Vietnam population and culture of the country. Vietnamese traditions

Pregnancy in Vietnam is not a disease, but a reason for pride. It is not customary to hide it; on the contrary, some expectant mothers begin to wear loose blouses with ties at the back even before they have any hint of a belly.

Nutrition is considered the most important thing in the life of a pregnant mother. These are alpha and omega. You don’t just need to eat, you need to eat a lot! In this, the Vietnamese often simply cross all sorts of boundaries. The concept of “proper nutrition” is here replaced by “enhanced nutrition”. Expectant mothers themselves are not happy, but the whole family literally “fattens” the pregnant woman to incredible sizes. A weight gain of 10 kg is considered negligence and neglect of the child. But, having gained 20 kg, you can boast to all your friends. Interestingly, most doctors do not see anything wrong with this. The obvious harm of this approach does not stop anyone, and the family stubbornly forces the woman to eat to her fill several times a day. At the same time, the pregnant woman is surrounded with total care. She is given the best pieces, all the conditions are created for her, she is not allowed to overwork, although the latter is rather a new trend. In the past, women carried bags in factories until the last months, and pregnant women worked in the fields in the heat of the day.

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After childbirth, it is customary to strictly observe certain restrictions. This is associated with the need to restore the female body after pregnancy and childbirth. A young mother must lie down all the time for a month. You can only get up to go to the toilet, otherwise, as they say here, your lower back will hurt for the rest of your life. Also, in the first month it is forbidden to wash or come into contact with water at all. It is believed that during this period it is deadly. A weakened body easily catches a cold, and then death is not far away. It is customary to rub yourself with saffron (turmeric), lie next to the brazier and sweat (it is believed that all accumulated harmful substances will be released with sweat). Several relatives are always close to the mother and baby, caring for them, first in the hospital (the staff in public clinics do not provide any care at all, even relatives prepare food), and then at home. Typically, a woman lives with her mother for the first three months after giving birth. All child care during this period is taken over by maternal relatives.

Family in Vietnam

Choosing a name for a baby in Vietnam is not an easy task. In addition to the fact that names must be selected according to their meaning, they must also be combined with each other. A Vietnamese name consists of a surname (first syllable), middle name (second syllable, this name is passed down from generation to generation, or is chosen in combination with a personal name), personal name (last syllable). For example, Chau Nhat Bang, “Nhat” is the sun, day, “Bang” is an obsolete “friend”, respectively, the name means “friend of the sun, day, light.” There are also traditional taboos: you cannot name a child after one of your living relatives. This is considered disrespectful and even insulting. The Vietnamese reason simply: it is indecent to call a bare-bottomed toddler the same name as a respectable adult. This is partly why there are so many original names in Vietnam. Families are large, we have to come up with something new so as not to repeat ourselves.

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Often the full name is practically not used before school. Short “household” names are common: Bin, Tin, Tom, Siu, Bo, Bee, Chip. Sometimes they are formed from American names (Bean is Bill), others are simply easy to pronounce sound combinations, something like “Baby”, “Button”, “Pie”, “Bunny”, etc.

Upbringing

The sign on the façade of most Vietnamese kindergartens reads: “Today’s children are tomorrow’s world.” Children are the main value for society. On the school facades the inscription is different: “First learn ethics, and then knowledge.” This means that, first of all, children must learn the norms of relationships in a team, in society, in the family, and only then science and skills. Studying is not considered a secondary activity, quite the contrary, but “every vegetable has its turn.” First we learn to live and act in society, then everything else.

Vietnam families

In the words of everyone’s beloved Ho Chi Minh: “A child is like a bud on a branch. He eats well, sleeps well, studies well - that means he’s doing well!”
A Vietnamese sees himself, first of all, as a part of society and a participant in complex relationships. This worldview is reflected in the language forms that children are taught from a very early age. One of the first words that a child is taught (before one is even a year old; by the age of one and a half years, children can already speak it) is “ạ”, a respectful particle at the end of a phrase. Without this particle it is impossible to contact or respond to an elder. The baby may not be able to speak other words, but he definitely knows this particle.

