcomed and surrounded by his children and grandchildren, made him feel the joy not only of his family but also of the affection of the entire village for the elderly. For him, celebrating a birthday is not about lavish feasts, but about the reunion and harmony of his children and grandchildren, and the care and sharing of the villagers.
According to Le Thi Thuy Nga, Chairwoman of the Elderly Association of Phuc Son commune, the association currently has 7,896 members participating in activities at various branches. Maintaining the tradition of celebrating longevity at the beginning of the year is an opportunity to honor the elderly and encourage them to continue participating in activities and contributing to the community.
Emphasizing the role of the elderly in social life, Tran Viet Thang, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Phuc Son commune, said that the elderly are the spiritual support of the family, the guardians of family traditions, role models in morality and lifestyle, and conscientious adherence to policies and guidelines at the grassroots level. Many elderly people, despite their advanced age, still actively participate in social work, mediate disputes in residential areas, encourage their children and grandchildren to build a cultured life, and contribute to strengthening unity in the community.
From the simple yet solemn springtime birthday celebrations, the enduring value of the tradition of respecting and honoring the elderly in Phuc Son is clearly evident. During the process of building the new commune, these cultural practices have been preserved as a connecting thread between generations, enriching the cultural depth and creating a unique warmth in this rural area every spring.
Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/nep-xua-o-phuc-son-am-ap-mung-tho-dau-xuan-734163.html
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