Cultural traditions during the Qingming Festival.

Qingming Festival is one of the important holidays in the cultural and spiritual life of the Vietnamese people. It is an occasion for descendants to express their respect for their ancestors and strengthen the bonds between family members and clans.

According to the beliefs of many Eastern countries, the Qingming Festival lasts for about 15-16 days. In 2024, the Qingming Festival begins on April 4th (which is the 26th day of the 2nd lunar month), therefore, the Qingming Festival is on April 4th in the Gregorian calendar.

At this time of year, in many localities throughout the province, the activity of visiting graves is bustling. People prepare offerings, clean up, and light incense at the graves of their relatives. In many clans, the collective grave-visiting activity during the Qingming Festival is regularly maintained every year. For the Duong Nang clan in An Lac village, Duc Thang commune (Tien Lu district), on the day of the Qingming Festival, representatives from various families gather at the cemetery to offer gifts, light incense to remember and honor their ancestors, and clean the gravesites. Mr. Duong Nang Duc, the clan leader, said: About a week before the Qingming Festival, the elders of the clan hold a meeting to agree on the time for grave-visiting, then inform each household. Despite being busy, everyone arranges their own work to participate, thus strengthening the bonds between clan members.

Residents of An Tao ward (Hung Yen city) clean the graves of their relatives and light incense during the Thanh Minh festival. — Residents of An Tao ward ( Hung Yen city) clean up the graves of their relatives and light incense during the Thanh Minh festival.

In the past, most graves were simply mounds of earth with headstones, so every year, descendants would weed and add more soil to keep the mounds elevated against erosion from rain and wind. Nowadays, reburial graves are built with sturdy materials and beautifully decorated. However, people still maintain the custom of visiting graves during the Qingming Festival to ensure that the resting place of their family and clan members is clean and welcoming.

Even though they live and work far away, many people return to their hometowns during the Qingming Festival to fulfill their filial duties. For those who live far from home, each trip back to their ancestral graves is a chance to reconnect with their birthplace, to meet and greet relatives, and thus strengthen family and clan bonds. Mr. Pham Van Thang, originally from Thuan Hung commune (Khoai Chau district), currently living in Tuyen Quang province, said: "Every year, on Qingming Festival, I bring my children and grandchildren back to my hometown to light incense for the deceased, to remember our roots. After visiting the graves, family members return to the ancestral temple to prepare a feast to offer to their ancestors, then eat together in a joyful and intimate atmosphere. Every time I return home for the Qingming Festival, I feel very excited."

During the Qingming Festival, besides the custom of visiting graves, offering sacrifices at the ancestral altar is also very important. Houses are cleaned thoroughly, especially the ancestral altar. A feast is offered to the ancestral altar after the Qingming ceremony at the graves. Depending on local customs, the offerings will vary, but usually include savory dishes along with incense, flowers, fruits, betel nuts, etc. After the ceremony, family members partake in the offerings, share joys and sorrows in life, and strengthen family bonds.

With its sacred significance, the Qingming Festival is an occasion for descendants to remember and honor their ancestors and origins. Nowadays, with modern life, the rituals of the Qingming Festival have changed somewhat to be more practical, economical, and efficient. Nevertheless, the humanistic meaning of expressing filial piety and gratitude to ancestors and the deceased on this festival remains a beautiful cultural tradition preserved by each family, contributing to the preservation of family values and customs within the cultural flow of the nation.

Duong Mien

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