New-Year Writing - Vietnamese culture

According to culture and habit of the Vietnamese, it is believed that the very first day of a lunar year is so important to every new start. If things are in good smooth and people are happy on the first day of a lunar year, the whole year then is always in luck. On that day, people often take time to do a lot of things to wish for yearly luck, among which new-year writing is always paid attention to and reminded to be done to wish for a new year of prosperity.

Custom of new-year writing is often done among scholars. It used to be scholars, Confucian teachers, university graduates, etc to have this habit and it is now students, writers, poets. People normally take a good hour after New Year's Eve to begin new-year writing. This habit is only nominal and symbolic for a new learning in a new year. Some people may write down the dates of new-year writing, but some do compose some works at this moment, some others may write down their wish for a new year of great advantages, good learning, and a good career. Scholars or Confucian teachers used to compose parallel sentences to be hung for Tet.
New-year writing is not a must during Tet festival, however, it has been mentioned for quite a long time particularly on first days of a lunar new year. It is unnecessary to have new-year writing as soon as New Year's Eve, people feel free to take a day or an hour which is considered to be good for this habit on the first day of lunar new year onwards.

New-year writing for great luck - people usually begin first handwritings of a lunar new year with the hope of getting good things and also expressing respectfulness of handwritings and learning as well. This is really a beautiful custom, a significant trait of Tet festival which should be kept and brought into play for later generations.

Hải Lưu
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