Clans in Nghe An ensure '5K' on the 15th day of the first lunar month

Reduce organization size, limit large gatherings

The Nguyen Tat family is a large family in Do Luong district. This year, the ancestral worship ceremony in the spring of the year of the Tiger took place under epidemic conditions.Covid-19are becoming more complicated. To ensure the implementation of traditional worship as well as epidemic prevention and control, the Nguyen Tat Family Council has issued a number of new regulations.

Full moon morning scene at Thai family temple in Vinh Thanh commune (Yen Thanh). Photo: Xuan Tung

Accordingly, when burning incense at the cemetery, as well as burning incense at the church, everyone must wear a mask, keep distance, and not gather in crowds.

Attending the ceremony at the church, children must wash their hands with sanitizer and offer incense in order according to the instructions of the Organizing Committee. The cleaning of the offerings on the altar must also be done in a step-by-step manner, children are encouraged to take the offerings home and not gather to eat and drink. The activity of giving gifts to encourage children and grandchildren with high academic achievements has some content simplified.

Mr. Nguyen Tat Dung - member of the Nguyen Tat Family Council said: Many days before the Full Moon Festival, the family had specifically announced so that the children in the family could clearly understand and properly implement the regulations, in order to organize a complete ancestor worship ceremony, ensuring epidemic prevention work.

Quiet space on the 15th day of the first lunar month at the Nguyen family temple in Thanh An commune (Thanh Chuong). Photo: Huy Thu

For the Tran Dinh clan in Vo Liet commune (Thanh Chuong), the ancestor worship ceremony at the beginning of spring this year is a special one. Following the direction of the Thanh Chuong District People's Committee, "The ancestor worship ceremony at the beginning of spring on the 15th day of the first lunar month, the clan council represents the ceremony, only sending representatives to the ancestral temple to offer offerings, not organizing meals and drinks at the ancestral temples. The process of organizing the ceremony at the ancestral temple needs to strictly follow the "5K" recommendations to prevent the epidemic", the Tran Dinh clan council has agreed to organize a small-scale ancestor worship ceremony, limiting the gathering of large numbers of people.

Accordingly, the descendants of the family do not have to contribute money as in previous years, but only take a small amount of the family fund to buy offerings for the worship. Although there are still 2 worship ceremonies (the proclamation ceremony on the night of the 14th and the great ceremony on the morning of the 15th), there are not many descendants in the family gathered.

Mr. Tran Dinh Hai (70 years old) - the patriarch of the Tran Dinh clan in Ha Luong village, Vo Liet commune said: Implementing the district's epidemic prevention policy, this year, our clan organized a simpler ancestor worship ceremony than previous years. Although we still held traditional worship ceremonies, we did not gather descendants to eat and drink in large numbers at the church.

Ancestral altar on the 15th day of the first lunar month at the Tran family temple in Vo Liet commune. Photo: Huy Thu

Not only in Do Luong, Thanh Chuong... but this year, many other rural areas in Nghe An such as Anh Son, Nam Dan, Hung Nguyen, Yen Thanh, Dien Chau, Nghi Loc... families also organized the Thuong Nguyen Festival - the 15th day of the first lunar month on a small scale, without large gatherings.

To adapt to the new situation, the preparation, grave cleaning, family temple decoration, worship, food preparation, etc. of the Full Moon Festival have also changed in the direction of "avoiding crowded contact" to ensure epidemic prevention.

This year's Full Moon Festival is also the time when the Covid-19 epidemic broke out strongly in Dien Chau, with 13/37 communes having level 4 epidemics. Many clans have proactively reduced the scale of the ceremony and limited the number of participants.

Mr. Nguyen Van Vinh - Head of the Nguyen family in Dien Ngoc commune said: "On the full moon of January, descendants from neighboring communes and wards often gather in large numbers. But this year, the Covid-19 epidemic is complicated, the locality is at level 4, so the Family Council decided not to prepare a savory feast, only offering incense to ancestors with offerings of flowers, cakes and fruits."

The Tran Van family in Dien Bich commune has just completed a large temple with a total cost of 5 billion VND. The descendants are very excited and plan to hold a ceremony to worship their ancestors.Lantern FestivalThis year, it will be held on a large scale. "Although we know that "the whole year has the 15th of July, the whole year has the 15th of January", but the epidemic is complicated, I encourage my children and grandchildren living far away not to come back. Those living nearby should only come as a representative of each family to perform the ceremony and then have a quick party, not a grand celebration lasting 2 days like before" - said Mr. Tran Van Thanh - a member of the Family Council.

Chicken sticky rice offering tray for the Full Moon Festival at the Thai family temple in Vinh Thanh commune (Yen Thanh). Photo: Xuan Tung

Preserving tradition in epidemic conditions

It can be said that due to the complicated developments of the Covid-19 pandemic, the celebration of the Full Moon and the Full Moon worshiping in January this year is not as bustling and exciting as in previous years. The organization of ceremonies, contributing money to prepare the ceremony or dividing the family branches, families preparing their own offerings still take place, but not as bustling and exciting as in previous years.

Although the "festival" part is simplified, the "ceremony" still takes place solemnly, especially the great ceremony on the morning of the full moon day with all the traditional rituals, such as offering incense, offering wine, bowing, reading the funeral oration... in the solemn drum performances.

Solemn ancestor worship ceremony on the full moon day. Photo: Huy Thu

Due to the epidemic, children living nearby may not be able to gather together, and children living far away cannot return, but everyone still sincerely turns to their ancestors and family roots with the most sincere feelings.

People take preventive measures when participating in the ancestor worship ceremony. Photo: Xuan Tung

The full moon of January - Thuong Nguyen Tet is a day for people to turn to their roots and ancestors with sacred feelings. In the complicated situation of the epidemic, the preparation for the full moon and the full moon worship of the people in the localities in the province have had to change more or less, in terms of scale and method to suit the new situation, both ensuring solemnity and contributing to epidemic prevention./.

Huy Thu - Cong Kien