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...