One story tells that: Another time, at the period of Hung Vuong dynasty- in the Stone Agedating from 4000 years, there are twin orphans brothers but who really looks like one to another as two drops of water.
These two brothers are adopted by a farmer with has beautiful girl at the age of marriage. The girl wanted to marry the older brother but how?
She presented to them a bowl of rice. By the politeness, the little brother cedes the rice to old brother. So, she managed to find his sweetheart.
A happy life happens normally.
One day, after a day of field work, they returned home. Little came first, followed by his brother.
As they are similar to each other, the girl takes it in his arms, believing that hi is her husband!
Seen by the old brother, our little runs away in shame. He goes throught the dense forest, living of savage fruits. One day, he meets a river so wide that he cannot cross.
Sad, he cries day and night and dies, but becoming a limestone rock.
The husband misses his young brother so much who leave to look after him. Like his little, he spends the dense forest, meeting a huge river impossible to cross.
Sad, he leans on the rock to die but becoming one the areca nut tree (a type of palm).
Unfortunately, the woman leaves to find her husband and her brother – in- law. She spends also the wild forest, being threatened by ferocious animals. One day, she meets a furious river that she cannot cross. Exhausted, she leans on the areca nut tree to die but transforming a betel tree – a creeper climbing on the areca tree.
People discover this place, cooking the rock to make quicklime. They take a betel leaf wrapped with the piece of areca nut and with a drop of lime to chew, spitting red liquid as symbol of faithfulness: Death cannot separate our three individuals who leave this world but hand in hand forever.
Betel leaf:
Betel plant - the woman after death - a creeper climbing on areca tree - her husband's body:
Our three characters: Areca - Old brother, betal plant - Woman and limestone rock - Young brother: The death cannot separate them:
When I ask my grandmother of 88 years old: Since how many time did you chew betel and why you chew it?
She replies: I chew betel when I was 14 years old. Your great-grandmother and my friends have taught me that.
At that time, having black teeth is one important criterion of the beautiful girls.
Why? The betel makes us warm when working in rice fields. The betel hunts bad breath because we had no toothpaste in the past.
More, the betel is to start a dialogue. Your grandfather gave me the betel at our first meeting because the betel is the faithfulness testimony of love between girls and boys.
But, because of the chewing, we create a habit and are dependent! In reality, men chew betel less than women.
The truth shows me that the teeth are not damaged as Westerners think. At age of 88, his teeth are intact and protected by a black and thick layer.
The Hoang Cam poet said: The seller smile with all black teeth.
It's like the sun's rays in autumn.
Now women don’t think any more like my grandmother.
They don’t continue to chew betel but it is the indispensable gift for any occasion: Weddings, offering on the altar of the ancestors as a symbol of fidelity…
Gift in the wedding with red signs of the heart-shaped:
offering on altar's ancestors:
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