In general, you should not call your elders, including your husband, by name - this is disrespect. And the pronoun “I” is practically not used in Vietnamese. When talking about yourself, you need to choose the right word depending on who you are talking to. When addressing her husband, a wife calls herself “younger sister,” when talking to a child, parents refer to themselves as “mother,” “father,” and a daughter-in-law, when talking to her mother-in-law, calls herself “child, daughter”—thus, the personal “I” is replaced by the word, denoting social status.

The main positive quality for the younger generation is “ngoan”, which means “calm”, “obedient”, “well done”, “diligent”.
Obedience in Vietnam is valued much higher than independence, and fantasies, at least in village families, are suppressed: “don’t make things up, don’t lie.” Here they don’t teach children “whoever doesn’t have time is late”, “you need to spin in life”, on the contrary, they constantly pull you back - “everything needs to be done slowly”, “whoever is in a hurry has a lot of trouble.”

Recently, Vietnam has been affected by a general Asian trend - to study more and more, even if this means the child is actually deprived of his childhood. Which, by the way, contradicts the precepts of the same beloved Ho Chi Minh. But in a society that has since ancient times encouraged learning and developed a cult of knowledge, all kinds of courses and extracurricular activities very quickly gained enormous popularity. All children are intensively prepared for school. By the way, primary school teachers who conduct this training are directly interested in this. It even happens that in the first grade they skip the study of letters on the grounds that, they say, the children should have learned them in preschool classes, which, of course, are paid.

The culture of Vietnam, which has absorbed the traditions of centuries-old history and the trends of modernity, demonstrates an excellent example of synthesis, allowing the country to take its rightful place in the current dynamic world, while remaining original and not absorbed by globalization processes. The features of this culture will be very interesting for inquisitive travelers.

Original culture of Vietnam

With your roots Vietnamese culture goes into the very depths of its long history. The La Viet traditions were closely fused with elements of Han culture, and in the south there was a very significant Khmer influence. In modern and recent historical times, European culture and Marxist ideology.

Religion of Vietnam

In this socialist state, most of the population adheres to atheistic views. Religion of Vietnam- is a mixture of Buddhists (about 10%) and Catholic Christians (almost 7%). There are other beliefs, but they are very few in number.

Economy of Vietnam

Modern times are strongly influenced by the state. Despite the reforms forcedly carried out by the communists after the crisis of the 80s and the disappearance of most of the socialist countries, market relations are not present in all spheres of life; there are noticeable imbalances in the development of certain sectors of the national economy. Nevertheless, Vietnam is experiencing some economic growth, facilitated by changes in international trade conditions.

Science of Vietnam

The modern one is quite well known in the world scientific community. This includes medicine, where Vietnamese scientists firmly occupy leading positions in the field of studying the effects of dioxin on humans, and state-supported research and development in the field of nanotechnology, and applied areas of knowledge.

Art of Vietnam

The most attractive for travelers is. Majestic temples, wonderful examples of folk crafts, national music and choreography coexist with modern architecture, theater, and literature.

Vietnamese cuisine

It is best known for its huge number of seasonings, the most famous of which is Phu Quoc fish sauce. Geography of Vietnam seriously affected the nutrition of its inhabitants. There are as many as three national cuisines in the country!

Customs and traditions of Vietnam

Their richness and diversity can give a head start to many more populated countries.

Sports of Vietnam

Modern can be safely called folk. Almost every resident of this interesting country is interested in some type of athletic activity. In 2007, Vietnam was one of the countries that hosted the Asian Football Championship.

Features of Vietnamese culture: customs, religion, literature

Vietnam, a small country with a big history and unique culture, is attracting more and more attention. And not only from the point of view of tourism, everything about it is interesting - traditions, lifestyle, national creativity and art. Southeast Asia remains, perhaps, one of the few places on the planet where centuries-old traditions are carefully preserved and protected. Here, purity of morals and family values ​​prevail over Western influence. This is especially felt in the culture in Vietnam.

