Two sugarcane stalks by the altar on Tet (Lunar New Year)

There have been many explanations for this unusual custom, such as people carrying the sweetness from the old year into the new year hoping for a smooth and peaceful year ahead; some interpret each sugarcane segment as a ladder for the soul to ascend to heaven and reach the realm of rebirth; others explain it as two walking sticks for ancestors to use to find their way back to their descendants, etc. All explanations reflect a heart that is drawn to its source and towards goodness.

Those who follow and read Buddhism have different interpretations that need to be considered. Generally, funeral rites, offerings, and ceremonies of the Kinh people are a complex phenomenon, integrating many beliefs. The beliefs of ancient Vietnam (before Christ) were not recorded by the Vietnamese at that time, so we find it difficult to find specific examples for comparison. The image of sugarcane is also not very clear, and the image of reeds is only an assumption. Tools for pressing molasses to make sugar have not been archaeologically discovered. For the Kinh people, in this integration, the most easily recognizable aspect is the strong influence of Buddhism in these sacrificial rituals. Burning five kinds of incense, arranging five kinds of fruit, chanting Amitabha Buddha… all are Buddhist, not only influencing the Kinh people but also the Chinese people since the Northern domination period, meaning a very long time ago.

Indian Buddhism, according to earlier traditions, considered the Buddha's ancestor to belong to the Sugarcane family, whose Sanskrit name was Gautama, transliterated into Chinese as Gautama or also pronounced as Gautama. Regarding the origin of the Buddha's Sugarcane lineage, there are many theories recorded in various scriptures, with some similarities and some differences. According to the book "Twelve Journeys," in a distant past life, there was a Bodhisattva who was a king. His parents died early, so he abdicated the throne to his younger brother and studied the Dharma with a Brahmin in a sugarcane field. People called the Bodhisattva's teacher "Great Gautama," and the Bodhisattva himself "Little Gautama." At that time, 500 robbers stole from the official's house. While escaping, they ran through the sugarcane field, dropping their loot. The pursuers followed the trail and, seeing the Bodhisattva, mistook him for a robber and shot him with arrows, causing blood to flow profusely on the ground. Great Cù Đàm, using his divine vision, saw everything clearly. Filled with pity and tears, he took the blood still clinging to the ground, mixed it with mud, and placed it in two small bowls. He placed them on either side of the garden and prayed: If Cù Đàm was sincere, the celestial beings would transform the blood into a person. Ten months later, the bowl on the left transformed into a son, and the bowl on the right into a daughter. From then on, they took the surname Cù Đàm.

Sugarcane stalks on the altar during Tet (Vietnamese New Year).

The book "Commentary on the Mahavairocana Sutra," volume 16, records that the immortal Gautama (Gautama Immortal) committed adultery in the void, and a drop of impure water fell to the ground, growing into two sugarcane plants. Later, through the sunlight, they fathered two children, one of whom became the king of the Shakya clan. Therefore, it is said that the immortal Gautama is the ancestor of Shakyamuni, and the Shakya clan is also known as the "Sugarcane" clan.

Another legend about sugarcane, also recorded in Buddhist scriptures, is about King Cam Gia, or the King of Sugarcane. The fifth volume of the "Buddha's Original Deeds Collection" states that before King Cam Gia, there was a king named Dai Mao Thao Vuong, who renounced his throne to become a monk. He possessed five supernatural powers and was called Vuong Tien. Vuong Tien was old and weak and unable to travel. His disciples went out to beg for food, fearing their master might be captured by tigers or wolves. They placed him in a cage made of grass and hung it on a tree. At that time, a hunter mistook Vuong Tien for a white bird and shot him dead. Where Vuong Tien's blood dripped, two sugarcane plants grew. The sun became so hot that the plants split open, giving birth to a boy and a girl. The high officials heard the news and brought them to the palace to raise them. The boy, born from the sun-heated sugarcane that split open, was named Thien Gia Sinh; also, because of the sun-heated heat, he was called Nhat Chung. The girl was named Thien Hien. Later, Thien Sinh was made king and Thien Hien was made queen. The virtuous man had one child. Later, the king took two more wives and had four more children. The virtuous man wanted to make his son king, so he advised the king to expel the other four children from the country. Those four children established a kingdom behind the Himalayas and founded the Shakya clan.

In Vietnam, when visiting temples, which is a sacred place of Buddha, one often has to climb a steep slope. People usually sell sugarcane to use as walking sticks, symbolizing a devotion to the Buddha. Thus, according to tradition, worship is a ritual imbued with a strong sense of returning to one's roots. The sugarcane here symbolizes the lineage and origins of the Buddha, and worshipping sugarcane is also worshipping the origins of Buddhism.

In real life, many origins of behavior are gradually forgotten, only customs endure as a cultural inertia. Then, folklore, in turn, creates many legends and anecdotes to explain them, creating a rich and interesting communal consciousness. This exists as a creative style of folk verbal art. However, the inspiration to return to one's roots remains particularly strong during Tet (Vietnamese New Year), when people reflect on the past, practice in the present, and look forward to the future.

Sugarcane, which has always brought sweetness to life, is now worshipped, adding to its sacredness and significance.