Travel to Vietnam, where the tradition of New Year calligraphy is a distinctive cultural practice among Vietnamese people, imbued with spiritual meanings and beliefs in a good start.
Every Tet, Vietnamese people rush to request calligraphies. These calligraphies are not just artworks but also contain wishes for happiness, prosperity, and success in the new year. Through each fluid stroke of ink, those seeking calligraphies hope to receive luck, wealth, and prosperity throughout the year.
In this blog, we will introduce you to the custom of New Year calligraphy and its profound significance in Vietnamese culture.
Discovering Vietnamese Tradition: New Year Calligraphy in Vietnam
Origins and Meanings
Vietnamese Tet – Lunar New Year, for Vietnamese people, is the time to begin a new year filled with hope and wishes for everything to go well. Therefore, everyone hopes for good things and prosperity for themselves and their families. Additionally, calligraphy has always been respected and preserved by the Vietnamese.
The calligrapher explains the meaning of the letters
The custom of calligraphy, also known by the Vietnamese as “requesting letters,” originates from scholarly individuals. They request letters as a symbol of blessing, luck, and talent. This is an old cultural tradition that reflects respect for writing, knowledge, and the wish to receive characters to attract luck, wealth, and peace for the new year.
Requesting calligraphy at the beginning of the year also symbolizes the wish to follow the right path, to be harmonious, and to prosper throughout the year. Therefore, calligraphers are often people of heart and wisdom, understanding the meaning of each character to properly guide those who request them, helping them achieve their wishes through each brushstroke.
Process of Requesting Calligraphy in Vietnam
In the past, to request calligraphy, seekers had to prepare a small offering and sincerely visit the calligrapher’s home. Those who provided the characters always remained solemn, respected learning, and only gave letters to those who valued writing.
The requested calligraphies often expressed the wishes of the calligraphers or the desires of the seekers, typically for peace, luck, success, achievement, and a large family. In particular, families with studying children hoped to receive characters to bring good fortune in their studies and exams.
The beautiful wishes for a happy and peaceful new year are reflected through each fluid stroke of ink. Each character created by calligraphers is not only a work of art but also reveals the heart, personality, soul, and creativity of each individual.
The calligrapher writes letters
Once sacred calligraphies are obtained to one’s liking, they are brought home to be hung in the most respected, sacred, and visible place in the house, to pray for success in life and studies.
Nowadays, requesting characters is no longer as ceremonious as it used to be. However, the image of people writing calligraphies on various materials like paper, wood, bamboo, reed, etc.; people queuing, sitting on chairs waiting their turn, respectfully holding the still-wet paper, and admiring the letters remains a vibrant and beautiful sight at the beginning of the new year.
Places to Request Calligraphy
In Hanoi
In Hanoi, every year from the 20th day of the twelfth lunar month to the 15th day of the first lunar month, the Spring Calligraphy Festival is often held at the Temple of Literature (Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam) – a familiar place for thousands of people from across the country to come and request calligraphy for good luck at the beginning of the year. Requesting calligraphy here is not only a normal activity during Tet but also a cultural custom and a New Year’s tradition.
The Temple of Literature is Vietnam’s first national school. It has educated many generations of talented individuals for the country. Therefore, the characters obtained here carry great significance.
People ask for calligraphy at the Temple of Literature, Vietnam
In Hue
In Hue, tourists and locals can request calligraphy in the area along the Perfume River, near Hue National School (Quoc Hoc Hue). This is a famous place where talented calligraphers write characters for those who wish to seek luck, wealth, and peace for the new year. This location is not only beautiful in terms of scenery but also rich with traditional cultural atmosphere, creating a unique and meaningful experience for everyone.
In Ho Chi Minh City
In Ho Chi Minh City, visitors can go to Calligraphy Street at the Youth Cultural House, Phạm Ngọc Thạch Street, District 1. This spring celebration spot for locals has been around for 17 years and is not only a place to request calligraphy but also to experience many cultural activities of the traditional Tet.
Tips for Requesting Calligraphy in Vietnam
Request Calligraphy According to Your Wishes
When requesting calligraphy, it is important to ask for characters that match your wishes to ensure they are effective. Present your desires and hopes for the coming year in detail so that the calligrapher can understand and provide appropriate characters. Calligraphers are knowledgeable and skilled, so they will know which characters suit you best.
Choose the Color of the Paper for Calligraphy
The characters will be written on red or yellow paper because, according to Eastern feng shui beliefs, these colors symbolize prosperity and wealth, bringing luck, peace, and abundance for the new year.
Places to Display the Requested Calligraphy
Vietnamese people believe that requested calligraphy should be placed in the most respected place in the house. Therefore, they are often hung in study areas, workspaces, or living rooms. These are places with harmonious energy, well-lit by natural light, and reflecting the spirit of the person who requests the characters.
Calligraphers Street in Ho Chi Minh City
The customs of requesting calligraphy at the beginning of the new year not only preserve and develop the art of calligraphy in Vietnam but also connect people to high spiritual values. For Vietnamese people, each character not only carries beautiful wishes but also serves as a reminder of the importance of learning, respecting knowledge, and upholding morality.
We hope that through this blog, you have gained a deeper understanding of this unique Vietnamese custom and felt the beauty of the spirit of a people who cherish writing and knowledge. If you have the chance to visit Vietnam during Tet, don’t forget to experience requesting calligraphy to take home a meaningful spiritual gift for the new year. Contact us to plan a Vietnam tour for your next New Year.
Read more: Tet Holiday – Traditional Dishes and Customs of the Vietnamese
