(To La Gi - Ham Tan, where I have many memories from the war years)
Another Christmas season is here.
Every year, whenever the season comes, no matter what season, I miss my hometown, even though the South only has two seasons, rainy and sunny. Binh Tuy Province, at that time, was still a place “unfamiliar to city dwellers”, but I miss Tet, I miss summer, I miss the cold season. I miss Christmas… It’s strange for anyone far from home not to miss their hometown!
La Gi - Ham Tan in the last days of the year, the north wind blows strongly and the weather is cold. That was the weather in the 60s, but now it is much different. This season in La Gi, Christmas is no longer windy and cold! What a pity, if only La Gi was as windy and cold as the previous decades, so that young men and women in their twenties could put on warm coats and stand outside the church yard to watch Christmas, the sparkling star lights lighting up a corner of the sky.
On the night of December 24, Christmas came with each ringing of the bells, the church resounded with music: “… On a cold winter night, God was born/ God was born/ Lying in a cave in a manger…”.
In the Catholic neighborhoods, Christmas music is sung from the beginning of December and after the sacred moment of the birth of Christ, then there are the Réveillons of the celebratory sheep, and here and there are couples lingering in the church yard and holding hands through the streets of Vinh Tan, Thanh Xuan, Tan Tao, Tan Ly, Binh An churches... When Christmas comes, not only Catholics, but even Buddhists "eat and drink" Christmas, meaning they also listen to Christmas music from the cassette player, and also enthusiastically prepare to eat Réveillon, meaning "you are happy, I am happy too", and couples "each keeps his own religion", living together in peace ! (In the old days, people often typed without accents. For example: Dao nao cung la dao... means "Dao nao cung la dao". Yet people read: "Dao nao cung la dao!".
On Christmas Eve, girls in traditional long dresses and wide-legged American-A pants sit behind and hug the waists of boys in flared pants, riding Honda SS 67s with sleek Brillantine brushes, passing by churches... sometimes in a fit of excitement, they run to Tan Long poplar hill, letting their clothes soak up a bit of the salty water of the sea, and their hair get dusty with the sea sand from the north wind blowing through the poplar rows, and the poplar leaves stuck to her hair create a bit of romance.
Binh Tuy at that time (now Binh Thuan - Ham Tan) was a land of people from all over the country, mostly from the North who followed Catholicism, they lived together in regions such as Vinh Thanh, Tan Xuan, Tan Tao, Binh An... and these places had massive churches. Ham Tan had golden forests and silver seas, favoring people from far away, once here, it was difficult to leave, even though this place was a land full of sun, wind, and sand, but the forests and seas brought a source of forest products, and sea fish, seemingly endless!
Ham Tan, a sparsely populated area of Binh Thuan province since the 40s and 50s, but with the migration to establish hamlets and expand plantation areas, in 1957 Ham Tan was separated from Binh Thuan, establishing Binh Tuy province.
In those days, all the festivities were concentrated in La Gi, a small town where everyone knew each other, "walking for a few minutes and returning to the same place", this sad town had few music cafes, if there was music, it was the romantic Bolero songs of the past.
Christmas at any time cannot be without music and Réveillon parties all night long. Christmas music is the medley Happy Christmas, Christmas Time, the key song is Silent Night: “… The most holy night/ Moments of jubilation/ Heaven and earth are united in the word Bronze…”. And every Christmas season, not only Catholics, but even Buddhists still love the song “Cao cung len” by Hoai Duc: “… Cao cung len, the angelic music of God/ Blending in with the wind, gently lingering/ Oh sacred, listen to the faint melody of the zither/ Oh mortals, listen to the melody/ Hoping to find and worship the birth of the Lord Christmas…”.
During Christmas, even though I am a pagan, I still have to listen to this song to find moments of peace. Christmas Eve will gradually pass, but the lyrics and music will still echo in my ears: “… Do you remember that hymn? / Christmas we had together. / The sparkling stars in the sky add beauty to my eyes. / Your white shirt flies like an angel’s wings…” (Sad hymn - Nguyen Vu).
I have been through many Christmas seasons in La Gi, the windy nights bring a bit of cold, the sound of church bells… Even though I am a pagan, when Christmas comes, my heart is filled with a time to love and a time to remember La Gi!
Source: https://baobinhthuan.com.vn/nhac-noel-va-reveillon-126867.html
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