Among other forms of folk belief, the ancestor worship tradition is common in the daily life of Vietnam people. through the ups and downs, ancestor worship has an important role in the spiritual life of the Vietnamese people.
Intellectual Phan Ke Binh wrote about the cultural tradition of ancestor worship in Vietnam families in his book “Vietnam’s customs”:
“Worship ancestor, which I respect much, is in the nature of human and it is also an obligation of every person”.
That obligation is rooted in the belief of Vietnamese people that the souls of the deceased are always present in life and have an impact on the lives of their descendants.
The Buddha altar is placed in the middle of the main house.
In the conceptions of ancestor worship culture of Vietnamese people, the spirits of the deceased do not go to heaven nor hell but stay on the altar to watch over and assist their beloved ascendants, blessing them when they encounter difficulties, or to be happy when they have some good luck.
As for the living, it is their responsibility to guide the next generation to always remember their roots and their ancestors, who give them blessings for what they have today.
In the worship of ancestor of the Vietnamese people, the tradition of gratitude plays a leading role in binding ancestor with descendants forever as when a child is born or someone in the family gets married or move away, the seniors always hold a ceremony to inform the ancestors.
Following the circle of life and death and the core values of gratitude moral. The ancestor worship of Vietnamese people has been preserved from generation to generation until today. It can be seen that the altar of Vietnamese people from ancient times has had the role of connecting the deceased and the living throughout a person’s life.
Play an important role and constant presence in the daily lives of Vietnamese people, the ancestral altar in the Vietnamese family is always placed at the tallest, cleanest, and the most solemn position, with incense burners, candle holders, plaques, or pictures of the decendents.
Besides worshiping their grandparents and parents, Vietnamese people also worship “ba co to” and “ong manh” (those who die young).
Worship space in a Vietnamese family
Overall, the Vietnamese tradition of worshiping the deceased is so simple. this tradition creates a close connection within a family from both worlds.
The spirits of the ancestors are always with their children and help them have a good life. The descendants also have the responsibility to guide the next generations to worship their ancestors to requite the merits of our ancestors.
By worshiping ancestors, one generation sets a good example to the next for the responsibility toward the ancestors and educates them to maintain the clan. This is the custom of a rich national cultural system.
Source: Within Heritage