The day of change

Two-thirds of the Northern winter is a series of cold, dry winds blowing down from the Russian Far East - the kind of weather that brings with it chapped lips and skin. You know winter is coming to an end when this chapped state suddenly turns damp.

That is the time when the entire human tactile system is enjoying the pleasant warmth under the thick layer of clothing, amidst the gentle cold, when suddenly, tiny drops of drizzle touch the skin. Drizzle, formed by the cold air mass at the end of the season weakening and deflecting towards the sea, bringing moisture to the mainland, has become a trademark of the transition period between winter and spring.

For most people, this type of weather is quite annoying. Cold and rainy make it even colder. Should you wear a raincoat or not? When will your clothes dry? When will your house be dry?... But, the rain combined with the fog in the early morning also gives the land and sky a magical beauty.

Looking at the traffic in the rain that seemed to slow down a bit, people strolling slowly on the shimmering sidewalks, suddenly life seemed so poetic. At this point, the writer suddenly thought of some couple poems by Nguyen Binh:

That day the spring rain was flying happily

Layers of xoan flowers fall down

Dang village rowing festival passes by the alley

Mom said, the Western village sings tonight...

Lately, an annoying pest called "fine dust" has appeared, spoiling all the enjoyment. But who cares - one day we will make the dust disappear, leaving only dew and rain, coming and going according to the laws of nature.

Tet colors

Silent yet powerful, the banyan tree can be considered the most visual illustration of the changing seasons. Tet is the time when we can witness three forms of the banyan tree at the same time. If this corner still has "late-season" banyan leaves burning a bright red, then that corner has several banyan trees that have lost all their leaves, leaving bare branches, and then another corner, also from the bare branches, young green banyan buds continuously sprout.

Each green bud is tender

Each sparkling raindrop falls

Spring

The green color of buds and grass watered by drizzle really brings people inspiration about full vitality and blossoming love.

With you, with me, immersed in happiness

Your lips, I thought they were peach petals

Standing out against the silvery background of mist and smoke, the peach blossoms with various shades of pink and red are like flames warming the vision. They lead a whole group of colorful flowers and leaves spreading throughout the streets and villages.

In Hanoi, the most popular peach color is the red peach. Just go along the Red River or a little further to the suburban districts such as Tay Ho, Thanh Tri, Nam Tu Liem and you can immediately see peach gardens. From the highlands, the colors of wild peach and pale peach also come down to join the festival. To meet all needs, peaches are sold in all shapes from big to small, from branches to trees, from tilted and curved to round and curved.

According to folk beliefs, peach is the essence of the Five Elements, has the power to ward off evil spirits and demons; after a cold winter, as soon as spring comes, it immediately sprouts and blooms. Peach branches dotted with buds next to kumquat trees laden with fruit symbolize strong fertility.

The deep red color of peach blossoms seems to be a common feeling in the Northern Tet decoration. The most traditional items are parallel sentences and Tet paintings.

Every year peach blossoms bloom

See the old scholar again

Display ink and red paper

On the crowded street

Couplets of parallel sentences or Chinese characters written in Chinese ink on red paper are hung/posted inside the house or outside the gate with wishes for luck, peace, a happy new year, prosperity and success in business.

Red paper is also a typical material of Kim Hoang folk paintings, along with many other paintings such as Hang Trong, Dong Ho... often with cheerful colors, carrying messages wishing the homeowner good things according to each theme.

As the country integrates and cultures intermingle, Tet decorations now feature more ostentatious red and gold colors. There was a time when parallel sentences and Tet paintings were almost forgotten. But fortunately, many efforts by organizations and individuals in recent years have partly brought their images back to Tet.

Incense smoke billowing

Which raindrops fall so softly on the streets

What a fragrant scent in the breeze…

A bit of incense burning somewhere, passing through the sense of smell on any cool day, is just enough of a switch to evoke in us images of Tet.

Incense, also known as joss sticks, is an indispensable item in the spiritual life of East Asian people. And Tet is the occasion when we can be exposed to the scent most often and intensely.

The scent lingers in the hands of people visiting graves on the last day of the year.

Incense wafts around the family altar from New Year's Eve.

The fragrant aroma adds to the ancient appearance of communal houses, pagodas, temples, and shrines - where people entrust their wishes at the beginning of the year, where traditional festivals begin, containing the good thoughts of the people of the land of rice...

Fragrance permeates everywhere, even into the subconscious, becoming a bridge between us in the present and our own past, between descendants and ancestors, and the cultural and historical flow of the country and people.

Along with the incense and the smell of burning votive paper, of newly burned peach trees, of firewood to cook banh chung, the aroma of Tet dishes taking shape in the kitchen is closely associated with the family reunion scene.

