Warm Lantern Festival atmosphere in Nghe An
During the Lantern Festival (the 15th day of the first lunar month) in the year of the Snake (2015), many rural areas in Nghe An province were filled with the sounds of ceremonial drums and the joyful reunion of descendants of various families. This is an occasion for people to remember their families and ancestors, expressing their filial piety to the deceased generations.
Returning to our roots
In the minds of Vietnamese people in general and the people of Nghe An in particular, the Full Moon of the First Lunar Month (also known as Tet Nguyen Tieu or Tet Thuong Nguyen) is an extremely important holiday, officially marking the end of the Lunar New Year celebrations.
For the peopleThanh Chuong districtThe ancestral worship ceremony at the beginning of spring is an important occasion, with "every family going to pay their respects." The Nguyen Van family, from Thuy Hong hamlet, Dung town, originates from Tien Hai district (Thai Binh province). In 1740, their ancestor Nguyen Cong Trai migrated to Con Tieu land, Linh Thuy village, Thanh La commune (Thanh Linh district). To date, the family has spanned 15 generations and has 5 branches. This is a family with a long tradition, having been granted many imperial decrees by the feudal court.
Every year, during the ancestral worship ceremony, descendants offer betel nuts, wine, fruits, and other offerings. For the main ceremony, each family prepares a feast of sticky rice and chicken to bring to the ancestral temple. The ancestral worship ritual is performed according to ancient customs. During the spring ancestral worship ceremony, the clan organizes a program to award scholarships to children with high academic achievements, celebrate the birthdays of elders reaching milestone ages of 70, 80, 90, 100, etc., and especially give gifts to the families with the most beautifully presented sticky rice and chicken dishes.
Mr. Nguyen Van An (32 years old), a descendant of the family, shared: "Every time we celebrate the ancestral worship ceremony at the beginning of Spring, although I am busy with work, I still make time to come back and participate with the belief that 'Life is shaped by our ancestors,' 'Drinking water, remember the source,' no matter where I go or where I am, I always remember my ancestors."
Depending on specific circumstances, each clan has its own methods and regulations regarding financial contributions and the content of the ancestral worship ceremony. Le Van Dat (31 years old) from Dong Van commune shared: "My clan's ancestral temple in Xuan Loc hamlet worships the founding ancestor Le Canh Dan, and we are now in the 22nd generation. The ancestral worship ceremony at the beginning of spring is meticulously prepared by the clan council."
On the morning of the 14th day of the first lunar month, all descendants gather at the ancestral hall to visit the graves. The person in charge of the ceremony is responsible for boiling water and preparing incense and candles. After visiting the graves, everyone returns to the ancestral temple for a family meeting, where they hear a report on the past year's income and expenses, plan the ancestral worship ceremony, and assign tasks to the various branches of the family.
On the morning of the 15th, families prepare sticky rice and chicken dishes and carry them to the ancestral temple to worship their ancestors. The ancestral worship ceremony is held solemnly. The ceremonial team and musicians wear traditional costumes, including long robes and headscarves, meticulously arranged. After the ceremony, relatives from both sides of the family share a New Year's feast at the ancestral temple.
Thanh Chuong District has many famous clans such as the Nguyen Sy, Nguyen Canh, Chu, Bui, Ton, Tran, Phan Sy, Nguyen Nhu, Nguyen Huu, and Le clans… Leading up to the full moon of the first lunar month, the ancestral worship day at the beginning of spring, these clans all have many heartwarming activities to honor their roots.
On this occasion, the Family Council offamilyThe organization and preparation for the full moon ceremony will be quite elaborate and meticulous… On the full moon day, descendants from all over the country turn their attention to the ancestral temple, expressing gratitude and respect for their ancestors. During the ancestral worship ceremony, the clans usually report to their ancestors the achievements that their descendants have accomplished.
The family council organizes birthday celebrations for the elderly. The education promotion committee of some clans will organize ceremonies to commend and award scholarships and gifts to children with good academic achievements…
The ancestral worship ceremony at the beginning of spring is an occasion for descendants to express their reverence for their ancestors, to socialize, learn about family relationships and blood ties, inquire about health and business, strengthen fraternal bonds, and pray for good fortune in the new year. The tradition of "visiting relatives to worship ancestors" is being preserved, promoted, and spread by the people of Thanh Chuong.