To a European, many things will seem strange in the life and culture of the Vietnamese. We have long been locked in our own little world, sometimes we don’t even know our neighbors in the stairwell. The Vietnamese live wide open. And in the literal sense. In Vietnam, it is not customary to close doors when someone is at home. Even in modern apartment buildings they are always wide open. “We have nothing to hide,” they seem to say.

The main thing in the life and culture of the Vietnamese is reverence for elders. Their old people never live separately, only in the family. There are almost no divorces here. This happens very rarely, but this is already the influence of the West. Just like the fact that in big cities young people began to show a desire for an independent life, separate from their parents. But, all the same, Vietnamese culture is slowly and reluctantly transforming towards the West.

The fate of women in Vietnam is unenviable. She does all the housework. It’s good when in the city it’s just cleaning, cooking and looking after children. In the village, her life turns into hard labor. Because repairing the house, tending the livestock and the garden is a woman’s responsibility. Working in the rice fields is also women's work. A man can spend the whole day watching TV and it won’t even occur to him to help a woman. Not accepted. This is the culture and customs of Vietnam.

The culture of raising children in Vietnam is also different from ours. It is believed that until one year of age, a child should eat a lot. When you meet, they don’t ask how your child is feeling. They ask how much he weighs. In the mornings you can see a touching picture - mothers or grandmothers walking around the yard with their children, plates of food in their hands. They follow their child and feed him. Until a certain age, children are allowed everything that does not threaten their safety.

Traditions

The culture of the Vietnamese is such that they often live by predictions. Before making any decision, the Vietnamese will turn to a fortuneteller. You can often see a funeral procession on the street of a Vietnamese city at 7 o'clock in the morning or at 6 o'clock in the evening. The fortune teller appointed this time for the funeral. The opening of a new office, a time for receiving guests or a wedding date - everything is set in accordance with his recommendation. This culture of prediction is very common here.

In Vietnam, a wedding is considered modest if it is attended by 200-300 guests. The wealth of the bride's family is judged by how many dresses she changed during the wedding ceremony. One gift is never given at a wedding. Their number must be odd.

The Vietnamese culture of names is complicated (in our opinion). The name given to a child at birth is considered secret, only the parents know it. They refer to their children quite simply - “first”, “second” and so on in the order of their birth. A secret name is considered protection. There is also no patronymic - one cannot take the name of an ancestor in vain. The culture of communication in Vietnam implies that interlocutors address each other by the so-called individual name.

In the Vietnamese language there are as many as eight pronouns, which are translated into Russian by only one - “I”. Their use depends on age, gender and social status.

Relatives always give the deceased a new name. The Vietnamese culture does not allow you to pronounce your name during your lifetime - this is a great sin. Funeral services can last up to 7 days. On the first day, relatives must wear white clothes - this is the color of mourning in Vietnam. The hearse looks more like a gilded carriage; the funeral procession travels quite quickly and is accompanied by bravura music. There are also public cemeteries in Vietnam, but you can often find burials right in the courtyard of the house where the deceased lived. Sometimes there are up to 10 graves there.

Etiquette

Handshakes are common in Vietnam, but only men greet each other this way. A slight bow with hands folded in prayer is appropriate only during official receptions. The culture prohibits a gentle pat on the shoulder because it is perceived as aggression. You should not stroke a child’s head; you deprive him of protection from evil spirits.

When dining with a Vietnamese, never leave your chopsticks on the plate of food, and you should not touch your chopsticks to those of the eater sitting next to you. The one who is higher in social status always pays for lunch. Vietnamese culture is such that you should never split the bill for a meal at a restaurant. It is always paid by one person.

When entering a temple or home, and even some shops, take off your shoes outside. And don’t be afraid, no one will ever steal it. The Vietnamese culture is very clean and they wash their shops several times a day.

Religion

When talking about Vietnamese culture in the field of religion, the name “religious triangle” is heard. Three religions have influenced this aspect of spiritual life - Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism. The French colonialists left their mark on Vietnam in the form of Christianity. About 8% of Vietnamese are Catholics or Protestants. The main part are animists - those who worship spirits and the mother goddess. Buddhism is practiced by about 17% of the population.

