Full Moon of the First Lunar Month: A Reminder of Our Roots
(Baonghean.vn)- “"All the festivals throughout the year are not as important as the Full Moon of the First Lunar Month," "The whole year is like the Full Moon of the Seventh Lunar Month, but the whole year is like the Full Moon of the First Lunar Month"... these proverbs show the importance of the Full Moon of the First Lunar Month in the spiritual life of our people from ancient times to the present day. It is an occasion for everyone to remember their ancestors and origins.
During these days, clans in the villages of Nghe An province often hold ancestral worship ceremonies and family gatherings at the beginning of the year. The ancestral worship ceremony is a time-honored tradition, commemorating the contributions of their ancestors. Descendants of the clan will listen to elders recite eulogies recalling the merits of their forefathers, witness the rituals of offering wine and incense, and hear the rhythmic, sometimes lively, sometimes gentle, drumbeats of the ceremony. Elders, young men and women from the clan, those who live far away and those who remain in the village, gather together to light incense at the ancestral altar, carrying with them hopes for a prosperous and happy new year.
Besides the ancestral worship ceremony, clans also hold meetings to discuss clan affairs, celebrate the achievements of their descendants over the past year, highlight exemplary students and workers, and collectively contribute to the clan's scholarship fund to reward and encourage children with academic achievements.
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| Preparing for the ancestral worship ceremony. |
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| The ritual of offering gifts to the ancestral altar. |
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| In the warm atmosphere of the full moon night, descendants of the family respectfully offer fragrant incense to their ancestors. |
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| The full moon of the first lunar month is also an occasion for clans to hold meetings to discuss clan affairs at the beginning of the year, reward outstanding workers and students, and contribute to the clan's scholarship fund. |
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| The children were also eager to return to their hometown and visit their ancestral church. |
The Lantern Festival (Rằm tháng Giêng) has become a beautiful cultural tradition – a reminder of the roots of every Vietnamese person!
Duc Dung
