Still in memory

What I remember most is the sacred moment of welcoming the New Year. On the night of the 30th, the whole family stayed up to welcome the New Year; no one wanted to go to sleep. My father wore his finest clothes, a dark, two-pocketed, fitted robe that reached below his knees, as solemn as a shaman's. The Tale of Kieu was placed respectfully on the table...

During Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year), everyone is busy making arrangements to return to their hometowns to celebrate the holiday and light incense at the ancestral altar. ( Illustrative image from the Internet).

Tet, the Lunar New Year, is the happiest day of the year, marking the beginning of a new 365-day journey filled with countless emotions. During the three days of Tet, no matter where they are or what they do, everyone is busy making arrangements to return to their hometowns to celebrate, to reunite with family, to light incense at the ancestral altar, to visit relatives and friends, and to share in the village festivities with the unique customs and traditions of each region and family.

My hometown is a coastal area. Including the width of the Lam River, the East Sea is about 2 km apart. Nature has blessed my homeland with picturesque and romantic scenery. The gentle, poetic Lam River, which has been immortalized in beautiful, graceful poetry, flows through my village, seemingly slowing down. At the Lantern Wharf and the Tea Wharf, during Tet (Lunar New Year), boats from Giang Dinh Market, Cua Hoi, and Mai Trang Market (Nghi Loc) crowded the Dang Market. I still remember the Tet market of the past – crowded, bustling, and with a wide variety of goods, no less impressive than the District Market (Giang Dinh Market). The market was held both along the riverbank and spilled out onto the main road.

"...Boats sail upstream on Giang Dinh River and downstream on Cua Hoi River."

Pho Hai, Dan Truong... are all gathered here.

Sticky rice, molded and wrapped, has a fragrant smoky aroma.

"The strong wine makes the cheeks of those who drink it flush!"

(Cho Dang - excerpt from the poetry collection "Sand" - THS)

Swinging is one of the traditional folk games that used to be played during spring festivals in many rural villages. (In the photo: Swinging in Xuan Linh commune - Nghi Xuan district). Photo: Hoai Nam

Besides buying and selling, people also organize spring games like swinging, cycling with firecrackers, and throwing rings onto duck necks... Everyone is radiant and dressed up in beautiful new clothes, especially the young women. The girls from my coastal hometown are famous for their beauty and health, and one could say they possess the unique charm of a riverside region. Many of the girls from the coast have honey-colored skin, curly hair like waves, and long, strong thighs; they play swinging and cycling with firecrackers just as well as the boys. Their movements are quick and decisive, yet very graceful.

The best game was tug-of-war. The men's team pulled against the women's team. The men's team consisted of the boys from Quyet Tien village along the river; the women's team consisted of the girls from Dong Tien village along the coast; both teams had the same number of members. People often say, "Even a cowardly buffalo is better than a fierce bull!" Yet, the Quyet Tien men's team lost! They were pulled down and dragged for about five meters by the girls from the coastal village. Then the two teams embraced each other amidst the girls' cheerful, carefree laughter.

What I remember most is the sacred moment of welcoming the New Year. On the night of the 30th, the whole family stayed up to welcome the New Year; no one wanted to go to sleep. My father wore his finest clothes, a dark, two-pocketed, long robe reaching below his knees, as solemn as a shaman's. The Tale of Kieu was placed respectfully on the table. My mother prepared sticky rice and chicken for the New Year's Eve offering. The incense smoke rose and drifted languidly in the quiet, serene space, during the sacred moment of the universe's transition.

The joy of receiving lucky money at the beginning of the year (Photo: Tuoi Tre Online ).

My father sat in the center, my mother to the left, and the eight of us siblings sat in two rows on either side. Everyone was anxiously awaiting the most magical moment. My father offered incense at the ancestral altar, then everyone else followed suit... My father bowed to the ancestors, murmured prayers, and turned a page from the Tale of Kieu. He read slowly, his eyes welling up with tears, the first four lines of the page, then put the book down and explained the meaning of the lines to the whole family. One by one, we all followed my father's example, each of us nervous and apprehensive, but once it was over, everyone was excited and smiling because we had welcomed the new gods of the new year.

Then, Father gave New Year's greetings to the family members. Each person received a bright, round 5-cent coin from Father's hand, along with warm, affectionate wishes filled with love. My siblings and I respectfully wished our parents a happy new year and gathered around the New Year's Eve feast. Father sipped his wine and then recited poems he had written. Then the whole family followed Father to pick lucky branches for the spring. The journey lasted until the end of the night, filled with joy and happiness.

My hometown has undergone a dramatic transformation. (In the photo: The "Giang Dinh Ancient Ferry" boat - by Dau Ha).

My hometown has undergone a dramatic transformation. Over the past few decades, through the ups and downs of life, the landscape and traditional customs have changed considerably. On the morning of the first day of Tet, attending the flag-raising ceremony at the commune hall and offering incense at the martyrs' cemetery, my heart was filled with emotion. My district was the first in the province to achieve the new rural standard, boasting modern features of the age of science and technology. Beside the ancient tiled-roof houses stand towering high-rise buildings along the Lam River; the "Giang Dinh Ancient Ferry" boat carries tourists on spring excursions, experiencing the picturesque scenery along both banks. In the distance, Con Moc islet, with its flat sand dunes, resembles an alarm clock, awakening Nghi Xuan to reach new heights.

Every New Year's Eve, I offer incense at the ancestral altar and consult the Tale of Kieu for fortune-telling, surrounded by the joy of my children and grandchildren. The traditional New Year's lucky money, with its elegant charm, is passed into the hands of the children along with good wishes. Layers of history blend with the modern beauty of the three days of Tet. Then the whole family goes out to enjoy the spring scenery, picking lucky branches and admiring the changing landscape of our homeland, striving towards a brighter future.

Tran Hanh Son

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/van-hoc/van-con-trong-ky-uc/259865.htm