Carrying water to bring good luck into the house.

Amidst the rhythm of spring, the traditional customs of the local people remain intact, like a red thread connecting the past with the present... Among them, the custom of carrying water from the source on New Year's Eve of the Tay and Nung communities in Bac Ha commune is a "special" spiritual and cultural beauty passed down from generation to generation.

Drawing water from the source on New Year's Eve is a beautiful custom in the spiritual and cultural life of the people – a place where they entrust their hopes for a prosperous, warm, and peaceful new year.

Mr. Lam Van Duc, from Na Lo village, Bac Ha commune, fetches water to pray for good luck and peace, following the traditional custom of the Tay people of Bac Ha on New Year's Eve.

In Na Lo village, Bac Ha commune, as the clock struck midnight – the moment of transition from the old year to the new year of the Year of the Horse – Lam Van Duc received a brand-new plastic bucket from his mother, freshly washed that afternoon. Beside it were incense sticks, a few wildflowers symbolizing spring, and a small offering . “The water-fetching tools must be new and clean; we don’t use old ones. The Tay people believe that choosing water for the first water of the year must come from a pure source, to bring good luck and prosperity into the house,” Duc shared.

According to the beliefs of the Tay and Nung people here, water is the source of life. Taking water from the source at the moment of New Year's Eve symbolizes bringing the life force of heaven and earth back to the family. The cool, refreshing water is not only used for cooking and making tea at the beginning of the year, but is also a symbol of wealth and fertility.

Those who go to fetch water usually choose the source, the clearest and cleanest stream. Before scooping up the water, they light incense, place flowers, and pray to the stream and mountain spirits for blessings and a harmonious year for their family. Without haste or commotion, their footsteps in the spring night in the highlands are like a sacred ritual, connecting people with nature and their ancestors.

As is customary, on New Year's Eve, Tay and Nung families go to the headwaters to "collect water - to bring good luck" home.

Besides preparing fresh water, on New Year's Eve, many Tay and Nung families in Bac Ha also prepare fresh firewood and keep the fire burning. According to Mrs. Lung Thi May, from Na Pac Ngam village, Bac Ha commune: The water brought in is placed respectfully in the kitchen, and then the family will use that water to boil the first pot of tea. The fire must be red hot, and the water must be full, so that the whole year will be warm, prosperous, and abundant.

For the people here, the hearth is not only for cooking but also the center of the family, a place that connects generations. When spring water is placed next to the newly lit fire, it represents the harmony of the two elements of yin and yang, the beginning of a new cycle of life.

After fetching water, the Tay and Nung people in Bac Ha will boil it to make tea to welcome the new year.

It's just a red bucket, cool water, and a bundle of dry firewood – but it embodies the aspiration for a year of favorable weather, prosperous business, and a harmonious family. In modern life, while many customs are gradually fading, in the highlands of Bac Ha, the tradition of carrying water on New Year's Eve is still preserved by families as an integral part of their culture. It's not just an act of fetching water; it's also a way for people to express their faith in nature, their ancestors, and in their own labor.

When the first rooster crows, heralding the new year, cool, refreshing water is already settled in every kitchen. Along with that, the simple, enduring belief of the Tay and Nung people: bringing water home at the moment of New Year's Eve is like bringing blessings from heaven, ensuring a new year of growth, good fortune, and abundance.