 |
| Provincial Party Committee member and Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Le Thi Ngoc Loan, receives a calligraphy gift from calligrapher Lam Ky Anh at the Nguyen Van Tri flower street. Photo: Ngoc Lien |
Beyond simply preserving Vietnamese cultural traditions, the widespread popularity and strong development of the custom of requesting calligraphy at the beginning of the year demonstrates the increasing importance of Vietnamese calligraphy, contributing to the affirmation of traditional cultural values deeply rooted in Vietnamese identity.
Striving for positive values
Every year during Tet (Lunar New Year), Mrs. Do Thi Hoa's family (in Tan Khai commune, Dong Nai province) goes to the temple together to pray for peace and good fortune in the new year. After offering incense at the Buddhist shrines, Mrs. Hoa's family gathers around the calligraphy table at the temple to ask for auspicious characters for the new year. Each member of Mrs. Hoa's family takes turns requesting characters such as: prosperity, wealth, happiness, peace of mind, and longevity…
Ms. Hoa said: "Every year, my family asks for calligraphy, each person asking for a character for themselves, hoping for the best things to come in the year. Besides asking for characters for herself and her family, Ms. Hoa also asks for characters to give to her close friends as New Year's gifts."
Explaining the meaning of each character that her family members had just requested, Mrs. Hoa said: “The character for 'luck' signifies a wish for a prosperous new year, with smooth and successful business ventures. This is also one of the characters many people request at the beginning of the new year. Similarly, the character for 'blessing' symbolizes good fortune, encountering many good things, and a happy and joyful life; this is also a character many people use to decorate their homes. And the character for 'peace' represents a wish for a peaceful and happy new year. My children and grandchildren will bring these characters home to hang, and next year when we go to the temple, my family will request other characters.”
The custom of asking for calligraphy at the beginning of the year is not only found at cultural and spiritual sites, but also at tourist areas and entertainment venues. In particular, the tradition of giving and receiving calligraphy is very popular among young people today, with many even participating in Vietnamese calligraphy classes to write calligraphy themselves as gifts for friends and relatives.
Mr. Tran Quoc Van (from Tan Trieu ward, Dong Nai province) shared: During Tet (Lunar New Year), while visiting and taking photos with a group of friends at Nguyen Van Tri flower street in Tran Bien ward, he saw a calligraphy stall and asked for a calligraphy piece for himself and to give to his friends. Mr. Van shared: "I really like the character 'phuc' (fortune/blessing), so every year when I meet the calligrapher, I ask for this character to hang in my room, hoping for good luck and success in my work."
Nguyen Thi Phuong Vy (from Tan Trieu ward), a tourism student at Van Hien University (Ho Chi Minh City), said: "I really like calligraphy. Whenever I have the opportunity to meet calligraphers at events, tourist spots, or temples, I always ask for their calligraphy." Vy explained: "I think that the characters I receive represent my wishes and aspirations at that moment. Therefore, when I ask for calligraphy, I always put my sincerity into it."
The custom of requesting calligraphy today is not confined to traditional characters like: prosperity, longevity, happiness, wealth… many people also request characters that accurately reflect their feelings and desires for themselves, such as: courage, breakthrough, trustworthiness, intelligence, heart… as if choosing a “guiding principle” to pursue in life.
Preserving the value of Vietnamese calligraphy
The Vietnamese calligraphy movement has long been developing, not only among elderly calligraphers but also spreading among young people today. Requesting calligraphy is no longer limited to holiday activities but has also become a part of daily life. In fact, nowadays, many people who want to experience Vietnamese culture seek out calligraphy classes, workshops, and short-term calligraphy experiences to practice writing calligraphy.
Having pursued Vietnamese calligraphy for over 10 years, learning and writing calligraphy for many places across the country, Mr. Lam Ky Anh, known by his artistic name An Nhien Calligraphy (in Tran Bien ward), shared: Currently, Vietnamese calligraphy is very popular among young people and has become an indispensable spiritual nourishment for Vietnamese people. People request calligraphy not only for themselves and their families but also as a bridge between partners and as gifts. Besides that, calligraphy is also applied in daily life such as on advertising billboards, printed on shirts, ceramic and porcelain products… This shows that Vietnamese calligraphy is strongly embraced by the public, especially young people. Many young people passionate about Vietnamese calligraphy have studied it in more depth to expand their knowledge and improve their calligraphy skills. They not only request calligraphy but also want to learn and experience calligraphy.
Today's young people learn to write beautifully through calligraphy classes, not only to satisfy their passion, but also to write and give calligraphy to friends and relatives during holidays and festivals, to experience being a "calligrapher," and to contribute to promoting the beautiful tradition of requesting calligraphy at the beginning of the year in Vietnam.
Vietnamese calligraphy is an integral part of Vietnam's diverse culture. The increasing number of young people interested in learning about and experiencing Vietnamese calligraphy will contribute to the preservation and development of national cultural values.
Ngoc Lien
Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/dong-nai-cuoi-tuan/202603/xin-chu-dau-nam-d841089/
Comment (0)