Musicians in holiday clothes. Photo: archives.org.vn.
The Lunar New Year is a big traditional New Year in our country with many traditional customs with profound meanings. Under the Nguyen Dynasty, the Lunar New Year is considered one of the biggest ceremonies of the year and the royal court welcomes New Year with many solemn ceremonies.
The preparation for New Year in the palace began early, right from December 1 (Lunar calendar), with a Calendar books distribution of New Year (Ban Soc Ceremony), followed by a ceremony to invite the emperors to “celebrate New Year” with the court. (Hop Huong Ceremony), a ritual signifying the suspension of main court work (Phong An Ceremony); Ceremonies such as Tue Tru, Tru Tich and Thuong Tieu with the meaning of sending off all bad things of the previous year to welcome the good of the new year.
The dancers on the holiday. Photo: archives.org.vn.
On New Year’s Day, the king personally went to the royal palace to celebrate. After finishing the ceremony, the king resided at Thai Hoa Palace, and the mandarin congratulated him. After the Lunar New Year celebration, the king bestowed the bird’s nest, rewarded the New Year to the princes, the officials as well as granted favor widely to the people.
New Year ceremonies at the royal court took place solemnly, seemingly different from the traditional New Year in folk – but somewhere, in every ritual, in the mind still emphasized the word Gratefulness and in the interruption of the public to enjoy the warm spring…
Through the exhibition, the public will see close points to the folk New Year, blending in the traditional & cultural beauty of the nation.
Thanh Hang