SEEING TET – THE RURAL TET

Brain science once stated that vision—the human perspective—is a sensory power of preeminence, with nearly a quarter of the brain's neurons involved in processing images. Therefore, every day we "see" more than we imagine. And for that reason, before Tet touches our ears, our tongues, or our hands, it softly knocks on the door of our souls through our eyes. How wondrous it is when our eyes open and we suddenly see our Tet—the rural Tet—has arrived. It is a tolerant, wide-open gaze, like a doorway to the realm of memory, where layers of emotions and levels of Vietnamese cultural soul have settled deeply over thousands of years.

Tet always arrives through the eyes first. Even before hearing the echoes of New Year's Eve firecrackers in nostalgic memory, or tasting the rich fragrance of the banh chung mother peels, just a glimpse of the red color of Tet couplets, the warm yellow of marigolds, or the pale pink of peach blossoms is enough for the brain to whisper: Tet has arrived at the gate. Tet glides past every roof and every village road. A branch of white plum blossoms, an apricot tree at a street corner or the end of a market; a small stall selling bright red lucky money envelopes; crowds in traditional and modern ao dai carrying the fullness of spring... All of these piece together to form a "Tet map". With just a glance, one can read the entire atmosphere of spring spreading across the S-shaped land.

Tet imagery carries within it a special emotional power. Emotions from a gaze often precede thought because the brain processes images much faster and more richly than language. Looking at a full five-fruit tray, delicately arranged on the ancestral altar, we suddenly feel a sense of abundance, completeness, and togetherness for a long and wide new year ahead. Watching a hearth glowing red with fire to simmer banh chung on the final night of the year, we feel the warmth, the harmony of heaven and earth, and the aspiration for favorable weather throughout the year. Then, suddenly, our gaze rests on the faces of our parents—marked with a few more wrinkles over the years—and the heart falls still, deep and very deep. Especially when this Tet, at the reunion meal, a familiar person is missing. Vision during Tet can bring exuberant joy, but it is also enough to make our eyes sting. Tet—with the two-way gaze of life: joy and sorrow, fullness and absence.

Seeing Tet is also looking back at time. Viewing Dong Ho folk paintings on rough diep paper, we seem to step into a realm of old memories, where colors are derived from nature, and Tet is associated with villages, rice fields, and rustic joy—the "Catching Coconuts" painting evokes a simple yet full happiness. Glancing at Hang Trong Tet paintings, we have a different feeling—calmer and deeper—like a slow reminder of fortune and misfortune, and wishes for peace for every family in the new year.

In this Year of the Wood Horse (Binh Ngo), if you have the chance to travel to Tien Dien – Ha Tinh, the homeland of the Great Poet Nguyen Du, you can contemplate a special artistic work: 3,254 verses of The Tale of Kieu calligraphed by eight primary school teachers on do paper and China ink over nearly eight consecutive days, across 600 large-format pages. When reading, viewers must stand before the stand of this massive book. It is even more moving to know that one of them—the eldest sister and also the Principal of Tien Dien Primary School, a veteran—has known The Tale of Kieu by heart for many years. The work is like a rustic, pure gift from the homeland, encapsulating much meaning to offer to the ancestors in this land of learning during the chilly early days of spring.

During the Lunar New Year—the moment of transition between the old and the new—the gaze becomes a bridge between the present, memory, and aspirations for the future. We look to recognize that Tet has returned and spring has arrived. We look to preserve moments that time never waits for. Perhaps for that reason, Tet needs to be looked at very slowly. Look to hold onto the spring colors that are gently slipping through our fingers. Look to know that we still love, still remember, and still hope for the beauty ahead. For as long as the eyes are moved by Tet, the human heart has not run dry of spring—and spring remains.

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Source: Báo Quân đội nhân dân