Beautiful customs in Vietnamese families during Tet

(NLDO) - These customs not only show respect for ancestors and grandparents but also convey the homeowner's good wishes for the new year.

The Vietnamese Lunar New Year is associated with many traditional customs. These customs not only show respect for ancestors and grandparents but are also an opportunity for families to bond and send good wishes for the new year.

Tet flower display

During spring, Vietnamese people often "beautify" their homes with fresh, vibrant flowers.

This is a long-standing custom, expressing the belief in luck, fortune and prosperity in the new year. Each flower displayed on Tet holiday has a special meaning, carefully selected by the homeowner, expressing the wish to bring luck, fortune and prosperity in the new year.

Each flower displayed on Tet holiday is carefully selected by the homeowner to convey the wish to bring luck, fortune and prosperity in the new year.

In the North, peach blossoms are considered an indispensable symbol of spring. Fresh peach blossoms are often placed in vases or pots, placed in a solemn position in the house, usually in the center.

People believe that peach blossoms have the ability to ward off evil spirits, bringing peace, luck and prosperity to the family throughout the year. With their light pink color and gentle fragrance, peach blossoms are not only a characteristic of spring but also a wish for a new year filled with hope and joy.

Pots of yellow apricot flowers

Meanwhile, in the South, people are very fond of yellow apricot blossoms. The yellow color of apricot blossoms symbolizes wealth, prosperity and abundance, the color of new beginnings and happiness. Like peach blossoms in the North, yellow apricot blossoms are placed in the living room or on the porch, with the wish for a new year full of joy and fortune.

Marigold

Another flower that Southerners "favor" to place on their family altars during Tet and spring is the marigold. Marigolds come in many colors, but yellow flowers are still the most popular.

This flower has a strong vitality, from the flower to the stem and leaves, all have a characteristic fragrance.

Many people believe that if Tet in the South lacks marigolds, the Tet atmosphere will not be complete.

Southerners not only use marigolds to decorate their family altars, but also often display pots or baskets of flowers in their yards or porches. People also often display marigolds in pairs, with the hope of bringing prosperity and wealth.

In particular, when arranging marigolds to worship ancestors, people often leave the branches, leaves, and roots intact so that the flowers will last longer. Many people believe that if Tet in the South lacks marigolds, the Tet atmosphere will not be complete.

Decorate your home for Tet

Families in Vietnam often clean and tidy their houses and belongings during the last days of the year. This activity has the meaning of rearranging the unfinished things, removing the bad luck of the old year to welcome the new year with the hope of bringing more fortune and luck.

Decorate your home for Tet

Clean the family altar

Ancestor worship is a beautiful cultural feature of the Vietnamese people, expressing filial piety and gratitude to the deceased. This custom has long become a moral standard, closely associated with the spiritual life of the Vietnamese people, who value loyalty and filial piety to family and roots.

Clean the family altar

Even though they live far away, Vietnamese people still return to their hometowns every Tet holiday to burn incense on their ancestral altars. Therefore, the Tet altar becomes the solemn and sacred center of the house. Without waiting for the New Year or the occasion of praying, Vietnamese people always take care of their altars all year round, but the busy atmosphere is most evident on the days leading up to Tet. Activities such as cleaning, polishing the altars, arranging and changing incense sticks all demonstrate the connection between everyday life and spirituality.

In the countryside, cleaning the altar is usually done early, before the full moon of the twelfth lunar month. People clean the altar and prepare offerings to welcome the Kitchen Gods to heaven. Meanwhile, in the city, this work takes place from the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month, after the farewell ceremony for "Mr. Cong, Mr. Tao". The homeowner takes the opportunity to clean the altar so that it is clean and beautiful on the night of the 30th of Tet, ready to welcome the gods back.

Wrapping Chung cake and Tet cake

Banh chung is a traditional dish originating from the Hung King period and to this day still holds an important position in the Vietnamese New Year. It is a symbol of the harmony between heaven and earth, and at the same time carries the wish for a new year of fullness, peace and happiness.

Tet cake wrapping (Southern)

Families usually start wrapping banh chung around the 27th, 28th or 29th of the twelfth lunar month. In the North, banh chung is usually wrapped in a square shape, while the South prefers long banh chung, also known as banh tet, although the two types use the same ingredients.

Go to the temple at the beginning of the year

The custom of going to pagodas on the first days of the new year is a beautiful feature imbued with cultural and spiritual values ​​in the lives of Vietnamese people.

Go to the temple at the beginning of the year

Going to the temple these days is not only an occasion to pray for luck and fortune for the new year but also to show respect to Buddha and ancestors.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/nhung-phong-tuc-dep-trong-gia-dinh-viet-dip-tet-196250128220257966.htm