Concerns of PROVIDENT PEOPLE – CONCERNS for TIES of GRATITUDE
Hits: 545
HUNG NGUYEN MANH 1
In fact, preparation for the Lunar New Year Festival involves not only the care for a lot of things as seen in everyday life but also the promotion of gratitude ties and relations.
Children and grand children who had left their families for new married life, in spite of living far apart, also sought to offer gifts and presents to their parents and grand-parents, these things were either big or small depending on economic conditions of the givers. If the family was well to do it would buy rare special things and if it was a poor one, it would get small items as token presents. If the parents or grand parents were rich their children or grand children only needed to present them with a branch of peach blossoms, two pots of chrysanthemum, some narcissus plants or a roll of big firecrackers to make them feel pleased. Besides the duty of children and grand-children, people were also obliged to the duty of disciples. Although now they became mandarins whose names would have been engraved on stelae they were still to visit their former teachers and tutors.
HENRI OGER did not miss those fine images; furthermore he depicted more impressively the picture of a disciple’s visit to his teacher with some small presents. Is it correct to say that this figure is a sketch on a disciple’s carrying two bamboo baskets containing rice and ducks as offerings to his own teacher on the Tết occasion?
Not only did disciples turn their thought to their teachers but sons-in-law also direct their thought to their parents- in-law. Thought was also turned to match – makers by young couples or to doctors or medical practitioners by patients (Fig.1). With regard to brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, they often exchanged small presents on the occasion of the new year as tokens of their feeling. That was because “exchange of gifts will make people happy”. They also did not forget to pay attention to their neighbors. A Vietnamese saying goes: “sell distant cousins and buy near neighbours”. Particularly, anyone who always cherished ties of gratitude would never forget to visit his or her benefactors to express gratitude and loyalty on the occasion of Lunar New Year Festival or other ritual days.
Being an official of the French ruling machine, HENRI OGER understood very well that the colonial rulers and local mandarins always caused troubles to the people. Therefore the sketch on an “offering trip” would make this young author think of a humble citizen on his way to offer presents to mandarins on the Tết festival to procure protection in this or that affair in the future.
Particularly with the schoolboy, also called “nho sinh” (Confucian student), he has to observe the School Thanking Ceremony and must prepare some incense-sticks, a package of tea, a bottle of alcohol… then joins his classmates, gathering together at their teacher’s house – usually used as their school.
The students must ask for their teacher’s permission to display the offerings, burn the incense-sticks, and worship their teacher’s ancestors; then, they’ll wish their teacher much health and safety, and finally, ask their teacher to permit them to continue to study in the new year and to listen to their teacher’s teachings on the right principles of great sages.
The custom of offering gifts at Tết had been described by a religious named Jean Koffler in the 18th century (1740-1755), when referring to the “Tết in Cochinchina”, as follows: “Toward the beginning of the lunar new year in this place, people have the custom of offering gifts to one another. The gifts consist of pigs, chickens, eggs, oranges and various gifts to the Lord, the soldier offers gifts to his commander, the patient to the doctor, the parishers to the priest, the schoolboys offer Tết gifts to their teacher, the servant to his master.”
NOTE:
1 Associate Professor HUNG NGUYEN MANH, Doctor of Phylosophy in History.
BAN TU THU
01 /2020
NOTE:
◊ Source: Vietnamese Lunar New Year – Major Festival – Asso. Prof. HUNG NGUYEN MANH, Doctor of Phylosophy in History.
◊ Bold text and sepia images has been set by Ban Tu Thu – thanhdiavietnamhoc.com
SEE ALSO:
◊ From Sketches in early 20th century to traditional rituals and festival.
◊ Signification of the term “Tết”
◊ Lunar New Year Festival
◊ Concerns of PROVIDENT PEOPLE – Concerns for KITCHEN and CAKES
◊ Concerns of PROVIDENT PEOPLE – Concerns for MARKETING – Section 1
◊ Concerns of PROVIDENT PEOPLE – Concerns for MARKETING – Section 2
◊ Vietnam Lunar New Year – vi-VersiGoo
◊ etc.