The sacred day of the full moon in the seventh lunar month in Nghe An
(Baonghean.vn) - In many rural areas of Nghe An province, people organize the Mid-Autumn Festival (the 15th day of the 7th lunar month), an occasion to honor their ancestors and origins, express their respect and gratitude, and convey their hopes for the future.
Returning to our roots
Every year, on the full moon of the seventh lunar month, thousands of Buddhists and local people from Dien Chau district flock to Co Am Pagoda in Dien Minh commune to participate in the Vu Lan filial piety ceremony. Each person comes to the pagoda with a prayer, but everyone remembers their parents, ancestors, and origins.
Ms. Pham Thi Vinh, from Hamlet 4, Dien Yen Commune, said: "Every year during the full moon of the seventh lunar month, I come here to pray for my parents to always be healthy, happy, and live long lives with their children. I also hope that my children will be well-behaved, obedient, and listen to their parents."
With the belief that "The 15th day of the 7th lunar month is the only one of its kind in the whole year," the people of Dien Chau coastal region consider the 15th day of the 7th lunar month a sacred holiday. On this occasion, more than 1,400 boats return to the harbor, and everyone goes together to prepare elaborate offerings for the ancestors, gathering with their parents to reminisce about memories and remember their parents' kindness.
Fisherman Cao Van Ba, owner of an 800 HP boat from Dien Bich commune, fishes in the open sea, but on the afternoon of the 14th, his boat docked at the port so that the 8 crew members could return home to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. He shared: “People in coastal areas consider the Mid-Autumn Festival in the seventh lunar month very sacred. Every boat docks at the harbor, prepares offerings to ancestors, shows filial piety to parents, and then the crew members meet to chat, unite, and encourage each other to overcome difficulties.”
Along with performing ancestral rites and filial piety activities at home, many clans in Dien Chau organized ancestral worship ceremonies or offerings at their ancestral temples on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month. Following the principle of "drinking water, remember the source," no matter where they live, they always look back to their roots.
According to Mr. Nguyen Van Vinh, the clan leader of the Nguyen family in Dien Ngoc commune, the clan chooses the 15th day of the seventh lunar month as the day to worship their ancestors. On that day, the elders often recount the achievements, career, and life of their founding ancestor so that their descendants may remember and be proud. At the same time, they pray for their ancestors' blessings for their descendants' health, academic success, career advancement, family unity, and to promote education and talent development.
Remembering the kindness
Similar to Dien Chau, many clans in Do Luong also hold ancestral worship ceremonies on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month. As a traditional custom, the Nguyen Van clan's ancestral temple in Block 6, Do Luong town, holds its ceremony at 5 PM on the 14th day of the seventh lunar month. Before the ceremony, everyone gathers at the temple, with the officiating committee dressed in traditional long robes. The offering of incense and other offerings takes place in an orderly and disciplined manner.
On the 15th day of the 7th lunar month, descendants from all over the country turn their attention to the ancestral temple. Despite their busy schedules, they still make time to return to express gratitude to their ancestors and participate in the sacred ancestral worship ceremony with their relatives. The ancestral worship ceremony is organized solemnly by each clan with all the traditional rituals such as: washing hands thoroughly before the ceremony, checking that all offerings are present on the altar, offering incense, offering wine, reading the ceremonial text, etc.
Mr. Nguyen Trong Thanh, a resident of Minh Son commune, said: "No matter how busy I am, I always attend the ancestral worship ceremony because it is my responsibility to my family and ancestors. Without my family and ancestors, I wouldn't exist; one root provides shade, and a hundred branches spread fragrance."
Do Luong currently has over 1,000 clans. Besides offering sacrifices at the main ancestral temple and branch temples, almost every family celebrates the 15th day of the 7th lunar month at their own home. Beyond the significance of remembering ancestors, the meal on the 15th day is also an opportunity for families to reunite, chat, and reminisce about old times.
Every year, at the end of summer and the beginning of autumn, in the hearts of every person from Yen Thanh, the rice-growing region, people everywhere turn towards their roots, towards the full moon of the seventh lunar month to remember the merits of their ancestors. They gather at the ancestral temples to prepare and decorate the altars and offerings to their forefathers with gratitude and reverence.
As a granddaughter of the Truong Van clan, for decades, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Ha has always instructed her children and grandchildren to arrange their affairs and make time to return to the ancestral temple of branch 3, lineage 3 of the Truong Van clan in Block 4, Yen Thanh town, to prepare for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Despite her advanced age, her hands are still nimble, peeling betel nuts and preparing betel leaves, contributing her efforts alongside her children and grandchildren to arrange a full feast of traditional dishes on the ancestral altar.
Mr. Truong Van Tri, clan leader of branch 3, lineage 3 of the Truong Van family, shared: "For our family, the full moon of the seventh lunar month is the most important. Therefore, all descendants return to the ancestral temple to offer gifts and incense with sincere hearts, expressing gratitude to our ancestors."
The Mid-Autumn Festival (Rằm tháng Bảy) is a beautiful cultural tradition that has been preserved for generations. Therefore, most families and clans in the rice-growing district of Yên Thành organize this festival with the intention of remembering and honoring their ancestors for their upbringing and lineage, as an opportunity to remind everyone to remember their roots and show filial piety towards their ancestors.
Along with Dien Chau, Do Luong, and Yen Thanh, many clans in rural areas of Nghe An such as Hung Nguyen, Quynh Luu, Nghi Loc, Nam Dan, Thanh Chuong, and Anh Son also organize ancestral worship ceremonies. This demonstrates the beautiful traditions and cultural identity that the people have always maintained and developed in their lives today…