In fact, according to the culture of religion, the majority of Vietnamese are atheists. And the main thing in their life is the cult of ancestors. Wherever you go - to a store, cafe, office, private house or apartment - you will see a small altar with smoking incense sticks and fruits. This is the altar of the ancestors.

We cannot ignore a very young, artificially created religion - Cao Dai - “Big Eye”. The culture of this religion combines the features of Freemasonry, Buddhism, Taoism, the cult of ancestors and Christianity with a strong bias towards mysticism. In Vietnam, it arose in the second decade of the 20th century and was at one time subject to repression for political reasons. Today she has several million followers, the cult is practiced freely and attracts tourists very much. The following historical figures were elevated to the rank of holy spirits: Lenin, Leo Tolstoy, Victor Hugo, Louis Pasteur.

Theater and music

Vietnamese theatrical art is an integral part of the country's culture. It has roots in the distant past. Like the Japanese shadow theater, it has its own traditional national water puppet theater. The dolls are made of wood, and the entire performance takes place on the surface of the lake. An unforgettable sight - to the accompaniment of national music, in the light of burning lights, an action takes place, which is reflected in the water. These performances are loved by both local residents and tourists, on whom it makes an indelible impression.

Another favorite cultural destination in Vietnam is the opera theater. There are several of them - Cheo (popular opera), Tuong, which is more reminiscent of a production of a heroic epic, and Cai Luong - an opera in the modern style.

Cheo originated in mountain villages, where people entertained themselves by staging genre skits accompanied by music. The culture of singing is accompanied by dancing, where the clown is an indispensable participant. Actors often improvise during a performance.

Tuong was intended to awaken patriotic feelings. A mandatory attribute is lush decorations, military props and masks.

Cai Luong is a thoroughly modern theater that combines tradition and folk music with modern urban rhythms.

Vietnamese music is very melodic. The Vietnamese are musical people, they love to sing and do it very beautifully. They draw inspiration from music - for love and labor deeds. Their culture allows them to sing in both sadness and joy. National instruments are gongs, bamboo flutes, plucked string instruments and xylophones. The latter, preserved from ancient times, have stones instead of keys. But how they sound!

A separate genre of culture is music performed on the Dan Bau instrument. They play it exclusively for themselves, to fill their soul with love. In Vietnam they say that young women should not listen to her. Poems are often recited to this music.

Vietnamese culture is an unusual mixture of cultures of different peoples and nationalities, a mixture of different religions. Throughout its existence, Vietnam has been under the rule of different peoples, each of which has left its own legacy in the cultural fund of the country.

Vietnam's rich culture- These are, first of all, the craft skills of local residents. Vietnam has long been known for its unique handicraft achievements.

Each province of the country is famous for its craft. For example, areas Ha Dog, Gue And Thai Binh famous for their elaborately embroidered silks; Hanoi, Haiphong famous for their elegant ceramics and porcelain, glazed and hand-painted; central Vietnam famous for its copper craftsmen.

Works by Vietnamese lacquer miniature masters known all over the world. And among tourists, wicker souvenirs made from rattan palm are very popular. By visiting village settlements in the districts of large cities, you can find unique handmade products for every taste. You can also order the production of any souvenir.

Since ancient times, they have been very popular in all countries of the world. mass performances, but in few countries there is such a variety of genres of these performances as in Vietnam.

Stage culture of Vietnam includes: water puppet theater on water, popular opera - cheo, theatrical opera - tuong, modern opera - cai luong and many other genres. One of the most popular stage genres in Vietnam is puppet theater.

This type of theater appeared in the 11th century; all puppets are created exclusively by hand, most often from wood, less often from other, always natural, materials.

Marionette plays take place on the water surface of the lake accompanied by live music. This unique performance attracts thousands of spectators. And the unique combination of fiery reflections of lamps, the peaceful surface of the lake, smoke, shadows and live music remains in the memory of the audience for a long time.

The most grandiose water puppet shows take place in the largest cities in Vietnam - Hanoi And Ho Chi Minh City. There are also cartoon films among Vietnam's pride, and although they are, of course, far from Japanese anime, they are also very, very good. There are even anime cosplays in Hanoi.

