A family is a key factor that significantly affects the growth of every person in Vietnamese belief and is an important part of Vietnamese culture. Therefore, the Vietnamese always put their family first and take many efforts to maintain the traditional Vietnamese family values.
Vietnamese Family Unity and Harmony among Family Members
In traditional Vietnamese family values, multiple generations are living together to take care of each other. A typical extended family in Vietnam often includes grandparents, parents, and children. Moving out of the family at the age of 18 is not common in Vietnam, and the Vietnamese still live with their family until they get married. Sometimes, other relatives such as uncles, aunts, and cousins can also live under one roof.
A good relationship with all of our relatives and being loyal to the family is really important because we have a popular saying of “một giọt máu đào hơn ao nước lã” meaning that “blood is thicker than water”. We can help each other when someone has difficulties. However, sometimes the number of relatives counts up more than a few dozens, causing some troubles with remembering and calling all of them with the right titles like uncles, aunts, or sister-in-law.
Respect for the Seniors in the Family
In traditional Vietnamese family values, people are taught to give the seniors, especially in their families, absolute respect. In our minds, the elders have gained more experiences in life; they know what is correct, what is wrong, so the younger ones should try to follow their instructions and listen to their advice.
Obedience is an obligation for every kid until they can be independent and can earn money for living. In older times, especially in the countryside, the children even have to marry the ones assigned by parents or grandparents. Although the society is more open nowadays, some families still maintain this traditional custom because the families believe that the elders know best. In communication, when talking to the elders, people must use honorific titles to show respect for the seniors and add “vâng”, “dạ”, or “thưa” before and after any conversations.
In some families, at the beginning of each meal, the offspring have to invite the elders before starting to eat in the correct order of hierarchy, from the eldest to the youngest on the eating tables. While eating, the younger also give the best part of the food to the elders to show their respect. The children have chances to learn about traditional Vietnamese family values day by day thanks to the small habits like those above.
Vietnamese Family Values in Daily Meals
To Vietnamese, having meals every day with other family members is extremely important, especially at dinner. It is one of the most crucial customs in traditional Vietnamese family values. In our belief, this is the time of the day when a family can gather and strike up conversations with each other. Parents usually ask the children about their days, how they get through a day, or if there is something new to them. Every dish in the family meals is planned and prepared carefully by the housewives to balance the nutrition for their family members.
This is why people away from home always remember the joyful family meals cooked by their moms and their grandmothers. People who often enjoy family meals in the warm atmosphere usually respect their families and also the traditional Vietnamese family values.
Vietnamese Family Values in Tet Holiday
Tet holiday, also known as Lunar New Year, is one of the most important occasions and festivals in the years of Vietnamese society. It is also the main reason that all Vietnamese always looking forward to the Tet holiday is that Tet is the main occasion in the year when family members away from home travel across the country or back to Vietnam to celebrate the holiday together with their families.
All members together, clean, and decorate the house with a branch of peach blossom and apricot blossom or a kumquat tree; then shop to prepare for Tet and enjoy the most delicious new year dishes that only eaten in Tet occasions such as sticky rice cake (banh chung), fruit jams, and Vietnamese pork sausage.
In the Vietnamese community, every family is considered as a part of a broader society. The family nurtures one’s mind from their childhood. Traditional Vietnamese family values teach people how to become good citizens and continuously bring up their children as to how their parents did. Traditional family values are the most beautiful and unforgettable Vietnamese’s core values.
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Source: itourvn.com