Before 1968, all I knew of Tet was new clothes and new outlook. It’s been around like clockwork, with foods, festival and fun. Per legends, 1600 BC, wikipedia has this
“…Tết, whoever could introduce the most delicious dish for the altar would become the next ruler of the country. While other princes tried to find the rare and delicious foods from forest and sea, the eighteenth prince, Lang Liêu, who was the poorest son of the Hùng king, could not afford such luxurious dishes and had to be content with everyday ingredients, such as rice and pork. He created one cake in the square form of earth called bánh chưng and one in the round form of sky called bánh giầy from these simple ingredients. In tasting the dishes offered by his son, the Hùng king found bánh chưng and bánh giầy not only delicious but also a fine representation of the respect for ancestors. Therefore, he decided to cede the throne to Lang Liêu and bánh chưng, bánh giầy became traditional foods during Tết.[2][3][4] Lang Liêu founded the Seventh Hùng dynasty (c. 1631 – 1432 BC).”
Key words: “content” “respect”… In short, make the best with what you have. Symbolism with substance. Beauty in simplicity.
Thousands-years lineage and code of honor as hallmarks of a nation: respect for the elderly and (soon) for nature (Mother of all).
The three cards monte also looks simple yet takes skills. Like the J6 scheme of selective slate of electors.
From “So Help Me God” by Mike Pence, to Bill Barr’s “One Damn Thing After Another” and Bolton’s “The Room Where It Happened”…Everyone profits. A lot of wheeling and dealing, from Saudi to K Street, Washington D.C. not unlike a “3 cards” monte on our city sidewalk.
When “crooks” are protected or pardoned, they can leverage their positional power. Not for the guys on the street, chased by cops and put behind bars. On PBS, and I quote, they mentioned “the political utility of shamelessness”. (There goes the 4th “S” after Symbolism. Substance and Simplicity.)
We live in a time when we can not afford to call a spade a spade. Santos or other name (s)?
Not without a slant and a spin for future denial ability. All the while we miss the Elephant in the room (where it happened).
Crookedness, white or blue-collar, in the Hall of Congress or at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue, is only a matter of degrees. No differences. The lower rung, who, when caught, got sent to jail (without bails).
After 1968, symbolism of Tet shifted. “Tet” in the news, no longer bore any resemblance to my Tet of previous years. It was synonymous to 3,000 buried in Hue mass grave, a failed “uprising” in multiple cities. and a successful anti-war propaganda campaign at Kent State and Jackson State.
People took a symbol, be it a traditional Holiday or a card in the deck, then flip its meaning (one man’s terrorist is another’s patriot, 69 or 96 ? all situational ethics).
Glad to celebrate an evolved Tet this year. My hope is in plain and simple language, people can explain the symbolism and substance of Tet to their kids. Beauty in simplicity. Stay content. Always be respectful and mindful of those on whose shoulders we all stand. Throne or trash, it’s our treasure.
Thang Nguyen 555 