The custom of slaughtering pigs to celebrate Tet

For generations, the custom of slaughtering pigs to eat together on Tet has been associated with the childhood memories of many children born in the countryside. This is an interesting custom that is still maintained today, demonstrating a unique community cultural activity.

Every Tet holiday, “Fatty meat, pickled onions, red parallel sentences/Flag pole, firecrackers, green Chung cake” appear in every family in the countryside. It has become a tradition that on the 28th and 29th of Tet, several families in the neighborhood will happily slaughter pigs together. This is an opportunity for everyone in the family to reunite, strengthen the bond of village and neighborhood, and also an opportunity for young people to explore and understand more deeply the unique cultural identity of the nation.

I still remember in the past, a month before Tet, the neighbors would discuss slaughtering pigs for Tet. Tet pigs were raised from the beginning of the year, purebred, and not raised for growth so that the meat would be fragrant and delicious. If they could not raise pigs, the families that shared pigs would find a fat pig to buy and contribute their efforts and money to raise it, waiting for the day of slaughter. Tet pigs usually weighed 60 - 80 kg, depending on the weight of the pig, 4 families or 2 families would slaughter it together.

The atmosphere of pork day is joyful and bustling with the sounds of pigs squealing throughout the village streets and alleys, signaling the arrival of Tet. From early morning, women light fires, prepare boiling water, fish sauce, salt, baskets, scales, banana leaves... to hold the pork. Men prepare knives, cutting boards, tie the pigs in the pen, carry them out to the yard to bleed them, then some shave the hair, some clean the intestines. Children eagerly carry buckets of water, helping adults scoop water to wash the intestines.

The atmosphere of the pig slaughtering day to celebrate Tet is joyful and bustling.

After the pig is dehaired, it is taken out to be sliced and deboned. Everything will be divided equally among each family, from the pig's feet, lean meat, fat, bones, head, ears, tongue, blood pudding, intestines, sausage... The pork brought home is used to make fillings for banh chung, lap xuong, meat hung in the kitchen... In the past, when there were no refrigerators, the remaining meat was cut into pieces and salted, then on Tet holiday, it was taken out to be processed into dishes according to taste.

After dividing the portions, families will hold a party right at the pig slaughtering house. The meal has the full participation of all members of the families who join in the pig slaughter, sometimes with several trays of food. All dishes are made from the butchered pig, usually pig organs such as: intestines, liver, heart, kidney... During this meal, everyone sits together, puts aside their worries and troubles in life, gathers to talk about the production situation, summarizes the past year, and together looks forward to a good and peaceful new year. Children eagerly enjoy delicious dishes made from pork. The gathering and joy is like a prelude to Tet, the atmosphere is jubilant and eager.

Before slaughtering the pig, the mothers and grandmothers prepare sticky rice and green beans, waiting for the meat to be divided and brought home to marinate and make the filling to wrap the banh chung. At night, the children sit by the red fire to boil the banh chung pot, eagerly listening to their grandmother tell fairy tales all night. After the day of slaughtering the pig, the next morning, the smell of banh chung just taken out of the pot is still hot. Throughout the village streets and alleys, the aroma of boiled meat, banh chung... the rich, warm taste of Tet spreads throughout the countryside.

In recent years, life has improved, people no longer need to stock up on food for Tet as much as before. Goods are abundant with many types of processed foods, so the custom of slaughtering pigs together on Tet in many places has gradually faded away. However, in the countryside, many families still maintain this custom to eat clean pork and have a Tet atmosphere. Slaughtering pigs together is not only a custom in the countryside during difficult economic times, when food is scarce, but it is also a cultural feature of people in rural or urban areas, creating solidarity between villages and looking forward to a new year of prosperity and happiness.

Mai Chi

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