Musical culture of Vietnam has a long history of its development. Since ancient times, the Vietnamese have given particular preference to this particular art form, which explains the wide variety of musical genres and instruments.

Of particular importance in the musical life of the Vietnamese is gong. It is considered a sacred instrument, since gongs are used in various religious rituals and sacraments. Another interesting Vietnamese instrument is Dan Bau.

This instrument sounds especially attractive if it is used to perform love songs, so vigilant parents protected their daughters from the sound of this instrument: “don’t listen to this music if you are a young woman...”.

Architectural culture of Vietnam also deserves close attention. Particularly admirable are the various religious buildings throughout the country: from numerous pagodas to grandiose cathedrals.

One of the most ancient pagodas in Vietnam is Thien Mu agoda, this pagoda consists of seven floors and is dedicated to Buddha. The Single Column Pagoda located in Hanoi is known throughout the world.

This small, graceful structure was erected in 1049 and resembles a small opening lotus flower. Hanoi Cathedral St. Joseph's Cathedral– an interesting example of Vietnamese architecture. The peculiarity of St. Joseph's Cathedral is that it almost identically repeats the design of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

A description of Vietnamese culture would not be complete without mentioning the numerous festivals taking place in the country.

The most famous festivals in the country: Thang Tam Temple Festival, Ba Hua Hu Festival, Ox Racing Festival, Traditional Bull Fights, Doi Wrestling Festival, Marble Mountain Festival - Kwan, Le Mat Snake Festival.

The culture of Vietnam is unique and original, the process of its development has been going on for the third millennium. The Vietnamese nation was born among the lagoons and swamps of the Red River Delta approximately 4,000 years ago. For most of its independent existence, it was governed from Hanoi, Vietnam's small, elegant capital in the heart of the northern delta. Four greatest philosophies and religions have shaped the spiritual life of the Vietnamese people: Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism and Christianity. The Vietnamese became acquainted with Confucianism and Taoism thanks to the Chinese. Along with Buddhism and Hinduism, which were brought here by Indian traders, these religious and philosophical teachings also largely determined the cultural development of Vietnam.

Over the centuries, Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism have been intertwined with Chinese folk beliefs and ancient Vietnamese animist views to form what is called Tam Giao (Triple Religion). The official language in the country is Vietnamese (Kinh). Different regions also have dialects spoken by different ethnic minorities. In some parts of the country, Khmer and Laotian languages ​​are spoken. Developed forms of art include: traditional silk painting; an eclectic form of theater including drama, puppetry, music and dance; religious sculpture; lacquer miniatures and ceramics

The territory of Vietnam has always been under the influence of three religious movements - Confucianism, Hinduism and Buddhism. Therefore, the Vietnamese mentality is prone to religious syncretism. Village temples feature local patron spirits, as well as the obligatory Buddha, Bodhisattva, Confucius and other religious and historical figures. Such an eclectic neighborhood does not seem strange to the Vietnamese. Village houses usually have at least two altars. The first is dedicated to ancestors - patrons, the second - to some deity.

The desire of the Vietnamese for a syncretic understanding of different religious movements led to the emergence of two sects that combine elements of European and Eastern religious philosophy. The first of them was called “Caodai” (Caodaism), which translated means “supreme palace”. The second sect, called Hohao (“Harmony and Nobility”), placed its main emphasis on the ideas of Taoism and Buddhism.

A feature of local religious consciousness is the cult of ancestors and the belief that the spirits of ancestors live in the same world with the living and are capable of influencing events. Most Vietnamese believe that ancestors are directly involved in all the affairs of their descendants - first of all, protecting them and warning them of impending danger. Preserving the memory of one’s ancestors and honoring them in every possible way is considered the moral duty of every person in this country.

Vietnam celebrates many religious and national holidays. The largest religious holiday is the Vietnamese New Year, Tet Nguyen Dan. Also, the Giong Festival, Marble Mountain Festival and folk song festivals are especially revered by local residents. At this time, various festivals and puppet theater performances take place in the country. Also important holidays for all Vietnamese are the Day of Wandering Souls and the Festival of Remembrance of the Dead. These holidays are celebrated according to the lunar calendar.

