Vietnam travel with the Vu Lan Festival, also known as the Day of Filial Piety, takes place on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month, coinciding with the “Forgiveness for Wandering Souls” festival. This is an important occasion for descendants to express gratitude and pay tribute to their parents and ancestors.
This is a deeply meaningful tradition for the Vietnamese people. Let’s explore with Paradise Travel the origins, significance, and rituals of this season.
Origins of the Vu Lan Festival
The Vu Lan Festival originates from the story of the Venerable Maudgalyayana saving his mother from the realm of hungry ghosts. Maudgalyayana, one of the two chief disciples of Buddha Shakyamuni, used his supernatural powers after attaining enlightenment to find his mother. He discovered that his mother, Thanh De, was suffering as a hungry ghost due to her past misdeeds.
Heartbroken, Maudgalyayana asked Buddha for a way to save his mother. Buddha instructed that only through the collective effort of the monastic community and dedicating merit could her negative karma be alleviated. The 15th day of the 7th lunar month was the ideal time for this ritual. Maudgalyayana followed Buddha’s guidance and liberated his mother. Since then, the Vu Lan Festival was born and continues to this day.
Significance of the Vu Lan Festival
Discovering Vietnam means discovering Vietnamese culture. Vu Lan Festival is a profound cultural feature of Vietnam.
Releasing Floating Lanterns
From the story of Bodhisattva Maudgalyayana saving his mother, the Vu Lan Festival has become an occasion to remember and honor the virtues of parents and ancestors. During the Vu Lan season, Buddhists often perform rituals to pray for the deceased, accumulate merit, and wish for their parents’ well-being and relief from suffering.
Beyond its religious significance, this festival deeply resonates with humanitarian values, reminding everyone of their roots, filial piety, and reverence for their ancestors.
Rituals of the Vu Lan Festival
Preparing Offerings
The Vu Lan offerings include rituals for Buddha, deities, ancestors, and wandering souls, each with its own meaning:
- Offering to Buddha: Usually includes vegetarian food, fruits, and prayers to accumulate merit and absolve ancestors’ karma.
- Offering to Deities: Consists of sticky rice, boiled chicken, Chung cake, tea, wine, fruits, and fresh flowers to seek blessings and protection for the family.
- Offering to Ancestors: Can include vegetarian or non-vegetarian food, votive papers to show respect and wish for ancestors’ abundance in the afterlife.
- Offering to Wandering Souls: Done outdoors with thin porridge, rock sugar, rice, fruits, candies, incense, candles, paper clothes, and money to help wandering souls receive blessings.
The “Rose Pinning” Ritual
On Vu Lan Day, temples hold the “Rose Pinning” ritual, initiated by Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh in his 1962 book. Those with living parents wear a red rose, while those who have lost their parents wear a white rose. This ritual, symbolizing gratitude and filial piety, has since become a hallmark of the Vu Lan Festival among Buddhists.
The “Rose Pinning” Ritual
Releasing Floating Lanterns
Releasing floating lanterns has long been a traditional ritual during the Vu Lan Festival. This is an indispensable part of Buddhism, symbolizing prayers for the deceased. Each meticulously designed lantern, lit before being set afloat on the river, carries good wishes and prayers for peace.
Advice for the Vu Lan Festival
The Vu Lan Festival is a time to remember and honor parents and ancestors. However, the 7th lunar month is also considered the month of wandering souls, so certain customs should be observed:
Things to Do
- Visit and offer flowers and incense at ancestors’ graves.
- Practice vegetarianism, do good deeds, and help those in need to dedicate merit to parents.
- Visit temples to pray for peace and participate in Vu Lan activities.
- Show care and give meaningful gifts to parents and grandparents.
Things to Avoid
- Limit shopping and nighttime outings.
- Avoid plucking hair, hanging clothes outside at night.
- Refrain from swimming in rivers, lakes.
- Postpone opening businesses, housewarming, weddings.
- Avoid killing animals and causing conflicts or doing bad deeds.
Note that these customs vary by region and personal beliefs.
This festival is an opportunity to express filial piety and gratitude to parents and ancestors
The Vu Lan Festival is not only significant in Buddhism but also rich in Vietnamese cultural values. It is an occasion for descendants to express filial piety and gratitude towards their parents and ancestors. Through rituals such as offerings to Buddha and ancestors, rose pinning, and floating lanterns, we express our appreciation and remind ourselves to live responsibly, lovingly, and altruistically.
This festival is a time for reflection, gratitude, and compassionate action. Let this season be a meaningful time for us to connect more deeply with our families, ancestors and communities, spreading good values and kindness in life through a Vietnam tour.
Read more: Celebrate Vesak Day Vietnam : Holiest Buddhist Occasion
