Warm birthday celebration

brother-3...jpg — Celebrating longevity in early spring is a beautiful cultural feature of Vietnamese people.

On the 4th day of Tet, the Cultural House of Bich Nhoi 1 residential area, Minh Tan ward (Kinh Mon) was bustling and bustling, different from usual days, because today the Association of the Elderly coordinated with the residential area to organize a longevity celebration - celebrating the golden and silver ages for 34 elderly people.

The longevity celebration for the elderly was held solemnly and warmly. Representatives of Minh Tan ward government and the Association of the Elderly wished the elderly a peaceful and healthy new year and presented longevity gifts. The elderly's children and grandchildren attended with pride, preparing gifts and fresh flowers for the elderly. Many children and grandchildren also contributed special performances for the elderly on the occasion of the New Year.

Mrs. Trieu Thi Gai in Bich Nhoi 1 residential area is one of the five elderly people who turned 90 this year and were congratulated on their longevity. Thanks to paying attention to her health, exercising , and eating moderately, Mrs. Gai is still healthy, cooking and doing daily activities with her husband. Her children and grandchildren are always filial in a warm family, which is a special spiritual medicine that helps her live a long life.

Holding a bouquet of fresh flowers, Ms. Gai happily said: “The happiest thing for me is that my children and grandchildren from far away all come back to gather and receive the attention of the locality and the neighborhood. This is a precious gift, motivating me to live happily, live healthily, continue to live exemplary and encourage my children and grandchildren to study, work, and join hands to build my homeland to develop more and more.”

Mr. Tran Van Vien, the eldest son of Mrs. Gai happily said: "Only on Tet holiday do children and grandchildren have time to gather together, give lucky money, and wish their parents longevity. Celebrating grandparents' longevity is an honor and pride for the family. The grandparents will always be an example for their children and grandchildren to follow."

brother-2.-cu-mon.jpg — Mr. Nguyen Tat Mon in Xa Son village, Quang Thanh commune (sitting on the left) was happy to be celebrated at his 95th birthday.

At the age of 95, Mr. Nguyen Tat Mon in Xa Son village, Quang Thanh commune is still quite lucid. After a life of hardship, his greatest assets are his 11 children, nearly 30 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren. At the longevity celebration, his children and grandchildren attended in large numbers, sending good wishes and meaningful gifts to express gratitude for his upbringing and birth. Mr. Mon's face radiated a happy smile on this special day. "In the Vietnamese folk consciousness, every person born wishes to achieve the Five Blessings in life. The Five Blessings include five factors: Happiness, Prosperity, Longevity, Health, and Peace. Of which, Longevity is the most elusive factor, so it is also what everyone desires the most, including me. At gatherings like this, with many children and grandchildren, harmony and filial piety, is the most precious gift," Mr. Mon shared.

Attending the longevity celebration, Mr. Nguyen Tat Khoi, Mr. Mon's son, said emotionally: "It is a joy and pride for children and grandchildren to celebrate the longevity of their grandparents and parents. This is an important occasion for the children and grandchildren in the family, so my siblings and I invited each other to come home early to prepare the longevity celebration for him. We hope he can live a long and healthy life with his children and grandchildren."

Children and grandchildren gathered to celebrate the 75th birthday of Mr. Bui Dinh Phi and his wife Ho Thi Ngoi (fourth and fifth from right).

As for Mr. Bui Dinh Phi, 75 years old this year, living in residential area No. 3, Phu Thu ward, the joy was multiplied when both husband and wife were wished longevity at the ceremony. After attending the longevity ceremony at the cultural house, Mr. Phi's children and grandchildren also held a longevity party at home. Children and grandchildren came to pay their respects, gave their grandparents and parents best wishes, gave meaningful gifts and excitedly reported on their achievements in work, study and future plans.

Ms. Bui Thi Hang, Phi's daughter, confided: "On the day of our parents' birthday, our children and grandchildren, both near and far, had the opportunity to gather and listen to our grandparents tell stories about the Tet holidays of the past, so that we could somewhat understand the difficulties and hardships that our grandparents and parents had gone through, and use that as motivation to strive to work and study. My siblings and I advised each other to prepare the birthday celebration carefully, to record as a souvenir the moments of reunion, the great joy of the family and to enjoy a meal together."

Celebrating longevity is a beautiful cultural feature in the tradition of "When drinking water, remember its source" of the Vietnamese people that is still preserved through generations, making Tet more cozy and spring days more meaningful.

NGUYEN HAU

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