Worship of Ancestor Custom
A very popular belief among Vietnamese is the custom of the ancestor
cult. In every household, an ancestor altar is installed in the most
solemn location.
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Vietnamese believe that the soul of a dead person, even if
dead for many generations, still rests along with their
descendants on earth. The dead and living persons still have
spiritual communion; in everyday life, people must not
forget that what they enjoy and how they feel is the same
for their dead relatives.
On the last day of every lunar year, an announcing cult,
cung tien thuong, is performed to invite the
dead forefathers to return home to celebrate Tet holidays
with their families. During the last days before Tet, all
family members visit their ancestors’ graves; they clean and
decorate the graves, in the same manner that the livings
clean and decorate their houses to welcome the New Year.
On the anniversary of an
ancestor’s death, descendants and relatives unite and
prepare a feast to worship the dead people and to ask for
health and happiness for themselves. From generation to
generation, ancestor worshipping customs have been
religiously preserved. There are some small variations
between those customs among the many Vietnamese ethnic
groups, but the common theme of fidelity and gratitude
towards the ancestors remains. |
