Noble value of worshipping ancestors on Tet holidays
On special occasions like ancestors’ death anniversaries or the Lunar New Year, special rites are performed to communicate with the dead.The rites consist of making offerings of fruits, lighting the candles; and burning incense before praying in front of the altar.
Noble value of worshipping ancestors on Tet holidays
On special occasions like ancestors’ death anniversaries or the Lunar New Year, special rites are performed to communicate with the dead.
Worshipping ancestors, an ancient Vietnamese tradition, is a ritual practice paying tribute to deceased family members and reminding people of their roots.
Worshipping ancestors shows the influence of patriarchy and Confucianism on Vietnamese culture. Since Confucianism was introduced to Vietnam during the Chinese domination, filial piety, the most fundamental of Confucian values, has been very much appreciated in Vietnamese families.
Accordingly, children are obliged to respect their parents in life and to remember them after they die. So, the practice of ancestor worship is an expression of “filial piety” toward deceased parents, relatives and ancestors.
Most Vietnamese families today have an ancestral altar placed in a prominent place of the house. It is set with ancestral tablets and pictures, together with an incense burner bowl in the centre as a symbol of the stars. Inside the bowl usually stands a circular incense stick that represents the universe. Two candles are placed on the sides of the altar to embody the sun (left) and the moon (right).
On special occasions like ancestors’ death anniversaries or the Lunar New Year (Tet), special rites are performed to communicate with the dead. The rites consist of making offerings of fruits, foods and wine; lighting the candles; and burning incense before praying in front of the altar.
Lunar New Year is the most important festival of the year for Vietnamese people and a time for family reunions. Tet is a chance for descendants to invite the souls of their ancestors to join the family’s Tet celebration.
During Tet festival, every family has a tray filled with five types of fruits placed on the ancestral altar. The fruits may include a bunch of bananas, pomelo, persimmon, pear and tangerine in different colours to represent the desire for “phu” (prosperity), “quy” (notability), “tho” (longevity), “khang” (health) and “ninh” (peace).
The altar may also be decorated with a branch of peach blossoms in warm pink to drive away evil spirits and bad luck.
The ancestral altar occupies a prominent place in every Vietnamese house, no matter whether the family is rich or poor. It is a manifestation of the country’s culture that reflects its respect for both the past and the future.
On special occasions like ancestors’ death anniversaries or the Lunar New Year, special rites are performed to communicate with the dead.
Worshipping ancestors, an ancient Vietnamese tradition, is a ritual practice paying tribute to deceased family members and reminding people of their roots.
Worshipping ancestors shows the influence of patriarchy and Confucianism on Vietnamese culture. Since Confucianism was introduced to Vietnam during the Chinese domination, filial piety, the most fundamental of Confucian values, has been very much appreciated in Vietnamese families.
Accordingly, children are obliged to respect their parents in life and to remember them after they die. So, the practice of ancestor worship is an expression of “filial piety” toward deceased parents, relatives and ancestors.
An ancestral altar of Vietnamese people.
|
On special occasions like ancestors’ death anniversaries or the Lunar New Year (Tet), special rites are performed to communicate with the dead. The rites consist of making offerings of fruits, foods and wine; lighting the candles; and burning incense before praying in front of the altar.
Lunar New Year is the most important festival of the year for Vietnamese people and a time for family reunions. Tet is a chance for descendants to invite the souls of their ancestors to join the family’s Tet celebration.
During Tet festival, every family has a tray filled with five types of fruits placed on the ancestral altar. The fruits may include a bunch of bananas, pomelo, persimmon, pear and tangerine in different colours to represent the desire for “phu” (prosperity), “quy” (notability), “tho” (longevity), “khang” (health) and “ninh” (peace).
The altar may also be decorated with a branch of peach blossoms in warm pink to drive away evil spirits and bad luck.
The ancestral altar occupies a prominent place in every Vietnamese house, no matter whether the family is rich or poor. It is a manifestation of the country’s culture that reflects its respect for both the past and the future.
22:21, 2025/01/15
Hanoi to increase supply of essential goods by 30%-35% for Tet
Authorities in Hanoi planned to prevent price hikes during the national holiday by stocking up on goods and ensuring food supplies.
22:39, 2025/01/01
Hanoi works to ensure merry Tet
The move aims to make the best preparations for the traditional Tet celebrations.
17:37, 2024/12/30
Channel needed to expand Hanoi's OCOP products: Experts
Hanoi has devised a plan to boost the sale of OCOP products by creating OCOP venues associated with rural tourism and craft village visits in the city.
21:24, 2024/12/28
Rising Like Bamboo: Vietnamese Identity on the Global Stage
The Vietnam International Awards 2024 brings together outstanding individuals, compassionate hearts, and promising young talents, all united by a common goal: to connect and spread the positive values of the Vietnamese community worldwide.
15:55, 2024/12/17
Circular economy requires solid waste management in Hanoi
Synchronized procedures and regulations for the classification, collection, treatment, and recycling of household solid waste are necessary to support the circular economy in Hanoi.
14:18, 2024/12/15
Hanoi's top priority is to keep students safe while traveling
The local government has set up teams of volunteers to control traffic at school entrances while maintaining the Safe School Gates model throughout the city.
- Hanoi pioneers in using interoperable smart cards for public transport
- Hanoi to establish customer service hub for administrative reform
- Hanoi tops country for blood donation in 2024
- Hanoi disseminates safe eating practices
- Teaching Vietnamese: Starting with emotional connections
- Hanoi upholds great national unity bloc