During the Lunar New Year, the merit of parents and the efforts of teachers are always remembered, promoted and preserved by the next generations. (Source: VOV)

The above saying reminds us of the beautiful tradition of "When drinking water, remember its source" and "Respecting teachers and valuing education" of our nation, reminding us of a good traditional value during Tet of every Vietnamese person.

Remember the birth of parents, the upbringing of teachers

From ancient times to the present, Lunar New Year is considered the “most important Tet” of the year. On this occasion, the merit of parents and the efforts of teachers are always remembered, promoted and preserved by the next generations. Therefore, no one knows since when, in folklore there has been a saying as a schedule for people to visit each other during the first three days of Tet. That is “the first day of Tet is for fathers, the second day of Tet is for mothers, the third day of Tet is for teachers”.

According to Vietnamese beliefs, "father" represents "father's relatives". Therefore, "father's first day of Tet" means that on the morning of the first day of Tet, family members will gather at the paternal side to worship ancestors and wish grandparents and parents a happy new year to show their respect.

On the second day of Tet, we will "depart" to visit and wish our maternal family a happy new year. The "Mother's Tet" rituals are as solemn and respectful as those at our paternal family. Children and grandchildren wish their grandparents a happy new year and receive lucky money at the beginning of the year.

And then the third day is Tet Thay, the day for Vietnamese people to express their gratitude to teachers, those who have taught, imparted knowledge, those who have steered the boat to bring them to the shore of knowledge and success.

Teachers here are not limited to teachers who teach letters, but also teachers who teach professions such as carpentry, sewing, medicine..., teachers who teach art subjects such as music, singing, drawing, dancing...

On this day, students, regardless of age or status, try to gather at the headmaster's house, along with their fellow students, to visit and wish their teachers and their families a Happy New Year. This is not only an opportunity to visit and express gratitude to their teachers for their teachings, but also a time for friends to meet, socialize and wish each other good luck in the coming New Year and spring.

The offerings brought to pay respect to teachers in the past were not material. Regardless of position or social status, students served themselves candy, then sat together to confide, listened to teachers ask questions and inform them about their work and family in the past year as well as upcoming plans...

The third day of Tet passed in such a warm atmosphere of teacher-student love and it has become an unchanging traditional beauty in the minds of the students of the past...

"The third day of Tet is for teachers" is a beauty that flows constantly in Vietnamese spiritual life. (Source: Dan Tri)

Preserving the beauty of "Tet Thay"

On the third day of Tet, most students come to “Tet Thay” with all their hearts, good thoughts, respect and gratitude. With the spirit of “respecting teachers and valuing education”, Vietnamese people always believe “Nhat tu vi su, ban tu vi su” (one word is a teacher, half a word is also a teacher) and Vietnamese people often remind each other “Without a teacher, you cannot achieve anything” to talk about the teaching merit of teachers in each person’s life.

But in modern times, “Teachers’ Day” has become more “special”. “Special” is that instead of directly visiting teachers to wish them a Happy New Year, students can send their wishes to their teachers via phone or Facebook.

Teachers, whether in the past or present, are still the same, the gift is not proportional to the heart of the students towards the teachers, although over time the form of Tet for teachers has changed a lot. If in the past students visited their teachers with tea bags, jams... today, Tet gifts for teachers are richer and more diverse, but the good nature of Tet for teachers remains unchanged because it always shows the heart, feelings and gratitude of students towards their teachers. Accordingly, the beautiful moral tradition of "Tet for teachers" will always be a constant flow in the spiritual life of Vietnamese people.

(according to VNA)