A bustling end to the year

Usually, by the last day of the year, almost every family in my hometown has finished preparing and decorating their house for Tet (Lunar New Year). Only a few families, because their children live far away and come home late, rush out to buy things they find missing.

The main tasks for the day are preparing the New Year's Eve meal, and then focusing on wrapping banh chung and banh tet (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes).

That's what they say, but even in the early morning mist, the village roads were already crowded with people heading to the market. Upon inquiry, it turned out that shopping was secondary; the main purpose was to enjoy the Tet market festivities.

I also woke up very early to welcome the arrival of spring in my hometown, spreading throughout my home. Joining in the festive atmosphere of Tet in the countryside, I also went to the market early in my mother's place. Actually, my parents had already meticulously prepared everything for Tet; going to the market on the last day of the year was just to buy fresh flowers and a few more ingredients for the dishes we'd prepare during the Tet holidays.

Nevertheless, I'm still very excited about going to the market on the last day of the year. Because the Tet market in my hometown isn't just about shopping; it's also about sightseeing and experiencing the vibrant Tet atmosphere.

Tet flower market. Photo SC (2)

When I go to the market on the last day of the year, my favorite part is the section selling Tet flowers. At this time, fresh flowers are brought in from everywhere and sold along the streets of the town and the roads leading to the market. Some years the flowers sell for quite a high price, other years they are considered "dirt cheap," but no matter the price, flowers are still sold all over the market. And I, a person far from home, still like to stroll around, admire them to my heart's content, and then decide to buy the most気に入った potted flowers.

Last Tet holiday, my sister and I had to go to the market several times before we could finally make a decision to find the perfect potted apricot blossom trees.

While the women take turns going to the market on the last day of the year to buy necessary items for their families, the men and young people organize a cleanup of the village roads and alleys.

Each household sent one person to help sweep the village roads; in families with only elderly members, the young people divided the work among themselves. The village roads were already clean, but they became even cleaner and more beautiful on the last day of the year.

Besides sweeping the village roads and alleys, the men and young people in the village also focused on decorating the village's entrance gate and community hall with flower pots, flashing lights, and the familiar message "Happy New Year".

After everything was cleaned up, everyone gathered to discuss plans for a communal New Year's Eve celebration. Every year, the village cultural center is bustling with activity on New Year's Eve. Each household contributes a few hundred thousand dong, and those who live far away contribute more depending on their means, to organize a collective New Year's Eve party for the entire village.

While waiting for the village hall to open, my father also lit a fire to cook banh tet (Vietnamese sticky rice cake). Many other families' stoves were also burning brightly, their pots of banh chung and banh tet bubbling away. In my village, almost every household makes banh chung and banh tet. Even those with fewer families use a few kilograms of sticky rice, while larger families wrap dozens of kilograms. The banh chung and banh tet are cooked over wood fires from noon on the last day of the year until midnight, when they are finally taken out of the pot.

During that time, no matter how busy they were, someone always tended the fire by the pot of rice cakes. Because if the fire burned evenly, the water had to be changed frequently for the cakes to be delicious, soft, and chewy. In the crisp coolness of the weather during the transition between the old and new year, I loved the scene of cooking banh chung and banh tet in the corner of the kitchen.

Making banh chung (traditional Vietnamese rice cake) for Tet (Lunar New Year). Photo: SC

While the pots of sticky rice cakes (bánh chưng and bánh tét) were boiling, the youth union members were busy moving karaoke equipment and tables and chairs to the village hall, arranging them neatly in the courtyard to serve the villagers who had come to celebrate New Year's Eve.

A typical New Year's Eve feast consists of simple, readily available dishes that don't require much cooking, such as dried chicken and beef; sticky rice cakes (bánh chưng and bánh tét), pickled vegetables; and drinks like wine, beer, and soft drinks.

The New Year's Eve cultural program in the village begins at 6 PM, after each family has finished their New Year's Eve dinner. Everyone in the village has the opportunity to try their hand at being a host, musician, or singer in a homegrown style, but everyone has a great time. The best singers from the neighborhood, who have the chance to reunite after a year, can freely "rock" the stage with songs celebrating the New Year. After one person finishes singing, they don't forget to introduce another to take the "stage".

Neighbors who hadn't seen each other in a long time were all very happy to see each other again. The older people joined in with the younger generation, singing lively songs that suited the atmosphere of the approaching spring.

And so the program continued well past midnight. At the end of the party, everyone wished each other a new year filled with health, peace, and prosperity before dispersing to their respective homes.

Before the collective New Year's Eve celebrations started, my village wasn't this lively; everyone stayed home on New Year's Eve. Since we started celebrating New Year's Eve together like this, the sense of community and neighborly love has become even stronger.

That's why almost no one in the countryside goes to sleep on New Year's Eve. The lights are always on, eagerly awaiting the new year.

Source: https://baodaknong.vn/ron-rang-ngay-cuoi-nam-240937.html