Vietnamese Folklore – The New Year pole – Sự tích cây Nêu ngày Tết

Once upon a time, the country was taken over by devils. The people depended on them for food and shelter and worked as sharecroppers on devils’ land. Buddha felt sympathy for the people. He helped them resist the cruel devils and took back their land. The devils were exiled to the Eastern Sea but begged Buddha for permission to return to the land and visit their ancestors’ graves for a few days.
From then on, during the Lunar New Year festival, people erect a New Year Pole so that the devils will not dare to approach people’s place.
Vietnamese Folklore Series includes some of the most famous and typical Vietnamese folktales. The stories are retold in English and illustrated by well-known artists, helping readers understand more about Vietnamese cultures, such as traditional rice cakes, the New Year Pole, the legend of Sword Lake…
Vietnamese Folklore Series:
• Vietnamese Folklore: The story of a Vietnamese Cinderella – Truyện Tấm Cám
• Vietnamese Folklore: The story of a man in the moon – Sự tích chú Cuội cung trăng
• Vietnamese Folklore: The New Year pole – Sự tích cây Nêu ngày Tết
• Vietnamese Folklore: Square and round rice cakes – Sự tích bánh chưng, bánh dày
• Vietnamese Folklore: The legend of Mountain and Water Genies – Sơn Tinh, Thủy Tinh
• Vietnamese Folklore: The legend of Sword Lake – Sự tích Hồ Gươm
• Vietnamese Folklore: The story of Saint Gióng – Chuyện Ông Gióng