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In the spring weather, the scent of incense smoke wafting from the family altar reminded me of the old Tet days.
Incense is used by many families as an indispensable part of the traditional Tet holiday.
Our childhood - children born in the countryside, everyone keeps in their own memories at least one scent that reminds them of Tet. For me, it is the scent of incense smoke billowing but giving a very gentle, relaxing feeling during the days of family reunion.
In the past, my grandparents planted a lot of vetiver in front of their garden. Every November of the lunar calendar, my grandparents would harvest the plants, wash the roots, dry them, cut them into small pieces, then roast them with star anise, eucalyptus bark, cinnamon... and grind them into powder. My grandfather mixed this mixture with water and some kind of glue that I can't remember clearly to create adhesion. He used small pieces of bamboo that were already shaved, about 40-50cm long, to make incense sticks, rolled the mixture into sticks and then dried them.
The incense sticks my grandparents made by hand were not all round, some were big, some were small, some were round, some were flat, some were short, some were long. Yet when burned, they gave off a light, relaxing fragrance. During Tet, my grandparents always kept the incense sticks on the altar. On New Year’s Eve, my grandmother even placed incense sticks in front of the gate and in the garden in front of the house. I don’t know why she did it, but it made me happy because the fragrant white smoke gently spread everywhere and slowly blended into the air.
It has been many years since my grandparents left this world, but the scent of cardamom is still present on the family altar when Tet comes and spring comes. My mother usually does not burn cardamom, but on Tet she has to buy a few bundles. Because like me, all family members love the scent of cardamom. In the spring, the scent of the incense smoke is both gentle and deep, leading us to remember our ancestors and grandparents.
Tet is coming, each incense stick lit, the smoke curls and flies away as if taking away all the worries of the old year, joyfully welcoming the new year. In the cold weather, just smelling the scent wafting in the wind is enough to make my heart peaceful.
GOING STRONG
