Culture sprouts from simple things

VHO - Without the need for grand festivals or loud slogans, Tho Xuan district (Thanh Hoa) is quietly creating a "soft revolution" in community life, where culture is nurtured from simple wedding banquets, neat funerals, festivals filled with village affection, to every village road cleared of dry leaves.

A journey to create a civilized lifestyle from very ordinary but sustainable and inspiring things.

Simple but profound: Civilization in every ritual of life

It is not by chance that Xuan Lap commune is mentioned as a model in building a new cultural lifestyle in Tho Xuan district. Here, the movement "All people unite to build a cultural life" (TDĐKXDĐSVH) has not only stopped at a call, but has become a part of the way of life and thinking of the people.

A special bamboo dance performance by Muong ethnic people in Tho Xuan district at the Le Hoan Temple Festival

From weddings, funerals, festivals, sacred rituals in each person's life cycle now have a new look. Not cumbersome, not ostentatious, but still solemn and complete.

Weddings no longer last three or four days, there are no tents set up in the middle of the street, and no loud speakers. The host is advised to organize the ceremony economically and in a civilized manner. The lavish feasts now give way to cozy, neat parties that fit the conditions of each family.

Funerals have also changed significantly. Instead of being superstitious and cumbersome with a series of old-fashioned rituals, people organize funerals in a short time, maintaining a solemn atmosphere without affecting the surrounding community.

More importantly, those families spend their savings on charity work, supporting poor households, contributing to education promotion funds, helping the sick...

“Solemn, economical wedding; complete funeral, no superstition; safe, friendly festival” has become a living slogan, and above all, a concrete action.

A leader of the People's Committee of Xuan Lap commune shared: "The core is not issuing documents or making appeals, but consensus between the government and the people. When people believe that living in a civilized manner is beneficial for themselves and the community, they will naturally take action."

The festival atmosphere in Xuan Lap has also changed. The ceremony is short but retains all traditional rituals. People only burn symbolic incense, do not use votive paper, firecrackers or burn incense indiscriminately.

The festival is exciting with tug of war, bamboo dancing, folk games, culinary competitions, camping, art performances, ethnic costumes... All are closely related to local life, do not cost too much money, and are not commercialized.

According to the District Movement Steering Committee, the rate of simple and economical weddings is increasing. 100% of couples get married at the right age and voluntarily. There is no longer the situation of early marriage or forced marriage as before. Funerals are civilized, not cumbersome, and do not have lavish parties. Traditional festivals still retain their unique features but are flexible, economical and safe.

Locals and tourists join in the bustling, traditional atmosphere of Le Hoan Festival (Tho Xuan)

More importantly, the cultural atmosphere is not only present in big events but has permeated daily life, becoming a way of thinking, a habit and even a source of pride for local people.

Spreading from life: When every beautiful action becomes a source of culture

In Tho Xuan, civilized living is not just a matter of “the superiors telling and the subordinates listening”. It is the result of a process of consensus in perception and action between the government and the people.

People voluntarily tidy up their residential areas and houses, maintain hygiene, sort garbage, plant flowers along the roadside, hang national flags on holidays, and build a "3 no" residential area: no social evils, no pollution, and no violations of security and order.

Not only weddings, funerals, festivals, culture is also closely linked to daily activities. Women's associations organize civilized birthday parties, not extravagant ones; youth unions mobilize not to gather and make noise late at night; veterans lead the movement to maintain public hygiene; farmers' associations organize activities associated with training on civilized lifestyles...

Many village cultural houses have become real community places, not only for meetings but also as “schools of cultural life” through yoga classes, bamboo dancing, folk singing, reading, etc. Connecting generations from the elderly to the youth to share and learn beautiful lifestyles.

People enthusiastically participate in folk games at Le Hoan Festival, creating a joyful atmosphere and connecting the community.

The village party cell secretaries directly organized dialogues, signed commitments to build cultural families, and used civilized lifestyles as criteria to select titles. The district government did not pursue achievements, but focused on quality: selecting and praising groups and individuals who performed well with specific, inspiring stories.

Propaganda work has been “modernized” through social networks, village Zalo groups, village radio, exchange sessions, competitions, video reports, etc., making it easy for people to access, understand, and follow. In particular, many communes have introduced cultural lifestyle content into schools, teaching students from a young age about behavior, hygiene, and polite behavior.

The Tho Xuan Movement for the Construction of a New Cultural Life is not “administrativeized” but is alive thanks to “democratization”. Culture, when originating from the people, will live long and spread far.

It can be said that today’s civilized lifestyle has gone beyond the framework of a movement, it has become the “foundation” for a sustainable society. Culture, when cultivated from every small thing, will create a healthy living environment, creating conditions for the economy , education, tourism, social security, etc. to develop together.

In Tho Xuan, the living space is clearly improving: village roads and alleys are clean, houses are spacious, residential areas are bright - green - clean - beautiful. Neighborhood relationships are strong, social evils have decreased significantly.

Children are raised in a moral environment, adults live more responsibly and civilized. That is the valuable foundation for building a new, advanced, model countryside, not only in infrastructure but also in quality of life.

And when each simple wedding, each meaningful funeral, each joyful festival, each civilized behavior of the people is a "piece", the cultural picture of Tho Xuan will become more and more complete, more stable in the face of all challenges of the times.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/van-hoa-nay-mam-tu-nhung-dieu-binh-di-145850.html