Burst into tears on New Year's Eve at age 16.
Sharing with VietNamNet about the "most painful" memory in her career, actress Ha Huong couldn't hide her emotions when recalling the first time she had to be away from her family during Tet (Lunar New Year). At the age of 16-17, while still a dance student, she stood on stage for the first time to perform on New Year's Eve in front of the camera. As the countdown 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 began and fireworks exploded brilliantly, Ha Huong's tears flowed uncontrollably.
Feeling lost and longing to go home to her parents, the actress couldn't control her emotions. She thought to herself, no matter the cost, she had to call a taxi from Hanoi to her hometown in Hai Duong on the morning of the first day of Tet (Lunar New Year) to reunite with her family. That was the first time Ha Huong cried on stage, and it's also the reason why, ever since, she has always limited her performance bookings during Tet.
Although she understands that acting sometimes requires sacrificing family time, after that heartbreaking experience, Ha Huong promised herself: if given the choice, she would always make time to celebrate Tet (Lunar New Year) with her family.
Recalling her childhood, Ha Huong said she was the only daughter in a family with more than 10 brothers. As the daughter of her youngest uncle, while her other uncles all had two sons, she grew up surrounded by a large group of older brothers and a younger brother.
The actress's most memorable childhood Tet (Lunar New Year) memory is when her older brothers taught her how to shoot firecrackers. Once, a firecracker exploded right in her hand, leaving her dizzy and her eyes blackened with smoke. Her parents and everyone else panicked, thinking she had been seriously injured, but luckily she was unharmed.
Growing up surrounded by brothers, Ha Huong didn't know how to play girls' games but was skilled at all boys' games: fighting, throwing cans, playing soccer, cockfighting, and even setting off firecrackers. As a child, she wore her brothers' clothes and had short, boyish hair. It wasn't until she was 10 or 11 years old that she started growing her hair long.
In the old days, during Tet (Vietnamese New Year), the whole family would return to their hometown to wrap and cook banh chung (traditional rice cakes). On New Year's Eve, everyone would rush to the end of the lane, scrambling to pluck bamboo leaves and branches to bring good fortune into the house. The most fun game was swimming shirtless, each child holding a banana tree trunk as a float and picking jackfruit leaves to make bikinis. Ha Huong cherishes these memories, and every time she goes back to her hometown to visit her grandparents, she loves it.
On the first day of Tet, we visit our father; on the second day, we visit our mother. Everything must be the same.
Having been married for nearly 20 years, Ha Huong still strictly adheres to traditional principles: on the first day of Tet, her father stays at his parents' house; on the second day, her mother goes to her parents' house; and only on the third day of Tet do they begin going out with friends, visiting teachers and relatives.
What's special about Ha Huong's Tet preparations is the absolute fairness between her paternal and maternal families. The actress shared with VietNamNet that everything must come in pairs, identical: two bunches of bananas, two identical pomelos, two identical mangoes. Every gift, every feast is meticulously prepared so there's no difference between her paternal and maternal families.
She happily arranges and prepares each item for Tet (Lunar New Year) herself. More importantly, Ha Huong's children witness this every year. She believes that she is a role model for her children to emulate, from which they will learn and pass on family traditions. Things like visiting her paternal grandmother after New Year's Eve to offer New Year's greetings and receive lucky money, and on the second day of Tet, visiting her maternal grandmother to give lucky money, are all maintained throughout.
A few days before Tet, she always returns to her hometown to check on her mother's preparations, and they busily get everything ready together. Although she understands that it's difficult for families to gather as large as they used to be when her grandparents were alive, as everyone has their own family now, Ha Huong still tries to maintain the family tradition so that her children can have similar memories.
Speaking about the changes in modern Tet celebrations, the actress admitted to feeling a sense of dwindling tradition as many young people choose modernized outfits instead of traditional ao dai when visiting temples. However, she understands that everything must change with the times. The important thing is that traditional cultural values remain the foundation for survival.
Actress Ha Huong shares her Tet memories:
Photos, videos : HM
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/ha-huong-nguyet-thao-mai-suyt-mu-vi-phao-khoc-nuc-no-dem-giao-thua-16-tuoi-2470891.html
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