National holidays directly reflect the most significant events in the annals of Vietnam. This is the founding day of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Liberation Day, Ho Chi Minh's Birthday, International Labor Day, Nation Day, Youth Day and Defender of the Fatherland Day. Among the sporting events, it is worth highlighting the Singh wrestling festival, elephant racing, traditional bullfights, the Doi wrestling festival, ox racing and cockfighting.

Kitchen

Vietnamese cuisine is very diverse and has more than 500 national dishes. Traditional dishes include exotic meats and delicious vegetarian options. The basis of Vietnamese cuisine is white rice, generously seasoned with vegetables, fish, meat, spices and sauce. Spices in Vietnamese cuisine are soft and piquant: mint leaves, coriander, basil, ginger. Each region of the country has its own culinary pride. The North is famous for its unique noodle soup, seafood and fried meat dishes. In the south they prepare delicious seafood dishes - crabs, lobsters, squids and a wide variety of fish. The central part of the country is famous for its complex dishes, which are prepared according to extremely complex and ancient recipes.

The most popular dishes are noodles with sliced ​​pork, eggs, chicken and shrimp, clams with sea crabs, fried with salt. For preparing dishes we use: duck, pork, fish, spices, vegetables and fruits, crab meat, lobster and oysters. Buns, pasta, and boiled rice dumplings are very popular. Among the first courses, you should try eel soup, vermicelli soup, with chopped chicken and bitter soup. There are a lot of different original fruits: dragon fruit, jajabe, khaki, longan, pomela, three-stone cherry and water apple. Among the drinks, rice wine and numerous apricot, orange and lemon wines are very popular. Vietnamese coffee (ca fe phin) is very tasty; it is usually prepared very strong and very sweet.

Vietnamese home

A traditional Vietnamese home should fit into the overall picture of village life: it is separate from others, but at the same time it is part of the whole; it does not depend on anyone and at the same time is part of the village community. The walls separating the passages between the houses create a kind of closed world for the family living in this house, but at the same time they are “open” to the attitude of the entire village.

There are many different types of structure for a traditional Vietnamese home, but the two most common types are: T-shaped architecture (hình thước thợ) (main room and outbuildings) - this type is common in the lowland areas of northern Vietnam; architecture in the form of the hieroglyph "Môn" (the main room is located in the middle, and there are two outbuildings on the sides).

wedding ceremony

The Vietnamese have quite a few relatives, so most often the wedding lasts for a week, first congratulations from the bride’s relatives, then congratulations from the groom’s relatives. Matchmaking is a fairly common ritual and Vietnam is no exception. The groom and his matchmakers spend money on gifts for the bride and her relatives. Vietnamese brides accept all kinds of sweets as gifts; a mandatory gift is a coconut palm branch - a symbol of love in this country. After matchmaking, the groom must move into the bride's house and live there for approximately 3 years, but increasingly, under the influence of European views on life, this rule is becoming a thing of the past.

Since a Vietnamese wedding lasts for a week, and the country has a hot climate, much attention is paid to the choice of outfits for the bride. Since a wedding consists of several stages (registration at the city administration, temple, wedding walk, meeting guests), the bride has to change her outfit quite often.

After a half-hour wedding ceremony in the temple, the young couple invites guests to a festive dinner. If the wedding takes place in a Vietnamese village, then the feast is organized in a specially decorated tent. If the conditions are urban, then more often young people opt for small restaurants.

Recently, the wedding transport in Vietnam has been the rickshaw; even the rich part of the Vietnamese do not skimp on using the services of “cabs”.

The Vietnamese wedding menu is quite varied, starting with traditional rice, ending with seafood - food, drinks - vodka, beer. Pepsi is very popular. People who visited Vietnamese weddings claim that some dishes of the wedding dinner are prepared by the guests themselves, due to the fact that, there are a lot of invitees, sometimes several “streams”, the bride and groom do not have time to pay due attention to everyone. But only those dishes that do not require special preparation are prepared this way. Large containers with boiling oil are placed on the wedding table and the guests themselves put in some “delicious food”, most often it is sea food.

