Tet holiday in the highlands

DNO - Besides celebrating Tet according to traditional customs, the people in the highlands now also join in the Tet atmosphere of the whole nation, joyfully celebrating the Party and welcoming spring.

The well-maintained highland villages celebrate Tet (Lunar New Year). Photo: Ho Quan

Mr. Ho Van Ta, Party Secretary and Head of Hamlet 5, Tra Tap Commune, said that in the past, the Xe Dang people still considered the Lunar New Year to be the New Year of the lowlands. They were not enthusiastic about New Year celebrations and spring festivities, instead dedicating their time to farming. This was because they already had their own New Year celebration, connected to their lives and production, through traditional rituals expressing gratitude to the deities for their protection, such as worshipping the water trough, celebrating the harvest, and the New Year of the granary.

In recent years, the preparation for Tet (Lunar New Year) in mountainous areas has received more attention from local Party committees and authorities, creating positive changes in the lives of people in the highlands. People are participating in activities celebrating the Party and welcoming the spring, such as cleaning village roads and alleys; tidying up traditional fences, hanging the national flag in front of their gates, and decorating their houses… Many families are busy preparing vegetables, bamboo shoots, and rice wine to welcome guests and their children and grandchildren home for family reunions.

“Having a shared Tet holiday with the whole nation enriches the cultural identity of the highlands. Especially, when people understand the meaning of Tet as a family reunion, they prepare for it more thoroughly. They work hard to buy things and decorate their homes. Children who live far away arrange to come home for Tet. The Tet gifts from the Party and State are always used appropriately and economically,” Mr. Ta shared.

People decorate their fences and hang the national flag in front of their houses every Tet holiday. Photo: HO QUAN

Ms. Ho Thi Hue, Head of Hamlet 4, Tra Tap Commune, said that during the harvest season or traditional ceremonies, it is difficult for villagers to gather in large numbers. Meanwhile, during the Lunar New Year, everyone from children to workers and employees can return home to celebrate. Therefore, the local authorities encourage villagers to organize traditional activities during these days so that the younger generation can learn more about the nation's culture.

“We regularly encourage people to maintain a spirit of solidarity and sharing during the spring festival; to abide by the law, especially not to get drunk and cause disorder or drive recklessly. During the three days of Tet, Party members and influential people will visit each house to wish them a happy new year, chat with them, encourage them, listen to their concerns, and inspire them to develop in the new year,” Ms. Hue said.

The Co Tu people perform drum and gong music during Tet (Vietnamese New Year). Photo: Ho Quan

For the Co Tu people, in the days leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year), they temporarily set aside their farming work and return home to clean and tidy up their houses. From the altar dedicated to President Ho Chi Minh to precious jars, drums, and gongs, everything is meticulously cleaned. The villagers personally prepare feasts reflecting the unique Co Tu culture, such as buffalo horn-shaped cakes, bamboo-cooked rice, smoked meat, bamboo shoots, and wild bamboo shoots. Some villages even organize the erection of the Tet pole, gong performances, and the Tang Tung - Da Da dance, expressing gratitude to the deities and praying for a prosperous and abundant year.

According to Elder Cơlâu Blao of Voòng village, Hùng Sơn commune, the Cơ Tu people are very hospitable. During Tet (Lunar New Year), visitors are warmly welcomed and entertained at every home. Any grudges from the past year are erased, replaced by kind inquiries, sharing, and creating a bond of community for mutual development.

In the highlands, an indispensable cultural feature of Tet (Lunar New Year) is folk singing, with lyrics praising the Party and President Ho Chi Minh, and encouraging labor and production... Like the ting ting song (a type of call-and-response singing of the Xe Dang people) that Ms. Ho Thi Hue often sings every spring: "Y Dang hnay pien, nao pien phi ri" (meaning: with the Party, the people are prosperous and well-fed).

Source: https://baodanang.vn/ngay-tet-o-vung-cao-3324696.html