Today is the last day of the Gregorian calendar. Tomorrow is the Western New Year in our country. Friends in the West are eagerly counting down to New Year's Eve, wishing each other all kinds of wishes. Live life accordingly. Having a day off from work, eating, drinking, and having fun with family and relatives is great. Also congratulate, also hope for a brighter, more beautiful and successful new year. I have never celebrated the Western New Year in the West, only heard about it from friends. Just remembering a little bit about celebrating the Western New Year and the Vietnamese New Year in the city, so I'm just adding a little story for fun.
In the past, Westerners celebrated for a whole... season! It lasted from Christmas to New Year's Day. The beauty of New Year's Day is that it follows the festive atmosphere of Christmas. Young people in the city are the ones who respond most enthusiastically. Religious or not, Christmas is still an opportunity to dress up, to eat, dance, and most importantly, to express their love for each other. Adults are more calm, they celebrate New Year's Day as a sign that a year has ended, and hope that business will be better in the new year. Children are happy because they have at least one day off from school, and that's it!
Tet, Lunar New Year, is different. Completely different. Tet has many important meanings.
From the elderly to the children, the traditional Tet holiday is very sacred, it is the day of family reunion. Those who have a hometown will return to their hometown. No matter how far away, they will return, except in cases of force majeure, which is always considered a loss, a torment, a heartbreaking sadness! Not only the living gather, but also the deceased. The altar is cleaned to welcome grandparents back to celebrate Tet. Tet officially lasts only 3 days, but preparations for Tet are made a month in advance. From the city to the countryside, every family decorates their house, wraps cakes, makes jam, and stores food for a few days without cooking. Celebrate Tet. There is a proper order and routine! On the last day of the year, they prepare a meal to worship their grandparents, and the children and grandchildren gather.
On New Year's Eve, we make offerings to see off the old year and welcome the new year. "The first day of Tet is for fathers, the second day of Tet is for mothers, the third day of Tet is for teachers". Rituals are given top priority. The educational and cultural values of a nation are clearly shown in the three days of Tet. All grudges, jealousy, and even hatred are left behind for the old year. People forgive, sympathize, become closer, and love each other more thanks to Tet. People wish each other the best on the first day of the year, and always hope that those things will come in the new year. I believe in this, as I believe in the happiness of my childhood on Tet. All mistakes are forgiven, I get to wear new clothes, receive lucky money, eat and drink everything, and most importantly, I get to play freely without being scolded. A child who grows up without Tet will certainly have many things missing in his life!
There are many, many more, too many to mention. Tet is deeply ingrained in the subconscious. Tet is like a kind of faithful love. After a whole year of hard work and worries, without a few days of Tet, life would be so dull, tasteless and boring.
NGO DINH HAI
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