If someone asks me: “What is the most memorable thing about Tet?”, I think it is probably “scent”. Familiar scents are always kept deep in everyone’s mind, whether near or far, whether in childhood or old age. In summer, the fragrant scent of lotus with a cup of strong tea, in autumn, the nostalgic smell of green rice in the cold yellow sunlight, in winter, the cold smell of corn and sweet potatoes by the red fire. And at the end of winter and the beginning of spring, there is nothing more stirring than the fragile yet warm scent of old coriander leaves calling Tet back in the last days of December.
The childhood of an urban child like me, to be honest, was a little more disadvantaged than that of the girls and boys in the countryside. That disadvantage was in the stories, the games, the closeness to nature or simply the opportunity to experience traditional customs. Therefore, Tet is like a small land of love because those are the days when we can spend a lot of time with our parents, the days when we can go out here and there beyond the small corner of the front yard, the days when we can do many things that only Tet has...
There is nothing happier than going to the market with my mother on the last days of December! Buying delicious food, buying a new pair of clothes, happily choosing lucky money envelopes and standing absentmindedly next to the old coriander basket. What a refreshing and warm scent. My mother struggled to carry all the big bags and baskets, while I always hugged the bundles of old coriander leaves, despite the mud and flowers sticking to my newly changed clothes.
The memory of the scent of the old leaves in childhood is always the same, sweet and unforgettable. No matter how modern life changes day by day, no matter how many expensive perfumes or soaps and shower gels there are, no one can forget the scent of the old leaves of that day. No one knows where and when this custom of bathing with coriander leaves originated, but we only know that every time Tet comes and spring returns in the Northern Delta, many baskets of coriander filled with leaves will appear in the bustling Tet market.
The scent of the old coriander is always associated with the afternoon of the 30th of Tet like that. When the house is clean and tidy, the New Year's Eve meal is respectfully placed on the ancestral altar, then the mother will light the fire to boil a big pot of coriander leaves for the whole family to bathe and cleanse. Just a few handfuls of old coriander, washed thoroughly, with the roots intact, boiled in a big pot of water is enough to make a bath for the whole family.
The essential oil from the leaves, fruits, and stems of the perilla plant gradually secretes, turning the water into a golden brown color, with a nostalgic aroma. While the fresh scent has a refreshing taste, when boiled, the scent becomes fragrant and warm, awakening all the senses. That scent also carries a slight spiciness that not only soothes the sweet cold of the pre-Tet weather but is also a scent that brings peace after busy and worrying days.
According to the ancients, bathing with old coriander leaves on the last day of the year will wash away all the worries and bad luck of the old year with the warm water. Bathing with coriander leaves helps the body and mind to be light, and is considered by nostalgic people as a ritual to prepare for the sacred moment of sending off the old and welcoming the new.
Not only has a meaning in terms of customs and practices, but in Oriental medicine, coriander seeds are also a precious medicine. Coriander plants and leaves have a spicy taste, warm properties, have the effect of circulating blood, relieving colds, detoxifying the body and are very good for people with nervous breakdown, depression, stress. That is why when bathing with coriander water, everyone feels refreshed, relaxed, and light.
There are things that seem small and simple but become unforgettable memories for each person, like the fragrance from a pot of herbal tea lingering in the air, gently touching each person's consciousness and awakening simple peace.
Wash away the bitterness all year round
The afternoon of the thirtieth day of Tet, filled with fragrance
