What is Ha Nguyen Tet? Origin and meaning of Xia Yuan Festival

Besides the familiar festivals, Ha Nguyen New Year is also an extremely important day of the year. Nowadays, they are gradually becoming a day with many spiritual values for people all over the country. Especially for Buddhists, this is also an opportunity for them to direct their minds to practice, thanks to the blessings of the Buddhas of the ten directions, divine protection and protection, followed by the protection of their ancestors. To learn more about Ha Nguyen New Year, please refer to this article.

See also : 17 important lunar holidays in Vietnam in 2022

What is Ha Nguyen Tet?

Ha Nguyen Festival (New Rice Celebration)

Ha Nguyen New Year (New Rice Festival) is a holiday that takes place on the full moon of the tenth month of the lunar calendar every year. This is also a day for people to make arrangements and make offerings to the family to pray for peace for the family or to pray for their deceased loved ones.

About the origin, after each August rice crop has just been harvested, the farm work is also gradually more relaxed. At that time, new rice and new straw were all available, so people immediately thought of the grace of the heavens and the earth, the rain and the wind were harmonious, and there was no flood to damage the crops.

Therefore, on the full moon of the 10th month of the lunar calendar, people will bring what they have harvested to make dishes according to local customs and a tray of rice to offer to ancestors, the Earth god,… Gradually, This day has become an indispensable occasion in people’s life and is called Thanksgiving, New Rice Festival or Ha Nguyen New Year.

A tray of rice to offer to ancestors

This is also one of the four great graces of Buddhism that the Buddha passed on when he was alive. After giving thanks, the whole family will gather around the red fire , enjoy a cozy tray of rice in the cold winter.

The meaning of Xia Nguyen New Year’s Day

Pray for peace, pray for loved ones

Pray for peace, pray for loved ones

This is an opportunity for people to come to the temple to wish for peace and happiness for their family members, especially grandparents and parents. After the Buddha ceremony is over, many families also visit their deceased relatives, who can send their ashes at the temple and pray for them.

Remembering the merits of the Buddhas and ancestors

Remembering the merits of the Buddhas and ancestors

On this day, especially Buddhists, they will remember and pay tribute to the merits of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in creating, preserving and promoting the direction of good, eliminating evil, and remembering the ancestors. first. Therefore, the Ha Nguyen New Year worshiping ceremony usually takes place at the temple so that people can follow the Buddha’s example.

Directing people to good

Directing people to good

Through the Ha Nguyen New Year, people also voluntarily live towards good because for people, nothing is more noble than doing good deeds . In particular, on the occasion of the festival, this beauty is even more honored when people and families wholeheartedly worship and perform the ceremony. At the same time, remember the merits of ancestors, parents and ancestors.

Activities in Ha Nguyen New Year

Gifts for loved ones

Gifts for loved ones

On this occasion, people often give gifts, new rice – glutinous rice or autumn-winter specialties to express their filial piety and gratitude to their grandparents, parents and revered people.

Worshiping the Ancestors and the Three Jewels

Worshiping the Ancestors and the Three Jewels

To make Ha Nguyen Tet more solemn and sincere, every family buys flowers, candles, cooks new sticky rice with a neat and pure ceremony tray to offer to the Three Jewels and ancestors.

Visit the temple and burn incense

Visit the temple and burn incense

To pray for peace, people will go to the temple to burn incense, worship Buddha and sincerely pray for everything to be favorable and happy. Therefore, on every occasion of Ha Nguyen New Year, the temples are crowded with people, full of incense.

Suggestions for dishes in the tray of offerings on Ha Nguyen New Year’s Day

In addition to sticky rice, incense, and fruit, Ha Nguyen New Year also has savory dishes (not only vegetarian dishes) to offer to Gods, ancestors, etc.

Offering cakes

Offering cakes

This is a kind of rustic rice flour cake that surely every Westerner knows. Each soft, white cake is wrapped inside a layer of green banana leaves. When enjoying, you will feel a little salty, a little sweet, especially the greasy taste of coconut milk.

Five coloured sticky rice

Beautiful and solemn five-color sticky rice to worship

Not only eye-catching colors, this sticky rice dish is also sweet and delicious. You just need to place sticky rice and decorate it with a few leaves around it. As simple as that, you already have a beautiful and solemn five-color sticky rice to worship.

Printed cake

Printed cake

Besides the cake, printed cake is also a good suggestion to worship. Each cake is white and pure with a soft, greasy layer of dough combined with a sweet and juicy green bean paste. It’s appropriate to appear on the altar, isn’t it?

Boiled Pork

Boiled Pork

Each fiber of pork is boiled to medium, soft, fragrant, light fat combined with a variety of fresh vegetables. Along with that, there will be an extra cup of fish sauce or typical shrimp paste, creating a sense of harmony and stimulating the taste buds when enjoying. This is also a simple dish that is loved and chosen by many people for the Ha Nguyen New Year offerings.

Steamed chicken

Steamed chicken

Regardless of any Tet holiday, if there is no steamed chicken dish, it will be a big omission on the Vietnamese offering tray. Chicken after steaming has a very eye-catching, shiny golden skin. When enjoying, you will feel each fiber of soft, naturally sweet and fragrant meat. When placed on top, this dish will make the offering tray much more solemn.

>> Variations with attractive beer steamed chicken for Tet rice tray

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Hopefully, through the above sharing, you will know what Ha Nguyen New Year is as well as the origin and meaning of this Tet holiday. If you do not know how to do or prepare for the offering tray, please refer to the above suggestions.

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