The Vu Lan Festival commemorates the enduring ties that bind families together, emphasizing the importance of unity among relatives.

The Vu Lan Festival, deeply entrenched in Vietnamese cultural significance, serves as a revered occasion for locals to immerse themselves in the rich tapestry of familial bonds. This annual celebration offers a profound insight into the essence of unity. Through its array of ceremonies, the festival not only honors the cherished relationships among relatives but also provides visitors with a deeper understanding of Vietnamese heritage in their Vietnam travel.

1. What is the Vu Lan Festival? When does it take place?

Among the vibrant tapestry of Vietnamese festivals, the Vu Lan Festival (also known as Ullambana) stands out as a significant celebration in Vietnamese Buddhism. Held annually on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month, it's a day dedicated to honoring ancestors and expressing deep appreciation for parents. The festival coincides with a belief in Buddhist cosmology, where the gates of hell are said to open during this time, allowing spirits of the departed to visit the living realm. This belief imbues the festival with a special significance, as families prepare offerings and prayers to welcome their ancestors and ensure their well-being in the afterlife.

2. The time-honored history of the Vu Lan Festival

The Vu Lan Festival originates from the story of Maudgalyayana, one of the Buddha's two main disciples, saving his mother from the realm of hungry ghosts. After attaining enlightenment, Maudgalyayana used his supernatural powers to discover that his mother, Lady Qingti, was suffering in the afterlife due to the negative karma she had accumulated during her lifetime. Driven by filial piety, he brought food to his mother hoping to alleviate her hunger and thirst. However, due to the karmic consequences of her actions, the food turned into hot coals when it reached her mouth.

Heartbroken by his mother's plight, Maudgalyayana returned to the Buddha seeking a way to save her. The Buddha advised him, "Even with great supernatural powers, one cannot save one's mother alone. Only by relying on the collective power of the Sangha and offering them food and other necessities with a sincere mind, can one generate enough merit to liberate their mother from suffering." The Buddha also specified that the 15th day of the 7th lunar month was the most auspicious day for this ritual.

Following the Buddha's guidance, Maudgalyayana successfully offered food to the Sangha and liberated his mother from the realm of hungry ghosts. According to the Ullambana Sutra, the Buddha also taught that, "All sentient beings who wish to express filial piety to their parents should follow this method." Thus, the Vu Lan Festival was born and has been observed ever since.

>>> Learn more about other public holidays in Vietnam!

3. The significance of the Vu Lan Festival in Vietnamese culture

The Vu Lan Festival has become an occasion for Vietnamese people to remember and demonstrate filial piety towards parents and ancestors. Therefore, during the occasion, Vietnamese devotees often pray for ancestors while also performing good deeds and seeking blessings for their living parents. Beyond its religious significance, the Vu Lan Festival carries profound cultural meanings for Vietnamese people, reminding individuals of their roots. Thus, the festival becomes even more humanitarian, embodying the spirit of filial respect.

4. What do Vietnamese people do during the Vu Lan Festival?

4.1. Prepare an offering tray

The Vu Lan ritual in each household is typically carried out in the following sequence: offering to the Buddha, deities, ancestors, and finally, to wandering spirits. Each offering holds its own significance and requires appropriate preparations:

Offering to the Buddha: The offerings to the Buddha usually consist of vegetarian rice, five kinds of fruits, and recitation of sutras to pray for merit and alleviate karmic retribution for ancestors.
Offering to deities: Offerings to deities often include sticky rice, whole boiled chicken, square glutinous rice cake, tea, wine, fruits, and fresh flowers, with recitation to seek divine protection for family.
Offering to ancestors: Ancestor worship is typically conducted with great solemnity during the Vu Lan Festival, featuring either vegetarian or non-vegetarian meals and gold coins, aiming to express reverence and wish ancestors a prosperous afterlife.
Offering to wandering spirits: The Vu Lan Festival coincides with the 7th lunar month, often incorporating offerings to wandering spirits who have no one to offer them prayers. The special altar for this purpose includes porridge, brown sugar, salt, fruits, cakes, incense, candles, paper clothing, and gold coins.

4.2. Wear a rose on the shirt for the ceremony

On the day of the Vu Lan Festival, temples in Vietnam often organize the ritual of "Rose Adornment Ceremony" for Buddhists. Those with living parents wear red roses on their clothes, while those whose parents have passed away wear white flowers. This ritual was initiated by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh through his book in 1962. The image of roses adorning clothes has since become a symbol of filial piety during the occasion among Buddhists.

4.3. Release flower lanterns on the river

For a long time, releasing flower lanterns has become a traditional ritual of the Vu Lan Festival. This ritual is also an integral part of Buddhism, serving to pray for the deceased. Each flower lantern is meticulously designed with a candle lit before being released onto the river, accompanied by prayers for peace and happiness.

Amidst the gentle glow of reverence, the Vu Lan Festival emerges as a cherished occasion, inviting us to partake in a timeless celebration of family bonds. With roots deeply intertwined in the ethos of filial piety, this annual festival serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of honoring our ancestors and nurturing the enduring connections that unite generations. It is a moment of reflection, gratitude, and heartfelt reverence, where we come together to pay homage to our forebears, express appreciation for the love and sacrifices they have bestowed upon us.

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