(Hóc Môn district), which is located on the street linking Đức Hòa district (Long An province) and Saigon, and opposite to destroyed communal house of Tân Thới Nhất, is well-known for offering a wide range of different products, such as betel leaf with areca nut, tobacco and ‘nem’ (fermented pork roll). some dealers living next to the market sell ‘cơm rượu’ (fermented glutinous rice) and ‘chè trôi nước’ (sticky rice sweet dumplings) known widely; especially, these desserts are increasingly purchased on the Kitchen God’s Day (the twentythird day of lunar December). While being busy with work, the Saigonese people still try to offer the food to the deceased ancestors on the noon of the ending day of the lunar year and no later than near the New Year’s Eve. The family members then gather for a warm reunion dinner. From the first day to the third day of Tet, many Saigonese visit relatives, and friends, expressing best wishes and consolidating the relationship. In addition, they can come to a temple or a pagoda to make a wish for safety, good health, and prosperity. Ethnic Hoa people, as well as the Vietnamese people originating from the Northern regions, highly value ‘xông đất’ (first footing) in the Lunar New Year. The guest carrying out this mission has to have zodiac signs compatible with the host and
is believed to bring luck and success. Regularly, the first foot is first selected and suggested by the host. This age-old tradition, as well as the custom of making a departure in the Lunar New Year, has been modified and partially declined now. Formerly, some Tet folk games, such as cockfighting, card game, ‘bầu cua tôm cá’ (similar to roulette), ‘lô tô’ (similar to bingo), ‘xóc đĩa’ (a gambling game with 4 coin-shaped tokens in 4 different colours), ‘tứ sắc’ (four colours, a kind of card game), were more excited than usual during Tet holiday but weren’t out of control. Those of ancient times used the burning firecrackers to scare away the malevolent spirits, and this tradition also brings elation to Tet celebrations. The firecrackers’ residue reddened the front yard, and their exploding sounds was a part of the Lunar New Year culture. The unicorn dance teams parade along the streets in Saigon to perform in ‘predetermined’ places, which symbolically represents prosperity of the host, especially at business opening ceremonies. In the temples of ethnic Hoa community, the loud sound of drums and gongs and impressive-looking movements in the performance of this traditional dance create exciting facet in the Tet holiday in Saigon. Both children and adults expect to receive red lucky envelopes in the Lunar New Year. Previously, people often remain this money for luck no matter how impecunious. To save this money, it may be stored in a piggy bank, and this piggy bank is smashed to obtain the whole money within for buying something. Nowadays, the givers mostly accentuate the monetary value of these red envelopes, which occasionally makes adults disturbed.
Photo by Nguyen Thanh Loi
Traditional Tet in Saigon has left its own aftertastes blended from distinct cultural characteristics of populations from different regions of the country as well as of different waves of immigration over the past three hundred years, which generates an explicit uniqueness of the city even though it has been partially faded out
SÀI GÒN
Gìn vàng - Giữ ngọc
123