Wrapping ‘banh chung’ (square glutinous rice cake), writing calligraphy, and participating in folk games are among interesting activities organised by schools across Da Nang to educate pupils about the unique features of the traditional Tet.

Children of the Hong Nhung Kindergarten based in Thanh Khe District experience wrapping 'banh chung' at the school's spring festival. Photo: NGOC HA

Many interesting activities

In recent days, the traditional Tet atmosphere spreads throughout schools in the city. Not only the yellow colour of the chrysanthemum pots and the red colour of the couplets but also there are interesting experiential activities.

Pupils of the Hai Chau District-based Nui Thanh Primary School have recently taken part in spring festival "Old Tet - Present Tet".

During the festival, they have had the opportunity to participate in writing calligraphy, painting ‘Dong Ho’ paintings, making lucky money envelopes, decorating five-fruit trays for Tet, and enjoy ‘bai choi’ performances.

Mrs. Vuong Thi Nguyet, Principal of the Hong Nhung Kindergarten in Thanh Khe District, said that the school’s spring festival was organised richly and vividly. Children played traditional games, made their own ‘banh chung’, decorated peach blossom tree cards, and participated in fair booths.

“For preschoolers, festival activities help them experience and connect with the wider world. Through that, children love the beauty of spring and understand the nation's traditional Tet customs and traditions," Mrs. Nguyet shared.

The Foreign Language Team of the Huynh Thuc Khang Junior High School based in Thanh Khe District) has brought Tet atmosphere to its pupils through English club activities with the theme "Tet Holiday". With this playground, pupils have understood more Tet through skits about the legend of Banh Chung and Banh Day, and other customs and traditions of Tet.

Traditional Tet is more meaningful

The traditional Tet experience activity is even more meaningful for many students when they personally wrap and cook ‘banh chung’ and ‘banh tet’ to give to friends in unfortunate circumstances.

Tran Van Minh Hai, a 12^th grader pupils of the Hoang Hoa Tham Senior High School, said that he and his friends wrapped ‘banh chung’ to give to children with serious illnesses at the Da Nang Maternity and Paedisatrics Hospital.

"We do all the stages of making cakes, from preparing ingredients to choosing and washing ‘la dong’, soaking beans, and wrapping cakes” Minh Hai expressed.

Mrs. Tran Thi Le, Principal of the Ly Tu Trong Primary School in Hai Chau District, said that ‘banh chung’ has a deep humanistic meaning, expressing gratitude to heaven and earth for bumper harvests and a prosperous life.

“Recently, the school coordinated with parents to organise a festival to welcome Spring 2024. The green ‘banh chung’ are wrapped with love and sharing from teachers, parents, and pupils to send to the highland pupils of Quang Nam and Quang Ngai provinces a little taste of Lunar New Year” Mrs. Le informed.

Mrs. Ngo Thi Bich Van, Deputy Director of the Da Nang Museum, said that in recent years, the museum has organised a Tet market featuring such attractive programmes as making ‘to he’, wrapping ‘banh chung’ and ‘banh tet’.

On the mornings of the 1^st and 2^nd days of the Lunar New Year 2024, the museum has a spring fortune-picking programme for visitors.

“This is also the traditional custom of the nation. The programme educates people, especially young people, about the love and traditional cultural values of Vietnamese people, thereby preserving and promoting the cultural beauty of Vietnamese Tet in contemporary life.

Reporting by NGOC HA - Translating by M.DUNG