Buzz
Exchange of Gifts
Betel Chewing Tradition
The betel chewing tradition is a beautiful cultural aspect of the ethnic people
Betel chewing tradition, stemming from ancient customs, has become a cultural hallmark of the Vietnamese people, closely tied to the folk tale of Betel and Areca. The betel quid is a familiar image that frequently appears in the daily lives of the people since ancient times. Elders often say, 'The betel quid starts the story,' symbolizing hospitality. The betel quid also represents love between couples, serving as a bond between them, and signifies the respect of later generations for their ancestors, hence betel and areca are always present on ancestral altars... Although the tradition of betel chewing is not as widespread as before, it remains a beautiful cultural practice deeply ingrained in the minds of the Vietnamese people.
Lao tobacco smoking
Lao tobacco smoking is a cultural trait of the rural social class during feudal Vietnam. Almost every household had lao tobacco. If 'the betel quid starts the story,' then lao tobacco smoking is the 'opening chapter' for reunions and gatherings.
New Year celebrations
The biggest festival of the year is Tet Nguyen Dan, also known as our Lunar New Year. Additionally, there are many other distinctive festivals and holidays.
Tet Nguyen Dan (Lunar New Year)
Tet Nguyen Dan, known as our Tet, is celebrated by the Vietnamese people to distinguish it from the Gregorian New Year. Every year during Tet, every member of the family reunites under one roof, returning to their roots, where traditions are upheld.
Family members gather around the Tet feast during Tet Nguyen Dan
On New Year's Eve, the moment of transition from the old year to the new year, families perform ancestral worship rituals to welcome the new year, bid farewell to the old year, and pray for luck, prosperity, and health for all family members.
Tet Nguyen Tieu (Lantern Festival)
Tet Nguyen Tieu marks the first full moon night of the lunar new year. Depending on regional customs, each family prepares different offerings to show respect to their ancestors, grandparents, and to pray for a peaceful and prosperous new year.
Tet Thanh Minh (Pure Brightness Festival)
“The Pure Brightness Festival in the third lunar month
The ritual is to honor ancestors, the gathering is to cherish memories”
The Pure Brightness Festival, celebrated on the third day of the third lunar month, is an occasion for descendants to pay homage to their ancestors. Families gather to clean and tend to the graves of their ancestors, ensuring they are well-maintained and adorned with offerings. They clean the surrounding area, light incense, burn votive papers, and sincerely pray for the departed.
The Double Fifth Festival (Tet Doan Ngo)
The Double Fifth Festival (Tet Doan Ngo) is celebrated on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month, marking the beginning of a new phase for good fortune and bountiful harvests. On this day, various customs are observed such as exterminating pests, bathing with aromatic herbs, dyeing nails, harvesting medicinal herbs at the hour of the 'noon',...
The Mid-Autumn Festival (Tet Trung Thu)
The lantern procession on the Mid-Autumn night
The Mid-Autumn Festival, known as the Children's Festival, is held on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month every year. Children will parade with lanterns, break the feast, and exchange gifts,...
Tet Tao Quan
Also known as Tet Tao Quan, it falls on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month each year. Every household performs rituals to bid farewell to Tao Quan, the Kitchen Gods, and report to the Jade Emperor about the family's activities in the past year.
Traditional Festivals in Vietnam
Traditional festivals have long been the cultural essence of our nation. This proud tradition is a spiritual dish that is indispensable in the hearts of Vietnamese people. Moreover, these festivals also attract friends and tourists from all over the world to experience them. Each region, each province in the country has its own traditional festivals with different historical values.
Northern Region
Festivals in the cultural region of Northern Vietnam not only depict cultural traits but also carry a strong religious significance.
Huong Pagoda Festival
Opening ceremony of Huong Pagoda Festival 2020
The Huong Pagoda Festival takes place in Huong Son commune, My Duc district, Hanoi province, lasting from the 6th day of the first lunar month until the end of the third lunar month. In the Vietnamese consciousness, Huong Son is considered a Buddhist land, with the Huong Pagoda worshiping the Goddess of Mercy. The festival spreads across three routes: Huong Tich, Tuyet Son, and Long Van. When visiting the Huong Pagoda festival, tourists not only go to pray but also admire the beautiful scenery of mountains and rivers, as well as unique cultural and artistic works such as ritual singing, operetta, boat racing, mountain climbing, and more.
From Hanoi, tourists can easily travel to the Huong Pagoda by various means such as motorbikes, cars, or buses. The entrance fee for the Huong Pagoda scenic area in 2020 is 80,000 VND per person.
Hung Kings Temple Festival
The Hung Kings Temple Festival is a traditional beauty of the Vietnamese people
The Hung Kings Temple Festival usually takes place from the 1st to the 10th day of the third lunar month to commemorate the merits of the Hung Kings in building the nation. The Hung Kings Temple is located on Nghia Linh Mountain, Hy Cuong commune, Viet Tri city, Phu Tho province. The festival begins with offering incense and ritual offerings including a tray of five fruits, square glutinous rice cakes, and cylindrical glutinous rice cakes to recall the legend of Lang Lieu and remind of the merits of the Hung Kings who taught people to cultivate wet rice. The procession includes the carriage of deities, elephants, and palanquins from many villages. After the ceremony, there will be xoan singing at the Upper Temple, ca tru singing at the Lower Temple, and various folk games.
