Vietnamese custom of asking for calligraphy at the beginning of the year

From ancient times until now, every time Tet comes, Vietnamese people always keep the custom of asking for the first words of the year as a way to express hope for the new year.

According to calligrapher Cung Khac Luoc, the meaning of asking for the first words of the year is to wish for a year of luck, peace, prosperity and longevity for oneself and one's family. Each person will ask for a word on a piece of paper that represents what they wish for. In addition, they also want to ask for the virtue and talent of the teacher - a testament to the tradition of studiousness and respect for knowledge of the Vietnamese people.

Since ancient times, when wanting to ask for calligraphy at the beginning of the new year, the person asking for calligraphy had to prepare a small ceremony including: betel, areca, tea, tobacco... to go to the house of the teacher to ask for calligraphy. The chosen teacher was usually a person of good knowledge in the area, a Confucian scholar or a bachelor who had passed the royal examination. After giving the calligraphy, the teacher would explain the meaning of each stroke so that the person asking could fully understand the profound meanings within.

The teacher gave the first words of the year.

Meaning of some words requested on New Year's Day:

Pray for good luck

The word Phuc symbolizes happiness, luck, and joy, so many people often ask for it to decorate their homes.

Ask for the word "Loc" to pray for wealth and fortune

The word “Loc” symbolizes wealth and is one of the words that many people ask for at the beginning of the new year. People give each other the word “Loc” as a wish for a lucky year, prosperity and wealth to the recipient.

Pray for longevity

The word Tho symbolizes health and longevity. People often ask for the word Tho with the wish for their family to be healthy and prosperous and to wish their grandparents and parents longevity.

Please pray for purity of heart

People ask for the word "Heart" with the wish that their mind will be pure, free from all desires, selfishness, and hatred, to have a peaceful and serene life.

Ask for German words and ask for morality

The word "virtue" symbolizes human beauty and morality. People ask for the word "virtue" to teach themselves to live well, do good things to have peace of mind.

Ask for talent

The word Tai symbolizes talent, the person asking for the word wishes to be successful in study and work.

Please ask for filial piety and gratitude

The word "filial piety" is used to express gratitude for the hard work of grandparents and parents in giving birth and raising one.

Ask for trust

The word "Trust" in Vietnamese means trust, confidence, always doing what you set out to do.

Ask for the word "Nhẫn" (Patience)

The word "Nhẫn" means generosity, tolerance and human courage.

Pray for peace

The word An symbolizes peace. People ask for the word An to pray for a peaceful and happy life.

Ask for the word "D" to pray for success

The word "Do" represents the wish to pass the exams and "pass the five gates" successfully.

Ask for the word "Duyen" to pray for love

The word Duyên symbolizes love and fate. Young people often ask for the word Duyên at the beginning of the year to pray for luck in love, a sign of joy.

Source: https://thoidai.com.vn/tuc-xin-chu-dau-nam-cua-nguoi-viet-196708.html