Vietnamese Culture Essay
Vui Ta
ESL 081
Anhvy Do
October 18, 2011 Killing the Inner Insect Festival in Vietnam
Vietnam has a rich culture that has been shaped by many different civilizations throughout history. Through many long struggles, the Vietnamese people have created their unique culture. Thanks to these particularities, there are many national celebrations in Vietnam such as Vietnamese New Year, Mid-Autumn Festival, Huong Pagoda Event. Besides Vietnamese New Year, Killing the Inner Insect Festival is the second most significant celebration of Vietnam. It is one of the most interesting celebrations in Vietnam because of its name special, the myth behind it, and two traditional types of food associated with it.
First, the name of this festival has a special meaning, and its Vietnamese definition is also interesting. Killing the Inner Insect Festival was called Tet Doan Ngo in Vietnamese. Literally, Tet refers to festival, Doan means the start, and Ngo is the seventh animal of the Chinese zodiac – the horse. In addition, it is known as Tet Giet Sau Bo - sau bo means pests, and giet is kill, or Tet Thang 5 - to be celebrated on the fifth of the fifth lunar month. The name Tet Giet Sau Bo derives from the fact that farmers, on this day, get rid of all worms to start growing their crops for the new season. Furthermore, this is the midyear festival year for the prevention of disease to ward off evil spirits. Therefore, on this occasion, the whole family must wake up early and eat fermented sticky rice and fruits. The worshipping is held at noon, hour of Ngo – 12.00p.m, and then the family has lunch. In short, this festivity shows not only its especial name but also a deep meaning.
Second, this amazing celebration starts with elder females retelling the fictitious story of two snakes – Thanh Xa and Bach Xa. A long time ago, in a small village had two orphan brothers who were well-known among the locals because of their intelligence and
ESL 081
Anhvy Do
October 18, 2011 Killing the Inner Insect Festival in Vietnam
Vietnam has a rich culture that has been shaped by many different civilizations throughout history. Through many long struggles, the Vietnamese people have created their unique culture. Thanks to these particularities, there are many national celebrations in Vietnam such as Vietnamese New Year, Mid-Autumn Festival, Huong Pagoda Event. Besides Vietnamese New Year, Killing the Inner Insect Festival is the second most significant celebration of Vietnam. It is one of the most interesting celebrations in Vietnam because of its name special, the myth behind it, and two traditional types of food associated with it.
First, the name of this festival has a special meaning, and its Vietnamese definition is also interesting. Killing the Inner Insect Festival was called Tet Doan Ngo in Vietnamese. Literally, Tet refers to festival, Doan means the start, and Ngo is the seventh animal of the Chinese zodiac – the horse. In addition, it is known as Tet Giet Sau Bo - sau bo means pests, and giet is kill, or Tet Thang 5 - to be celebrated on the fifth of the fifth lunar month. The name Tet Giet Sau Bo derives from the fact that farmers, on this day, get rid of all worms to start growing their crops for the new season. Furthermore, this is the midyear festival year for the prevention of disease to ward off evil spirits. Therefore, on this occasion, the whole family must wake up early and eat fermented sticky rice and fruits. The worshipping is held at noon, hour of Ngo – 12.00p.m, and then the family has lunch. In short, this festivity shows not only its especial name but also a deep meaning.
Second, this amazing celebration starts with elder females retelling the fictitious story of two snakes – Thanh Xa and Bach Xa. A long time ago, in a small village had two orphan brothers who were well-known among the locals because of their intelligence and