The Hung Kings Temple is about 90km from Hanoi. Tourists can travel by various means such as cars or buses from My Dinh bus station. When visiting the Hung Kings Temple, tourists can choose to rent electric cars for convenience. Local specialties here include rustic dishes such as sour meat, silkworm cocoon cake, ear cake, palm leaf sticky rice, wrapped palm leaf sticky rice with fermented fish paste, and snakehead fish soup with arrowroot.
Lim Festival
The Lim Festival is dubbed as the famous traditional festival of Bac Ninh province, the festival of ancient villages around Lim Mountain and the banks of the Tieu Tuong River, demonstrating the cultural and artistic values and spiritual beliefs of the people in Kinh Bac land. Every year, the Lim Festival opens on the 13th day of the first lunar month, starting with a procession with rituals to escort and worship the village gods, heroic mothers of the homeland.
The Lim Festival of Quan Ho Bac Ninh
Apart from the ritual part, the festival also organizes folk games such as martial arts, chess competitions, rice cooking contests, and festive singing. The way the people organize the Lim Festival has something very special, from the three-part conical hat, shoulder pole, silk sash, embroidered scarf, to the delicate gestures of the people in Kinh Bac. Perhaps for this reason, Quan Ho has become an intangible cultural heritage, a unique tradition of the Vietnamese people.
The Giong Festival
The Giong Festival – Commemorating the heroic figure who defeated the An invaders
The Giong Festival is organized annually as usual to commemorate and express gratitude for the heroic deeds of the legendary hero Saint Giong. The Giong Festival is represented in Hanoi by the Phu Dong Giong Festival (Phu Dong Temple, Phu Dong Commune, Gia Lam District), the Soc Son Giong Festival (Soc Temple, Phu Linh Commune, Soc Son District),... This is considered a cultural beauty that has been preserved and passed down intact through many generations, reflecting the nation's desire for peace and prosperity, and the people's aspiration for a full and happy life.
The Central Highlands and Southern Region
This is an area with extremely unique festivals that have been passed down by local people through many generations.
The Gong Festival
This is the largest festival of the year in the Central Highlands region, representing the unique and valuable cultural heritage of the local people.
The Gong culture takes pride in being recognized by UNESCO as a masterpiece of oral and intangible heritage of humanity in 2005. During the festival, artisans perform like a vibrant chorus with distinctive musical instruments. More than just a festival, Gong culture is considered a form of spirituality cherished and passed down by the local people.
The Buffalo Fighting Festival
The Buffalo Fighting Festival takes place from the lunar month of December to March.
The Buffalo Fighting Festival is organized by the Ba Na people to welcome the new year and pray for a prosperous harvest. The festival usually takes place at the Rong House. People choose an empty piece of land to invite the deities to witness and then securely tie the buffalo to a wooden pole before conducting the rituals. Afterwards, brave young men in the village take turns to spear the buffalo, while others cheer around. The buffalo meat is distributed among everyone in the village, and the rest is shared over drinks at the Rong House to strengthen bonds and unity.
The Elephant Racing Festival
The Elephant Racing Festival in Dak Lak Province
This festival is held once every 2 years, usually in March of the Gregorian calendar. The strongest elephants are gathered to compete in various activities such as racing, tug-of-war, swimming across rivers, and playing football. Due to its diverse range of events, people eagerly anticipate and look forward to the festival. Under the skillful guidance of the trainers, the winning elephants are rewarded with delicious treats and laurel wreaths.
The Festival of Lady of the Realm
This is the largest festival in the Southern region
The festival is held from the 23rd to the 27th of the 4th lunar month every year. The venue is at the Lady of the Realm Temple on Sam Mountain in An Giang province. Alongside the festival, there are also cultural activities such as shadow puppetry, and traditional opera performances.
Central Vietnam Region
The Central region is always a vibrant and colorful place where lively festivals take place with unique colors.
Boat Racing Festival
The Boat Racing Festival is a cultural beauty of the people of Da Nang province and some Central provinces
The Boat Racing Festival is held in the lunar January every year on the Han River in Da Nang city, aiming to pray for favorable weather and prosperous lives for the people of the river region. The festival features teams from neighboring provinces, with meticulously prepared decorated racing boats in vibrant colors. Spectators by the lake cheer enthusiastically amid the lively drum beats and joyous atmosphere.
Ngư Fishing Festival
The Ngư Fishing Festival is very lively
This festival is held 3 times a year in Thai Duong Ha village, Thuan An town, Phu Vang district, Thua Thien Hue province. The Ngư Fishing Festival is organized in a grand manner to commemorate Emperor Truong Quy Cong - who taught the poor people of the river region to escape from difficult lives.
Lam Kinh Festival
Lam Kinh Festival 2020
The festival is held on the 22nd of August lunar calendar every year (the death anniversary of King Le Loi) to honor King Le Thai To, who played a significant role in the country's liberation struggle in the 15th century. The festival takes place at the Le King Temple and Bo Ve Temple in Thanh Hoa province. Lam Kinh Festival is considered a venerable cultural tradition that contributes to the nation's identity.
Above are the distinctive customs and prominent festivals from various regions across the country. It's evident that Vietnam's cultural heritage is rich and sophisticated. Hopefully, this article will help you explore the diverse cultural experiences of the country and participate in these colorful and interesting festivals during your travels.