A few words about gifts... Most often it is souvenirs, gold jewelry, paintings depicting a dragon and a phoenix are symbols of happiness and prosperity. But according to tradition, in addition to gifts and flowers, it is customary to present watermelon seeds - a symbol of fertility.

The most important tradition Vietnam can be considered a sacred attitude towards ancestors and one’s culture, therefore, if European views on life have an influence on the rules and laws of Vietnam, then this influence is not significant. Attitudes towards family in this country have remained unchanged for a long time.

New Year

Vietnamese Tet (New Year) takes place on the 1st of the lunar calendar, not the solar calendar. Tet is a very multifaceted concept: it is preparation for welcoming the new year and seeing off the old year, full of joyful bustle, shopping and preparations; these include traditional rituals and ceremonies, games and competitions, musical and costume performances held before and after the start of the new year according to the lunar calendar; This is a very special state of people when it seems that everything bad and sad remains in the old year, and the new one will bring only everything good and kind.

Depending on the phases of the moon, this holiday falls at the end of January - beginning of February. Each year of the 12-year lunar cycle corresponds to a mythical creature, animal, reptile or bird, symbolizing the stages of the closed ring of life.

Vietnamese New Year - Tet - has centuries-old traditions. At the stroke of midnight, festive fireworks explode the skies of Hanoi and Haiphong, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City. In temples and pagodas the sounds of copper bells and the clatter of wooden chairs sound. Young people carry painted paper and cardboard dragons through the streets and squares. Red and yellow colors predominate in the festive decorations. Tet lasts four days.

Firstly, it is considered honorable to spend New Year's Eve in the company of a gray-haired man who is over 70 years old. The next morning you should go in search of a flower with dew drops on its petals, pick a branch of a peach tree, and give gifts to the children. By following these rituals, evil will never enter your home. But the most important thing on New Year's days is not to wish misfortune on another: following good rules will give peace and happiness to you and your loved ones. Even in the most difficult years, flatbreads and pies are always put on the festive table - banting and banzei, which are shaped like a circle and a square. They mean heaven and earth, and together - peace under a common roof.

On the second day of Tet, the most fun and fierce cockfights flare up on the territory of the most ancient temple in Indochina, Van Mieu. On the Lake of the Returned Sword in Hanoi, the water puppet theater gives performances - a unique folklore troupe, the only one in the world. In the historical center of Hanoi, on Hangluoc Street, elderly people kindly offer long bamboo poles. They need to be “planted” in front of the entrance to the house - they will block the way for evil spirits.

Tet is also a festival of flowers. The most festive flower is considered to be matcha - a sunny flower, or eastern “aster”. And these flowers, says the folk wisdom of the East, should be as many as there are people on Earth.

Tet has an ancient history, like the country of Vietnam itself. In Tet, people return to their origins, their ancestors. Everyone is trying to return home, even from a distance of thousands of kilometers, to be sure to be at home with their family.

There are many customs during Tet celebrations, especially on the first of January of the lunar year. As soon as twelve o'clock in the morning has arrived - this time is called "Giao Thya" (meaning "meeting of times") - children and grandchildren congratulate their grandparents and parents on the New Year, wishing them longevity and good health and prosperity. Then the adults congratulate the children and give them money for good luck. How much money doesn't matter. The most important thing: the money must be new (new bills or new coins). They must be packed in new red bags (either paper or fabric) with a red bow. On subsequent holidays, adult relatives, friends, and family acquaintances come to visit and can also give money for the well-being of children. The custom of giving money to children for the New Year is obligatory these days, and not a single New Year in Vietnam passes without observing this custom. Traditionally, the Vietnamese believe that giving children a little money is like the beginning of “prasadam” in the New Year, so that this beginning will be multiplied many times over.

During Tet in Buddhist temples, monks give money to parishioners, which is also placed in small red bags. It is like a gift of well-being from Buddha, from God. This is a gift for luck. A Vietnamese aphorism says: “A little prosperity from the Buddha is equal to a whole large basket of earthly prosperity.”