Floating cakes, vegetarian cakes are offered to the ancestors worshiping committee on the real Korean New Year. Photo: Minh An Floating cake made small balls, outside white, in the red sugar filling, boiled in a pot of boiling water, when the cake floats on the surface, take out the water. And the vegetarian cake is rounded, flat, without filling, put on a small plate, poured sugar water on top. Place on a plate, let it cool, burn incense. Folk conception is that the number of plates, bowls of drifting cakes, and vegetarian cakes to offer is always 5 or 3. People often burn incense as 1-3 or 5 compress incense, not even light. Besides, in the ceremony, no matter how big or small, the Vietnamese people’s worship tray has fresh flowers and betel and areca, and 3 cups of water. On the ancestor altar, depending on the season, depending on the conditions of each house, families also buy 5 more fruits with five different colors representing the five elements. An ancestor tray during the Korean New Year does not need to prepare a “full tray”, but only needs to show filial piety, sincerity and wish for good things. Today, many people also enjoy making the five-color vegetarian floating cakes to offer them to their ancestors. However, according to cultural experts, this is inconsistent with the original and meaning of the Korean holiday. Because the floating cake, the original vegetarian cake is white, the circle is full of expressing the aspiration for the good, full and pure things in life. According to folk beliefs, floating cake often has a square cut of sugar, round the outside of the shell. The yin-yang is the same as the saying ‘mother is round and square.’ The yellow green bean paste represents yin, the crust is round and white to show positive and that is the property of yin and yang harmony. It is desirable to wish for favorable, harmonious weather, as well as the summer not too hot.

Illustration.

The actual Korean New Year takes place on the 3rd of the 3rd lunar month. Thus, in 2021, the real Korean New Year will fall on April 14 of the solar calendar. The Korean New Year actually appears in some provinces of China, northern Vietnam and some Chinese communities around the world.

In the Chinese sense, “Han” means cold, “real” is to eat, the real Korean New Year is to eat cold food. Although originating from China, the real Korean New Year of the Vietnamese still has its own nuances. In addition, this custom also has changes in accordance with the culture and customs of the Vietnamese people.

Every year on this day, many families grind flour, green beans, make floating cakes, vegetarian cakes, cook sticky rice to Buddha and worship their ancestors, perhaps it is also a way of commemorating relatives in the last days. spring

The Vietnamese Lunar New Year has a deep national significance and has fundamental differences with this holiday in China.

The custom of making floating cakes, vegetarian cakes in the Han Thuc New Year

Floating cakes and vegetarian cakes on Han Thuc New Year are often said to originate from China, but there are also many stories that float and vegetarian cakes date from the Hung Vuong dynasty. The custom of making floating cakes, vegetarian cakes to recall the legend of Mrs. Au Co “wrapped a hundred eggs”.

The floating cake is made of glutinous rice flour, kneaded with water, and filled with sugar. Rice makes rice cakes, vegetarian cakes must be picky when they are sticky yellow flowers. Every nine parts sticky rice for a part or two parts immature. The best sugar to make floating cake is Duong Lieu, Cat Que street, square pieces of sugar, sharp, crimson, solid and crunchy, with a cool aroma.

Who should not eat floating cakes, vegetarian cakes?

Floating cakes, vegetarian cakes contain a lot of starch and sugar, so those with stomach, heart, kidney, obesity, diabetes, indigestion, pregnant women … should pay attention. when eating these two types of cakes.

The cake is finished, placed in a pot of boiling water. The cake sinks and floats, “three sinks seven, nine floating” then picked out and soaked in boiled water to cool for hunting again, then picked out again to display on a plate. Floating cake plate is sprinkled with some fragrant roasted white sesame seeds.

The vegetarian cake is also made of glutinous rice flour, kneaded with water and filled with, but filled with cooked green beans. The beans for the filling must also be the same as the pepper beans, small, fragrant, steamed until finely pounded, mixed with white diameter. Vegetarian cake is placed in a bowl, filled with a little sugar tea mixed with melon flour or tapioca flour marinated with grapefruit flowers.

The two cakes are made of glutinous rice flour together, but each has its own special flavor.

Illustration. Source: Internet.

What is the Chinese New Year taboo against?

Abstain from fire

In the olden days, during the Korean New Year, people did not light a fire to cook hot food, but prepared cold food. However, today, Vietnamese people still cook normally and use floating cakes, vegetarian cakes with a symbolic meaning that is cold food (Korean food).

Abstain from salty food

In the first days of the third month of the lunar calendar, families often abstain from a salty and vegetarian diet in order not to kill, the souls of their deceased relatives will easily escape.

Abstain from offering floating cakes, five-color vegetarian cakes

Vietnamese drift cake is also different from Chinese drift cake. Traditional drift cake is made from pure, round, white glutinous rice flour, covered with sugar inside.

Since ancient times, this white cake has also entered the poems of poet Ho Xuan Huong, associated with the status and good qualities of Vietnamese women such as algae, purity, sacrifice. Therefore, in addition to the sense of the origin, the real Korean New Year in Vietnam is also considered a Tet celebrating the beauty of women.

Today, many families often “prefer” vegetarian floating cakes, with many colors to burn incense and offer them to their ancestors, but this is not true to the original and the meaning of the Korean eclipse.

It is not necessary to worship the full platter

On this holiday, families do not need to prepare a “high tray, a full deck”, draw costly procedures, but only need to be sincere, offer floating cakes, vegetarian meals to the ancestors, grandparents, and prayers. good, peaceful in life.

Abstain from moving

Vietnamese people think that “earth is so negative”, when relatives die, their spirits still exist closely with their loved ones on earth, and moving house will have an effect on “spirits. “The deceased. Therefore, during the real Korean New Year (related to Thanh Minh period), Vietnamese people abstain from moving house.

Every year, on March 3 of lunar calendar, according to his father, he guides the Lunar New Year, including: Huong, flower, betel and 5 (or 3) floating cake bowls, 3 (or 5 bowls) of vegetarian cakes, neatly put up. Ancestor altar.

When we worship our ancestors on the Lunar New Year (March 3 of lunar calendar), we must pray to the god of the ancestors first, the god of the ancestors.

Below is the real Korean New Year vows in Vietnamese traditional vows – Culture and Information Publishing House:

Male model Amitabha Buddha!

Male model Amitabha Buddha!

Male model Amitabha Buddha!

I bow to the nine directions of God, the ten directions of the Buddhas, the Buddhas of the ten directions.

I respectfully bow to the Queen of Hau Tho and Gods I respectfully bow to you, Mr. Ban Canh Thanh Hoang, Mr. Aboriginal Land, Mr. Gia Gia Troi and the gods.

I respectfully bow to Cao Cao To To Gao, Cao Cao To To Co, promote, brothers, sisters, sisters in the paternal family.

Our trustee is … I lie in …

Today is March 3, meeting Han Thuc period.

We invite you to the scene of the royal family, the great kings, the local god of the local god, the royal family, the five directions, the dragon, the god of wealth, before the testimony of witnessing your sincerity to enjoy the gifts.

We invite the Patriarchs, the Patriarchs, and the ancestors of the ancestors of their ancestors … (the family name) to bow with mercy for their children and grandchildren descending on the witness of spirituality to enjoy the gifts.

Believers, I would like to invite you to the spirits of the Precursors, the Late owners, who live in this house, this land has money, mixed synergy, bless our whole family to be always healthy, all peace. All things are good, family is in harmony, above and below listen.

Male model Amitabha Buddha!

Male model Amitabha Buddha!

Male model Amitabha Buddha!