The job of "cleaning the house" for the deceased is busy during the days before Tet.

The People's Cemetery of Ha Dong District ( Hanoi ) is located near the crowded and bustling Nguyen Thanh Binh Street. At the end of the year, the cemetery is always bustling with people coming and going to repair the graves of the deceased.

Before celebrating Tet for themselves, Vietnamese people remember their grandparents and ancestors, so they often go to the cemetery to clean and tidy up the resting place of the deceased.

The caretaker at Ha Dong cemetery said that the cemetery is nearly 5 hectares wide, with nearly 10,000 graves.

"No matter what we do or how busy we are, for the past few decades, every time Tet approaches, my children and grandchildren go to the cemetery to weed and clean the graves so that our grandparents can celebrate Tet with their children and grandchildren," said Mr. Nguyen Viet Chien (62 years old, residing in Ha Dong district).

To keep the Ha Dong cemetery clean and tidy, there are usually two cleaning staff. At the end of the year, the work of those who "clean the house" for the deceased is always busy from early morning to late at night.

According to the caretaker of Ha Dong cemetery, there is a lot of work at the end of the year, all the graves are cleaned so we have to hire more cleaners.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Nhung (66 years old) weaves through thousands of graves at Ha Dong cemetery. Having been attached to this cemetery for 21 years, Ms. Nhung knows every grave, every grave, every name, and every hometown of each grave.

Just call to ask for cleaning in which area, name, age and she will know exactly which row and number the grave is in.

Because the graves are located close together, some are only about 20-30cm apart, making it difficult for Ms. Nhung to move around at times.

The weather in Hanoi during the days before Tet is freezing cold, but she only wears simple worker clothes, holding a rag and a broom in her hand, quickly cleaning each grave meticulously and carefully.

Ms. Nhung confided that for the past 10 days, she has been busy from early morning until late at night, and sometimes had to call family members to help clean the graves.

Some graves have been covered with sand and grass, making cleaning difficult for Ms. Nhung.

The work is hard but in return she has a stable income, in the last month of the year she can earn 7-8 million VND/month, and in other months it fluctuates from 5-6 million VND/month. This amount is mainly paid by those who ask her to take care of the graves.

In addition to flowers, some people also buy kumquat trees to place on graves.

"I believe that the earthly world is like the afterlife, so every Tet I buy a small kumquat tree to place on the graves of my ancestors," said Ms. Tu Lan (living in Ha Dong district).

Visiting graves before Tet is a beautiful tradition of Vietnamese people. This custom shows the filial piety and gratitude of descendants to their grandparents and ancestors.

Source link: https://dantri.com.vn/xa-hoi/nghe-don-nha-cho-nguoi-da-khuat-tat-bat-nhung-ngay-giap-tet-20240204030813018.htm