Memories of a Doan Ngo Tet with many customs
Before the Doan Ngo Tet 2026, Mrs. To Thi Neo (67 years old, Hung Yen) remembers the Tet seasons of more than half a century ago in her hometown.
According to Ms. Neo, at that time people's lives were still poor, mainly relying on agricultural production. Therefore, Doan Ngo Tet is considered one of the important holidays of the year.
In the old days, from a few days before Tet, adults prepared rice wine, ash cakes, and early-season fruits for worship. Children were excited to eat rice wine, plums, and lychees from early morning with the belief of'killing insects'. Every household tried to prepare a decent offering tray to offer to ancestors," Ms. Neo recounted.
In her memory, Doan Ngo Tet is not only a holiday with spiritual meaning but also reflects the life of an agricultural society. This is the time when the weather changes seasons, pests and diseases develop strongly, so people often pray for favorable harvests and crops not to be destroyed by epidemics.
In addition to preparing offerings, many families also maintain customs such as picking medicinal leaves at noon, using folk herbs or preparing local specialties.
In those days, people believed a lot in folk experience. There are customs that are no longer popular now but have become beautiful memories of many generations," Ms. Neo shared.
When traditional holidays enter modern life
Over time, many customs of the Doan Ngo Tet have changed. Modern life makes the way of celebrating this holiday simpler than before.
Ms. Tran Thi Huong Lan (32 years old, Hanoi) said: "My family has few people, and we are busy with children, so on this occasion, we order sour food or rice wine to eat to'kill insects', simple offerings to commemorate our ancestors. This year, the Doan Ngo Tet falls on Friday, so in the afternoon, my whole family will take advantage of going home to visit our family".
According to Ms. Lan, in the current living conditions, preparing a neat offering tray suitable for the family circumstances is a way to both preserve cultural beauty and avoid waste.
Mr. Do Xuan Hoa (72 years old, Hanoi) said that a few decades ago, Doan Ngo Tet was an occasion for children and grandchildren in the family to gather fully after hard working days.
Many families make quite large feasts, some places even consider this an occasion to celebrate after a harvest. Now living conditions are different from before, children and grandchildren go to school and work far away, so the organization is also more streamlined," Mr. Hoa said.
According to him, many young people today no longer believe in the folk belief that eating rice, wine, and fruit on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month can "kill insects" or prevent diseases like previous generations.
However, many families still maintain burning ancestral incense, preparing rice wine, fruits and traditional dishes as a way to preserve cultural beauty.
The most important thing is not the large or small offering tray, but the remembrance of ancestors. That is the remaining value of this Tet holiday," Mr. Hoa shared.
The change of Doan Ngo Tet reflects the transition from agricultural society to modern life. Some folk belief customs are no longer widely maintained, but the core values of the holiday are still preserved.
Although the way of celebrating Doan Ngo Tet is different from before, this is still an opportunity for each family to look towards their roots, remind their children and grandchildren of traditional customs and contribute to preserving national cultural identity in modern life.
