The culture of wishing Happy New Year.

Lunar New Year is a time for all family members to gather and celebrate together. It's a time to express deep affection and wish everyone good fortune and peace.

Traditionally, the saying "The first day of Tet is for the father, the second for the mother, and the third for the teacher" refers to visiting relatives and showing respect to elders during Tet. According to old beliefs, the father is from the paternal side, and the mother is from the maternal side. This means that on the first day of Tet, siblings would visit the paternal side, and on the second, they would visit the maternal side to pay their respects and express their gratitude. On the third day, they would visit their teachers to show appreciation and respect.

On the first day of Tet, visit your father's house; on the second day, visit your mother's house.

According to traditional custom, "On the first day of Tet, visit the father's house." After the ancestral worship ceremony, parents are invited to sit down so that their children and grandchildren can take turns wishing them a happy new year and offering New Year's greetings. On the second day, visit the mother's house, where parents and children must go to the maternal grandparents' house to offer New Year's greetings and wishes. The same rituals are followed as with the paternal grandparents. Afterwards, they stay to share a New Year's feast, strengthening the bond between the two families.

Preserving the cultural tradition of wishing grandparents and parents a happy New Year and offering them New Year's greetings.

I remember the Tet holidays of the past, when we only traveled by bicycle. Many families would carry the whole family on one bike, laden with bags of gifts, milk, rice, and even a chicken tied to the side, cycling dozens of kilometers over mountain passes. The little child, with rosy cheeks, slept soundly on their mother's back, occasionally waking up startled when their father went over a pothole, their eyes wide with wonder amidst the hills. Nowadays, travel is much easier; motorbikes and cars can bring back many things for grandparents, depending on each person's means and sincerity.

Mr. Nong Bao Long, from Song Hien ward (City), said: "My paternal grandparents live in Trung Khanh, and my maternal grandparents live in Bao Lac, but I still maintain the tradition of bringing the whole family to visit both sets of grandparents every Tet holiday, so that the children and grandchildren can meet and the grandparents can be happy about their children's growth. Tet gifts nowadays are also more diverse; if I see something delicious or unusual, I buy it to give to my grandparents, it doesn't necessarily have to be in the traditional way anymore."

The third day of Tet, teacher

After the gratitude owed to one's parents for their upbringing comes the gratitude owed to teachers for their guidance. Visiting teachers to wish them a Happy New Year is a custom that reflects a person's moral character. This New Year's greeting is a cultural tradition that expresses deep affection, care, and filial piety, an essential element in the existence and development of a nation. However, with development, many cultural traditions have been lost or are not fully maintained. The practice of "Tet Teacher" today is no longer carried out in the way that our ancestors passed down.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong, from Hoa Chung ward (City), said that although she is a teacher, the tradition of wishing teachers a Happy New Year has almost disappeared. Perhaps modern life is too busy and full of worries, causing these beautiful traditional customs to gradually fade away.

Happy New Year!

New Year's greetings are very important; good wishes bring luck, smooth sailing, and success throughout the year. Greetings are diverse, ranging from poems, songs, and rhymes, but the most commonly used are those that the recipient likes best. First, wishes should be for good health, then for smooth sailing in all endeavors, abundant blessings, and for all wishes to come true. It's important to avoid using ancestral names, mentioning past mistakes or wrongdoings, and using appropriate forms of address based on age and relationship.

When wishing someone a Happy New Year who experienced misfortune or hardship in the past year, people encourage each other with phrases like "Better to lose possessions than to lose a person," and "Though the misfortune has passed, we will overcome it," meaning that even in adversity, one can find blessings and look towards the good. Especially during the first days of the new year, people refrain from talking about misfortune or bad things.

An indispensable custom during the Lunar New Year is giving New Year's greetings. Children and grandchildren give New Year's greetings to their grandparents and parents. Grandparents and parents also prepare a small amount of money wrapped in red envelopes to give as New Year's gifts to their children and grandchildren, as well as to neighbors, friends, and relatives.

Throughout the year, people work hard and have little opportunity to visit each other. However, the Lunar New Year brings a meaningful way to exchange greetings and strengthen bonds of affection. Sharing tea, candies, and sweet treats further solidifies family ties and neighborly spirit.

Thach Duong

Source