Community engagement
After the Lunar New Year, the Lantern Festival (Rằm tháng Giêng) is also considered a warm and joyful reunion for families, becoming a beautiful traditional cultural feature deeply intertwined with the lives of the people of Diễn Châu.
The Truong-Dang Cong ancestral temple (the shared temple of the Truong and Dang Cong clans) in Dien Ky commune (Dien Chau district) was built in 1549 and is dedicated to the two village tutelary deities, Truong Cong Quang and Dang Phuc Thiem. To date, the descendants of Truong Cong Quang and Dang Phuc Thiem have grown to 23 generations, with 31 large and small branches and nearly 1,000 households.
To acknowledge the contributions of their ancestors and their dedication to the Revolution, in 1997 the Truong - Dang Cong family was awarded the "Second Class Resistance Medal" by the State. Like many other families, on the 15th day of the first lunar month, the family holds a ceremonial offering. Not only those living nearby, but most descendants of the family from all over the country remember this tradition, returning to the family ancestral temple to light incense and offer food to their ancestors.
Mr. Dang Xuan Quang, a member of the Truong-Dang Cong clan council, shared: “On the morning of the full moon, a large number of descendants gather at the ancestral temple to perform the main ceremony. The offerings include a pig's head, a rooster, sticky rice, rice wine, and a plate of betel nuts, flowers, and fruits. Everyone lights an incense stick at the ancestral altar, praying for the souls of the deceased to find peace and for their blessings and protection for the homeland and the descendants of the clan.”
The ancestral worship ceremony at the beginning of the year is a beautiful tradition deeply ingrained in the hearts of every person, expressing gratitude to their ancestors and lineage. Furthermore, it is an occasion to pray for peace at the start of the year, hoping for national prosperity and peace for the people, and for the family and lineage to enjoy peace, wealth, and good fortune.
The entire Dien Chau district has over 900 branches and clans, of which over 600 have built spacious ancestral temples and 350 have been awarded the title of "Cultural Clan". Every year on the 15th day of the first lunar month, all clans in Dien Chau organize ancestral worship ceremonies. This is a way for descendants to express their respect and gratitude to their ancestors and origins, and to strive for better results in their work and studies.
Do Luong District also has many clans that organize ancestral worship ceremonies on this occasion.Full Moon of the First Lunar MonthFor the Tran Duc family in Yen Son commune (Do Luong district), the ancestral worship ceremony takes place from the afternoon and evening of the 14th day of the first lunar month. Descendants take turns bringing offerings to the altar to express their reverence and pray for their ancestors' blessings for good fortune and a prosperous life.
Mr. Tran Tuan Thi, a descendant of the Tran Duc family currently residing in Vinh City, arranged his work schedule to return to his hometown for the ancestral worship ceremony. According to Mr. Thi, upon entering the grounds of the ancestral temple, hearing the drums of the ceremony, seeing the ceremonial participants in their solemn attire, and surrounded by the tranquil incense smoke, he felt as if his ancestors were very close and watching over their descendants.
In Yen Thanh district, most clans hold ancestral worship ceremonies on the 15th day of the first lunar month, so this day is bustling and lively throughout the villages. Especially during this time, the rice-growing region also organizes drum-beating competitions between clans, making the atmosphere of the Lantern Festival even more vibrant.
Clans send their ceremonial drum teams to participate in the competition; whichever team wins the prize will be a shared joy for the entire clan, and also a hope for abundance and prosperity in the coming year. Therefore, the atmosphere of the Lantern Festival in the rice-growing region of Yen Thanh is no less joyful than the Lunar New Year celebrations.
Along with Thanh Chuong, Do Luong, Dien Chau, and Yen Thanh, the rural areas of Quynh Luu, Hung Nguyen, Nghi Loc, Nam Dan... also resound with the sounds of ceremonial drums during the Lantern Festival in the first lunar month. The sound of drums and the smoke of incense act as a sacred bridge connecting the wishes and devotion of descendants to their ancestors, a traditional cultural feature that anchors the human soul to its roots.
