The Full Moon of the Seventh Lunar Month: A Vietnamese Cultural Tradition
In the Vietnamese subconscious, the 15th day of the 7th lunar month, besides being the day of "atonement for the deceased," also signifies a day when children and grandchildren show filial piety to their grandparents and parents, and is therefore highly valued.
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Unlike other full moon festivals, many people start offering sacrifices for the seventh lunar month very early, sometimes as early as the 10th day of the lunar month when houses are already burning votive paper. Besides burning paper money, clothing, and other items in the spirit of "what happens in the earthly world mirrors what happens in the afterlife," wealthy families often also set up an offering table in the yard for wandering souls who have no place to rest, no relatives left in the earthly world, or vengeful spirits.
On the Day of Atonement for Deceased Souls, offerings are made to wandering souls in every locality, but the methods and offerings vary from place to place. In Hanoi, many families, in addition to offering to their ancestors, also make offerings to wandering souls outdoors. In some other places, families only offer to their ancestors, while the offerings to wandering souls are collectively made by the elderly at the temple. The offerings include votive paper, rice and salt, white porridge, various kinds of puffed rice, corn and potatoes, fruits, sticky rice cakes, etc.
In recent years, the Vu Lan festival has become increasingly important, reflecting children's filial piety towards their parents.
From the 11th day of the lunar month, many temples in Hanoi also organize the Vu Lan Festival according to the traditional Buddhist rituals. In well-known temples such as Phuc Khanh, Quan Su, and Bo De, thousands of monks, nuns, and Buddhist followers come to the temples during these days to pray for the liberation of the souls of the deceased and for peace and well-being for their families.
At Quan Su Pagoda, the Vu Lan festival is held over three days, starting from the 11th day of the 7th lunar month. Each day, there are six prayer services, with monks, nuns, and devout Buddhists chanting scriptures and praying for national peace and prosperity. Following the Vu Lan festival, on the evening of the 13th, the pagoda holds a Mong Son ritual to appease wandering souls and invite Buddha to bestow blessings upon all beings. On the afternoon of the 14th, the pagoda organizes the monks' self-purification ceremony.
Phuc Khanh Pagoda will hold a memorial service on July 12th. On the 13th, the pagoda will hold the Vu Lan festival to express gratitude to parents. At 7:30 PM, the grand Vu Lan ceremony will be held at the pagoda. Every day, the pagoda holds religious services and chanting for Buddhists from all over to come and offer incense and prayers.
In the southern provinces, there are very unique customs during the Vu Lan festival. People usually go to the temple to perform rituals, and they always wear a rose on their chest. If the rose is red, it means the person still has a mother; if it is white, it means the mother has passed away.
From the 10th day of the 7th lunar month, a large number of Buddhists come to the temple to offer prayers and make offerings. Ms. Hoang Thi Cuc, a Buddhist follower of Quan Su Temple, said: “The Vu Lan Festival is a beautiful aspect of Vietnamese culture, reflecting the belief of children remembering the nurturing love of their parents, and an opportunity for children to show filial piety. The 15th day of the 7th lunar month is also the day of atonement for the deceased, a day of forgiveness for all mistakes, a day when everyone repents and confesses their sins.”
This year, Mrs. Cúc held the ceremony early. To give her family and grandchildren a chance to gather together, she prepared the offering meal on Sunday. Besides the offerings for her ancestors—clothing, money, and gold—she also prepared an offering for the wandering souls who were unable to participate in the ceremony. According to her: “The Vu Lan Festival is a time to show filial piety to parents, a day of atonement for the deceased. How it is organized depends on each family's circumstances. Don't be too elaborate or wasteful, because the most important thing is sincerity.”
According to Sports and Culture
