Truths and Traditions in Tet

An old country carries many traditions which can be both amusing in later times, and profoundly significant, connecting our present lives with eternal truths. I don't pretend to understand all the connections or basis for the traditions I see being carried on by those around me, but I try not to be so presumptuous as to dismiss them as foolish or comical from my limited perspective. With that as preface, let me share with you some of the things we have observed, and what we have learned about them in the recent days.

We went hunting for a replacement cartridge for our printer (again) earlier this week, having been unsuccessful in finding one at the warehouse store or any of the electronics or computer stores the week before. Although we found the HP service center, they kindly informed us that they did not carry the cartridges and we would have to contact a distributer, politely offering us the card of one near our home. As we left and walked over to our next planned stop, we passed by one of the many lakes in Hanoi. In doing so, we noted not a few people carrying bags of goldfish, most often three, which they would furtively and sometimes ceremoniously then release into the lake. As we watched and walked, we soon found vendors nearby.

      

Unfamiliar with this custom we started to ask questions and uncovered the tradition of the three kitchen gods, who are believed to return to heaven on that particular day of the lunar calendar to make their  report prior to the beginning of the new year. The tradition of releasing a goldfish (for each of them) stems from the belief that they ride the waters on the back of a goldfish to return and make their report on the status and dignity of the family and whether they are deserving of blessing in the coming year. As we walked by one of the small ponds in the neighborhood between our house and the Big C a few days later, we noticed that apparently some of the symbolically released fish had not yet made it to heaven with their passenger, but were still congregating in class awaiting either a fisherman or something else. 

The trip to Big C was itself instructive and illustrative of both language and tradition. Celebrating the New Year is spoken in Vietnamese as Ăn Tết, which might literally mean "Eating the New Year" which given how many others in the world will celebrate Super Bowl Sunday or most any other holiday should not surprise us. What we were not prepared for was the magnitude of the throng. Literal gridlock in the produce section such that one could barely navigate as an individual, let alone with a cart! But when one understands that the markets will be closed for three days and everyone will be visiting one another and eating together and toasting best luck, prosperity and well-being, it seems to make sense that stocking up (and selling out) would be the inclination. The Banh Chung cakes and anything else that is filling, ready to serve or munch on (like special dried fruits or salted savories) will fit in well. Large gift baskets and every imaginable type of boxed or tinned cookies (how did Danish Butter Cookies make it into the cultural tradition in VN?) were stacked in every space in the store, and making their way onto every shoppers cart, often in multiples. (We admit we also succumbed to the purchase of the special Pepperidge Farm version of same!) Enough to give, and perhaps to enjoy ourselves.

       

On Friday, our dear friend T brought by her own good wishes for the new year before she traveled to her "hometown" to enjoy the holiday with her family. It was a sweet visit as she joyfully shared with us the pictures of the Banh Chung making contest they had held at her school (judged by both time and quality of filling and folding of the banh we learned) and brought for us a large bag of small Tao (apple like fruits) to enjoy as well as some that had been dried a sweetened to preserve them. What a treat these small fruits are- nearly matching mehjool dates in my taste test! We also shared together thoughts on passages we have read and found meaningful in the Book of Mormon.

       

OK, well that is probably enough talk about food and "eating" as write on this Fast Sunday! 

Other traditions we encounter are the urge to clear away and clean up the house and the building. So yesterday we found the maintenance and security staff working to get more of the polish on certain public areas, repainting the sacrificial urn in front of the building and so forth. That sense of taking stock of one's life and getting the affairs in order prior to a new beginning seems easy to understand and to recognize in both the eternal and human (tendency to procrastinate) senses.

Lunar new year also marks the beginning of spring, a time when the renewal of life and the hopes for a prosperous harvest seem pertinent. Countless small Spring Markets have appeared over the last two weeks, mostly selling two types of small trees, a tangerine or clementine-like citrus, and flowering peach or apricot. For those not wanting the fully rooted variety of the latter, many small saplings cut off at the trunk, as blossoms are set to emerge, are offered. Some markets also include beautiful orchids and other potted flowers. Stopping at the market near our home the saleswoman was eager to explain that the spotted orchid was especially apropos to an older member of the family, perhaps spotted with age, but enduring in wisdom. (OK, I could accept it on that premise- though I was more inclined to think of my dear Aunt Farol who crossed the veil fully endowed with age and wisdom's gifts this week and whom we visited just prior to leaving the US in May.) 

                                  

The city is decorated with hundreds of poinsettias in natural bloom in this climate, often juxtaposed with bright yellow chrysanthemums, perfectly befitting a country whose national colors are red and yellow. The trees described above are brought into every home and many businesses, often as pairs, symbolizing the hope for prosperity and happiness. And of course, this means they must be transported, which makes for some interesting views as you follow a motorbike laden with a 10 foot citrus heavy with orange fruit.

       

The moral here for me of course is not "don't buy more than you can carry" but rather, "there's probably a way to do this that I haven't thought of" which seems like a very practical approach (if not the safest approach) when starting a new endeavor like a mission.

Lastly, the city puts on its best face for Tet, even as it largely empties itself of inhabitants returning dutifully to their que huong and all the relationships that matter most. As we walked about town last evening with our friends and former Saigon missionary, Charlie and Sherry Holloman, we could enjoy the light and color that the city center offered, with a bit less bustle and press. The time to pause and reflect, to look heavenward in our recollections and in our hopes seemed symbolized in the lights on Hoan Kiem lake, and epitomized my sense as I look ahead to the year of the Monkey and what it will bring.