The aroma of a freshly boiled chicken, of freshly steamed sticky rice, the rich smell of fried spring rolls sizzling in a pan, the strong aroma of a jar of pickled onions just opened… all become sacred thanks to Tet. Busy all year round, Tet is the opportunity for people to devote the most care and effort to cooking.

Indulge in the cuisine

Vietnamese people associate Tet with the verb "to eat". In the past, people worked hard, and only during Tet did they dare to spend the money they had saved all year to indulge their taste buds.

The culinary journey of Tet probably begins on the 23rd of December, the day families prepare offerings to send the Kitchen Gods to the Jade Emperor, followed a few days later by the year-end and New Year's meals.

To serve this lavish dining chain, in addition to freshly cooked dishes, there are also special pre-made and reserved dishes.

Fatty meat, pickled onions, red parallel sentences

Bamboo pole, firecrackers, green square cakes

Banh chung is a default dish. When the bundles of green dong leaves are full and follow the convoys of vehicles to the markets, it is a signal that the festival of wrapping banh chung has arrived. Wrapping with dong leaves will give the most beautiful color, and choosing young leaves will be the easiest to work with. The cake does not necessarily have to be square, many regions have long banh chung wrapped, some call it banh tay. Fatty meat and green beans are also carefully selected to create firm and chewy cakes with a rich filling, soaked in fat and meat that melts in the mouth.

One day at the market, suddenly beside the long, slender green onions, there were piles of plump onion bundles, we knew that it was the beginning of the onion pickling season. This is a star in the field of "anti-greasy", although its smell is not exactly "friendly" to many people.

Jellied meat is also very popular, a dish imbued with the cold of Tet. People often cook jellied meat from pig's trotters, pork, pork skin, can also cook with goose meat, duck meat, with spices such as wood ear and pepper, simmer and then let it cool down to the weather to do the final step - solidify (of course now everything is more flexible with the help of refrigerators). The sweetness of the meat juice is kept intact in the jelly and melts together with hot rice - it is so delicious.

Nowadays, it is rare to see any family still making dried pork floss or pounding pork sausage. These two dishes are also very popular during this time. Pork floss, chicken floss, pork sausage, beef sausage, pork sausage, head sausage... eating with sticky rice is extremely convenient.

Tet dishes come in many shapes and sizes. 4 bowls and 4 plates, 6 bowls and 6 plates, 6 bowls and 8 plates, 8 bowls and 8 plates... depending on the concept and living standards of each family. The most common hot dishes are sticky rice, boiled chicken, fried spring rolls, stir-fried vermicelli, bamboo shoot soup... When it is a cold Tet, the taste is multiplied, you can eat and exclaim. Indeed, not long ago, there was a period of several consecutive years when Tet was quite hot, the pleasure of eating and drinking also faded a bit. This year, Tet has returned to the traditional temperature, the whole North is immersed in cold, drizzle.

"Listen to spring coming"

Blending in with the spring toasts with a glass of wine and a feast, music is like a spice that makes people's emotions more intense.

There are many songs with Tet themes, new arrangements and new compositions appear continuously every year. But the songs that are most imbued with the spring spirit, the Northern Tet season, are perhaps most closely associated with the voice of My Linh. There was a time when people often referred to her with the title "Queen of Spring Music".

There is the sound of birds chirping in the distance

Peach blossoms suddenly seem to smile

Spring news is coming

Very early in her prolific career, My Linh released recordings of spring songs composed by Duong Thu, Anh Quan, Huy Tuan... From "Spring Whisper", "Spring Flowers", "Spring Afternoon" to "Listening to Spring Returns", "Spring Breath", "Interchange Song", "Quiet New Year's Eve"... My Linh's spring music is always passionate in the feeling of changing seasons with plants sprouting, rain falling, romantic, floating melodies, both intoxicated with fresh emotions and evoking a feeling of nostalgia.

Quietly, winter is like the last song

What has passed will remain in us

Quietly, spring begins like a song

From the moment of New Year's Eve, whispering many wishes...

There is also a song, not in Vietnamese but in English, that came to Vietnam at a turning point in history. It is Happy New Year by ABBA.

ABBA is a music group from Sweden, the first Western country to recognize and establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam. Since 1969, the Swedes have provided aid and helped the Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam build many projects. That context has paved the way for us to welcome a number of Swedish cultural products, including a song with a New Year's message.

Although the lyrics of the song are somewhat gloomy and sad, its melody has accompanied the Vietnamese people from difficult times until now. Through many Tet seasons, the song has unintentionally been associated with beautiful memories and has become an indispensable part of the traditional Tet holiday.

And so, the Northern spring has touched our skin, then reached our eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. Spring is always there, faithful and gentle, waiting for people to embrace and cherish.