Every year during Tet, if you pass through the rural road in Long Quoi 2 hamlet, many people will see a pole more than ten meters high, with two rows of red parallel sentences standing out in the yard of Mr. Huynh Cong Ly's house, commonly known as Hai Ly.
Mr. Huynh Cong Ly's family hung parallel sentences on the tree to make it more sparkling and filled with Tet atmosphere.
Mr. Ly shared: "Since before the country's reunification, my family has erected a pole according to our ancestors' tradition and has maintained it until now. According to the ancients, on Tet holiday, we must erect a pole to ward off evil spirits, pray for a favorable new year and good crops. In the past, many families in Long Dien B commune also erected a pole on Tet holiday, but over time, only I have maintained this custom."
When there was no electricity in the countryside, Mr. Ly erected a low and simple pole in front of his house, consisting of betel, areca nuts and a "pole charm" to ward off evil spirits. Since electricity came to the countryside, he erected a pole more than ten meters high, hung a pair of parallel sentences, and attached flashing lights to make it more sparkling at night. From afar, seeing the parallel sentences and flashing lights standing out in the corner of the countryside, many people immediately recognized that it was Mr. Ly's house.
According to Mr. Ly, choosing the bamboo to erect the flagpole is very important. The bamboo must be old, 10 meters or taller, with a straight, smooth trunk, the top is curved, leaving only a few branches and lush leaves at the top. The bamboo used to erect the flagpole symbolizes stability, wishing everyone a smooth year of business and favorable development. Usually, the flagpole is erected from the 28th of Tet, and taken down on the 7th of Tet, taking more than a week.
Tet pole of Mr. Huynh Cong Ly's family
Mr. Huynh Cong Ly (right) and his family have maintained the Tet pole for more than 50 years.
Before setting up the pole, Mr. Hai Ly's family prepared tea, a tray of five fruits, betel and areca nuts, incense, candles, and a pair of parallel sentences with Tet verses to worship heaven, earth, and ancestors. After lighting the incense, the family hung the betel and areca nuts and parallel sentences on a bamboo pole and then dug a hole in the front yard to set up the pole. To make the pole stable in the wind, he used bamboo to secure the base of the pole.
"Folk songs often say: The dove calls three times / Looking forward to Tet, we will set up the pole and eat sweet soup , so in the past, when setting up the pole, my family cooked sweet soup in the traditional way. However, now we have to change to adapt. Sweet soup can be bought at the market and other types of sweet soup are fine, not necessarily sweet soup, as long as we are sincere. This is a traditional custom, so I always tell my children and grandchildren to continue setting up the traditional Tet pole, preserving this beautiful cultural feature," Mr. Ly shared.
According to researcher Huynh Ngoc Trang, the pole is considered a symbol of the universe connecting the earth, the human world and the heavens. Therefore, the pole is also considered the axis of the world, the center, because it establishes the relationship between heaven and earth. According to custom, in the past, every New Year, every family erected a pole in front of the yard, and on the 7th day of the lunar calendar, the pole was lowered.
Regarding the legend of "The Tet pole in Vietnam", Mr. Huynh Ngoc Trang said that in ancient times, when demons occupied the entire land, Buddha used the shadow of a monk's robe to cover the land to help people drive away the demons. However, every year, when Tet is approaching, the demons find a way to return to their old land. To keep demons from coming near people, people plant the pole. Due to the historical process and the influence of religion, the pole is hung with mascots and charms to ward off evil spirits at the moment of transition from the old year to the new year.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hon-50-nam-giu-phong-tuc-dung-cay-neu-ngay-tet-185250106170201652.htm
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