December in Ha Tinh

In the days leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year), a bustling and vibrant atmosphere permeates the streets of Ha Tinh . People are busy completing their work from the old year, but they also don't forget to prepare for a truly fulfilling Tet celebration with its beautiful traditions.

Sacred origins

Every year, as December arrives – the last month of the year – people in Ha Tinh are busy cleaning their houses in preparation for Tet (Lunar New Year). After a year of hard work and many worries, everyone wants their homes to be swept and cleaned thoroughly to welcome a new year filled with good fortune and peace.

House cleaning services are in high demand every Lunar New Year.

Those with better financial means often hire cleaning services to start tidying up their homes as early as the beginning of December in the lunar calendar. Civil servants with more limited salaries take advantage of weekends off to clean. Farmers, having more time, usually wait until after the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month, when the Kitchen God and the Stove God have ascended to heaven, before beginning their cleaning. Every nook and cranny of the house is cleaned, furniture is washed and neatly arranged. Tables and chairs are polished to a gleaming shine. Everything is given a fresh, clean coat, ready to welcome the New Year.

Besides cleaning the house, cleaning the ancestral altar is considered very important by the people because it is the place of worship and remembrance of ancestors, and also the most sacred place in the Vietnamese home. Therefore, no matter how busy they are, when Tet (Lunar New Year) comes, people in Ha Tinh always make time to clean the altar thoroughly.

The old incense burner will have its ashes burned and the ashes released into the river to make way for new incense sticks. After cleaning and washing, the altar will be rearranged and beautifully decorated with a plate of five fruits, a vase of fresh flowers, and various fragrant incense sticks. The more meticulously and thoughtfully the altar is arranged, the more peace of mind and confidence the homeowner has in a peaceful and lucky new year, believing that their ancestors will return and bless their descendants.

Visiting ancestral graves is a cultural tradition maintained by people throughout Ha Tinh province from generation to generation during the Lunar New Year. Photo: Dan Tri Newspaper.

After completing the cleaning and decorating of their homes, people will go to clean and visit the graves of their grandparents and ancestors to show respect and remembrance of the deceased. This is a cultural tradition maintained by people throughout Ha Tinh province from generation to generation during the Lunar New Year, commonly known as the "grave cleaning" custom.

Essentially, the tradition of visiting graves involves cleaning and tidying the graves, or "houses," of the deceased, inviting them to celebrate Tet (Lunar New Year) with their descendants. Even those living far away try to return home to visit the graves during Tet. While this custom usually takes place from the 10th to the 25th of the 12th lunar month, in my hometown of Thach Dai commune, it's particularly lively from the 18th to the 25th. During this time, the cemetery is bustling with people clearing weeds, repainting ancestral graves, and cleaning the surrounding walls.

My husband's Nguyen Van clan is a large family clan in Ha Tinh City. Every year, my husband participates in the ancestral tomb sweeping ceremony with his uncles and aunts. As Tet (Lunar New Year) approaches, the clan leader sets a date for the tomb sweeping. On that day, representatives from each family gather at the ancestral burial ground to sweep the tombs together with utmost respect. After a hard day's work, everyone gathers at the clan leader's house to summarize the clan's activities of the past year and discuss and assign tasks for the clan before, during, and after the Lunar New Year.

Green sticky rice cake, fatty pork, pickled onions...

Making green sticky rice cakes (bánh chưng) for the traditional Lunar New Year is a cultural tradition that has been maintained and preserved for generations in Ha Tinh province. It not only expresses reverence when offering the cakes to ancestors as a symbol of gratitude after a year of favorable weather, but also a wish for a lucky and prosperous new year. Every Lunar New Year, people gather together on mats spread in the courtyard to make sticky rice cakes, then huddle around the warm fire beside the steaming pot of cakes – a familiar, warm, and beautiful image.

The bubbling pots of sticky rice cakes simmering over the glowing fire, along with the rosy cheeks of the villagers, have become cherished memories for countless generations...

Around the 26th day of the lunar month, Ha Tinh market is bustling with people shopping for Tet (Lunar New Year). Mothers and grandmothers gather to buy banana leaves, bamboo tubes, and other ingredients like sticky rice, mung beans, and pork to prepare for making banh chung (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes). The square, time-worn molds for making banh chung are taken out of the kitchen cupboard each year, consistently producing perfectly shaped cakes under the skillful hands of family members. To save time and foster a sense of community and joy, several neighboring families will organize a banh chung-making session. The lively laughter of adults and the cheerful shouts of children around the piles of banh chung grow louder, dispelling the chill of the days leading up to Tet. The bubbling pots of banh chung over the glowing fire, along with the rosy cheeks of the children, have become cherished memories for generations.

Mr. Nguyen Van Luc, head of the Linh Tan neighborhood group in Thach Linh ward (Ha Tinh city), shared: “Every year, my family organizes a rice cake making session on the 27th day of the lunar month to offer to our ancestors, showing our gratitude and remembering the immense and boundless love and care our parents have given us. Furthermore, it's an opportunity for the whole family, young and old, to gather together, work, and chat after a busy year. This year, we plan to make more rice cakes than last year, both to offer at the ancestral altar and for the children to take home after the Tet holiday. My youngest child is currently studying at university far from home, and holding a rice cake prepared by their parents will make their heart feel warmer.”

Adding more vibrancy to the spring season.

Despite being a land of harsh sun and wind, thanks to the skillful hands and ingenuity of its people, many beautiful flowers for Tet (Lunar New Year) celebrations have been grown right in Ha Tinh, enough to supply all regions. In the harmonious atmosphere of spring, vibrant flower arrangements and potted plants laden with flowers and fruits from gardens and other places are displayed and sold along major roads, bringing the colors of spring to every home...

The tradition of arranging flowers and ornamental plants during Tet (Lunar New Year) has become an art form, reflecting the sophistication of the soul and carrying the profound meaning that spring will bring good fortune. Tet flower markets are colorful and diverse, but families usually choose from varieties such as: Nhat Tan peach blossoms, pink peach blossoms, kumquats, apricot blossoms, ornamental pomelos, lilies, orchids, etc.

These ceremonial poles not only illuminate the streets, creating a magical atmosphere at night, but also contribute to preserving the traditional beauty of the nation...

Besides displaying flowers, the custom of erecting New Year's poles is also enthusiastically practiced by the people. Around the 20th day of the 12th lunar month, each household has completed erecting a pole about 5 meters high, with the top decorated with flashing lights in the shape of a five-pointed golden star or a flag; the trunk is wrapped with sparkling lights in various colors, creating a very beautiful sight. As night falls, passersby can admire the shimmering, radiant poles reaching high into the distant sky, illuminating the entire area. The custom of erecting poles in front of houses during Tet aims to ward off bad luck from the old year, protect people's lives, and welcome a peaceful and happy new year.

Nguyen Hang

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/nui-hong-song-la/thang-chap-cua-nguoi-ha-tinh/260170.htm