The Lunar New Year in Vietnam

8/6/2019 The Lunar New Year in Vietnam

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Tet has become so familiar, so sacred to theVietnamese that when Spring arrives, theVietnamese, wherever they may be, are all thrilledand excited with the advent of Tet, and they feel animmense nostalgia, wishing to come back to theirhomeland for a family reunion and a taste of theparticular flavours of the Vietnamese festivities.Tet starts on the first day of the first lunar monthand is the first season of the new year and thereforeit is also known as the Tet Nguyen Dan

-----------------Sacred( thing ling)

Advent( s n)Nostal ia ni nh u hn


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The Vietnamese, wherever they may be, are allthrilled and excited with the advent of Tet. Those who

have settled down abroad all turn their thoughts totheir home country and try to celebrate the festivitiesin the same traditional way as their family membersand relatives to relieve their nostalgia, neverforgetting the fine custom handed down from

generation to generation.


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The Tet of the New Year is, above all, a feteof the family. This is an opportunity for thehousehold genies to meet, those who havehelped during the year, namely the CraftCreator, the Land Genie and the KitchenGod. As the legend goes, each year on

December 23 of the lunar calendar, theKitchen God takes a ride on a carp to theHeavenly Palace to make a report on theaffairs of the household on earth and thenreturns on December 30 to welcome the New

Spring. -----------

Fete( ngy ngh)


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Tet is also an opportunity to welcomedeceased ancestors back for a family

reunion with their descendants. Finally,Tet is a good opportunity for familymembers to meet. This custom has becomesacred and secular and, therefore, nomatter where they are or whatever thecircumstances, family members find waysto come back to meet their loved ones

------------

deceased ancestors (t tin quai) descendants(con chu)


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DESCENDANTS(CON CHU)

Vietnamese Tet has quite a few original practices withcustoms and entertainment that have distinct

Vietnamese cultural characteristics. In the frameworkof this article, a few customs and practices arepresented so that readers can better understand thetraditional Tet of Vietnam.

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PLANTING THE NEU


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Neu is often planted on this occasion. It is a bamboo

pole with green leaves, an eight sign amulet and earthenbells hung from its top. Lime powder is scattered round itsbase to allow the painting of crossbows and arrows to chaseaway the devils or earthen keep them far away.

--------------amulet( ba)earthen( bng t)scattered ( ri rc)crossbows (n)

arrows( mi tn)


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THE GIAO THUA (NEWYEARS EVE)


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_The Giao Thua is the most sacred point of time, the passage from theold to the new year

_Every home makes offerings in the open air to pray for a good newyear

_After the giao thua is the start of the new year with many customs andpractices, amusements and entertainment, all of a distinctVietnamese folk culture


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_During the first three or four days of Tet, the first houseguestto offer Tet greetings is considered the "first visitor of theyear" (xong dat)

_Their luck is considered to have a strong effect on thehomeowner's business success for the upcoming year


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FLOWERS IN TET


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Coming to Vietnam during the season of the Tet festival, thevisitor is engulfed in an ocean of colourful flowers.


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Visiting flower shows, contemplating the buds and

blooms, and purchasing blossoms represents one of the

distinct Vietnamese cultural characteristics.


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Poor or rich, the northern people cannot welcome Tet without atwig of peach blossom in their homes.


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.while the southerners,a small branch of apricot blossom,together with a pot of Kumquat.


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The peach and the apricot blossoms are symbols of the

Vietnamese Tet.

The warm pink of the peach could very well match the dry coldof the North, but the hot South seems to be flourishing in the

showing of the yellow of the apricot.


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Kumquat are often decorated in the living room.

Nowaday, Kumquat have more sophisticated style but

still must ensure the luxuriant, green leaves, yellow

fruits


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The Mandarin is symbolic of good fortune and, therefore,people tend to choose the little plants laden with fruit, and

verdant leaves for a longer display.


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FLOWERS TO WORSHIP

Marigold

flowers

Chrysanthemu

m

Lily


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Rose Narcissus Orchids

Dahlia Violet Gerbera


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THE "CAU DOI" (PARALLEL)


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Composing, challenging anddisplaying parallels

represents an elegantcultural activity of theVietnamese. On the occasionof Tet, parallels are writtenon red paper and hung on

both sides of the gate, thepillars or the ancestral altar.Each pair of parallels has anequal number of words withcontrasting or corresponding

meanings and lines of verses.--------------

elegant(thanh lch)


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They show a keenintelligence, perception of

nature and social life,

uphold morality and ayearning for the well-beingof all people. The red is

symbolic of auspicious andpowerful vitality, accordingto popular belief. Minglingwith the green of the banh

chung, the pink of the peachblooms, the yellow of theapricot blossoms, and the

red of the parallels is sure to

make the Spring warmerand cozier.----------

vitality(sc sng)and cozier( m cng).


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THE "BANH CHUNG"


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King Hung told his sons to bring special food. The prince

with the best food would become the next King


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LANG LIEU, THE FOURTH SON, MADE TWO TYPES OF

CAKES


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THE ROUND BANH DAY SYMBOLIZES THE

SKY


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THE SQUARE BANH CHUNG SYMBOLIZES

THE EARTH


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INGREDIENTS FOR BANH CHUNG: GREEN PEAS, STICKY RICE,

PORK,ARE GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH


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THE "MAM NGU QUA"


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THE "FIVE-FRUIT TRAY" ON THE ANCESTRAL

ALTAR DURING THE TET HOLIDAYS

SYMBOLIZES THE ADMIRATION AND

GRATITUDEANCESTRAL ALTAR: bn tht tin


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THE FIVE FRUITS ARE SYMBOLIC OF THE FIVE

BASIC ELEMENTS OF ORIENTAL PHILOSOPHY:

METAL,WOOD, WATER, FIRE, AND EARTH


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HOWEVER, IN A SIMPLER WAY, THE FIVE FRUITS

REPRESENT THE QUINTESSENCE THAT HEAVENAND EARTH BLESS HUMANS. THIS IS ONE OF THE

GENERAL PERCEPTIONS OF LIFE OF THE

VIETNAMESE

BLESS: ban phc cho


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The Lim Festival The Lim Festival, organized in Lim village located 18 km

from Hanoi, where Quan Ho, the special folksongs performed. It takes place every year on 13th day ofthe 1st lunar month. Thousands of visitors come here toenjoy the dialogues performances between "lien anh" (malesingers) and "lien chi" (female singers), the country's mostskilled Quan Ho singers. They sing different types of songsin the pagodas, on the hills, and in the boats.

Besides this, visitors can come to the Lim Festival to enjoythe weaving competition of the Noi Due girls. They weaveand sing Quan Ho songs at the same time. Like otherreligious festivals, the Lim Festival goes through all the

ritual stages, from the procession to the worshippingceremony, and includes other activities. The Lim Festival celebrates the "Quan Ho" folk song which

has become a part of the national culture and a typical folksong that is well loved in the Red River Delta region.


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Nui Ba Festival

During the spring until the afternoon of the 30thday of the 1st lunar month, and especially on theday of the full moon of the first month, touristsfrom Ho Chi Minh City and the provinces of thesouth pilgrimage to worship and sightsee.Starting at the bottom of the mountain, touristsclimb one half of the mountain to Saint LinhSon's communal house and then follow a path

that leads to a pagoda. This pagoda offersvegetarian meals. Tourists can eat as much asthey want, but should donate some money to thepagoda; the amount of the donation depending onthe budget of the tourist.


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The Lunar New Year in Vietnam

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