- Preparing for the holiday
- New Year's altar of the ancestors
- Festive table
- Traditions for the New Year in Vietnam
New Year in Vietnam is celebrated in accordance with the lunar calendar and falls, as a rule, at the end of January or the beginning of February. The holiday plays an important role in the life of the Vietnamese, as it is considered the time of the rebirth of nature after a long winter and has a deep symbolic meaning.
Preparing for the holiday
Residents of Vietnam divide the holiday into several calendar stages, for each of which one should carefully prepare. There are three stages in total: tatnyen (two weeks before the holiday); zyaotkhya (New Year's Eve); tannyen (New Year itself). Perhaps the most important stage is tatnyen, when all Vietnamese massively buy food, gifts, clean their homes and give back the money borrowed earlier.
On New Year's Eve, houses are decorated with improvised Christmas trees (keineu), which are several bamboo sticks tied together with a silk ribbon. A variety of origami figures, fish, parrots made of red cloth with gold ornaments and amulets are hung on the keineu. According to ancient Vietnamese tradition, flowers and fruits bring prosperity and happiness the next year. Therefore, during the whole holiday, there are live chrysanthemums, daffodils, celosia, marigolds and bonsai trees several centimeters high in the apartments.
During Ziaothya, Vietnamese hang paintings of thin papyrus paper (dongho) and calligraphic scrolls called thufap all over the house. These decorations are included in the mandatory list of New Year's attributes and are widely sold in stores as well as on the streets. The papyrus depicts inscriptions attracting good luck and happiness.
Most people try to get home before the holiday, so in Vietnam at this time, basic transport hubs are often congested. When the New Year comes, Vietnamese gather at the table with relatives, as the holiday is exclusively a family celebration.
On the days after the New Year, carnival processions are held on the streets along the main streets of the city, on which flower arches, statues and original compositions are installed.
New Year's altar of the ancestors
Since ancient times, the Vietnamese have worshiped the cult of their ancestors. This tradition was especially observed during the Theta period. Believers on the eve of the holiday visit the cemetery and clean up the graves of the dead, and an altar is made in the houses. According to one of the legends, the keepers of the hearth on the first day of the New Year return to heaven and report to the Jade Emperor about the events that have occurred in the family over the past year.
As a sign of respect, the altar is cleaned and renewed with fruit offerings. Their number should be five. Otherwise, the ancestors may be angry with the whole genus. In addition to the fruit, an amulet of happiness and a bouquet of flowers are placed.
First of all, peaches, rose apple, plum, ziziphus and almonds are placed on the dish. In the northern part of the country, the range of fruits may differ, but not significantly. Separately, it should be noted that it is forbidden to put fruits such as pomegranate and pear on the altar. These fruits, according to legends, bring misfortune and empty chores to the house.
Festive table
Translated from Vietnamese, "celebrate the New Year" literally means "there is a New Year." That is, for the inhabitants of the country, food prepared for the holiday is considered part of the ritual. The menu consists of the following dishes:
- thit kkho nyok zya (pork stewed in coconut milk and mixed with boiled eggs);
- pickled bean and soybean sprouts;
- Hatza (fried watermelon seeds)
- kukyeu (onions marinated in vinegar with spices);
- myt (fruit covered with caramel glaze);
- zyakhan (cabbage and onions marinated in soy sauce);
- dried meat;
- noodles with vegetables;
- boiled fish with rice;
- fried bamboo shoots.
An important part of the New Year's table is the preparation of pies (bant'ing, bantet, bansay) with fruit or meat fillings. Instead of dough, banana leaves are used, in which the filling is wrapped.
The dishes take a long time to prepare, so the whole family gets together and discusses the events of the past year. For the Vietnamese, this process is akin to a ritual when the old year is seen off. If the pie is square, then this is a sign of gratitude, a triangular one is a symbol of the sky, which gives peace of mind.
Traditions for the New Year in Vietnam
The new Tena day follows the customs and rituals that every Vietnamese tries to observe. So, the first day is dedicated to the family. On this day, all parents give their children money, packed in red envelopes, and the younger generation wishes health to the elder. It is also customary for children to wear only new and clean clothes.
Another tradition is that the person who first entered the house will determine the next year. Vietnamese always strive to invite a rich, successful and healthy person to visit. It is considered bad form to visit on the first day after the New Year without an invitation.
It is strictly forbidden to sweep the floor in the home for the New Year, as this can bring grief to the family. A person whose relative has recently died should not visit others. If he visits any of his friends, he will be ill next year.
On the second day of the celebration, the Vietnamese take to the streets to see a colorful performance with the best bands in the city. Fireworks are heard everywhere, concerts and carnivals are held. Those who wish can try their hand at national games and take part in the performances of the theater of puppets on the water. Cockfighting and poetry contests are organized everywhere in the country, in which you can show your talent.
Wealthy sections of the population order a group of dancers performing the traditional dragon dance in the house where the New Year is celebrated. After the dance, the owner of the home must pay a large sum of money, which is considered a kind of charitable contribution. Such a ritual brings a person financial well-being and career growth.
