Vietnamese people believe that from the afternoon of the 30th day of the lunar year, the spirits of their ancestors (Ông Vải) will return to celebrate Tet with their descendants. On the 3rd or 4th day of Tet (depending on the region), when the Tet festivities have subsided, descendants must perform a farewell ceremony to send their ancestors back to the afterlife .

Unlike the festive atmosphere of the Lunar New Year, the farewell meal for ancestors is solemn, respectful, and full of nostalgia. This is a moment when descendants express their feelings and wishes for a peaceful new year before returning to the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Illustration photo: vietnamnet.vn

In the minds of the people of Thanh Hoa province, my hometown, the ancestral altar doesn't need to be overly elaborate or luxurious, but it must include items that symbolize a purely agricultural region. Besides traditional dishes like boiled chicken, red sticky rice, or bamboo shoot soup, the ancestral altar always features a special set of offerings: rice, salt, gold coins, and especially a plate of honey cakes.

Each item holds a profound meaning. Rice and salt are offered to pray for a prosperous and abundant new year. Gold coins and small denominations are carefully prepared as a "travel fee" for ancestors to use on their journey back. Especially the honey cake, which is perhaps the "soul" of the offering in my hometown when bidding farewell to ancestors as they return to the afterlife.

In my hometown, people believe that when ancestors return from their journey, the sweetness of the honey cake carries with it good wishes and blessings for a peaceful new year for their descendants. These glossy brown honey cakes, fragrant with ginger and sweet with the sugarcane molasses of Thanh Hoa province, seem to encapsulate all the sweetness and respect that descendants offer to their ancestors.

The most distinctive feature, which makes the custom of bidding farewell to the ancestors in my hometown unlike anywhere else, is the preparation of two sugarcane stalks to serve as carrying poles for the ancestors. The chosen sugarcane stalks must be large, sturdy, and still have their green leaves at the top, and they are placed on either side of the altar.

Sugarcane is not simply a symbol of agricultural produce. It is also a spiritual carrying pole, helping ancestors carry offerings, heartfelt sentiments, and gifts that their descendants have presented during the three days of Tet (Lunar New Year) to the afterlife. It is an image that is both sacred and deeply rooted in folklore, reflecting the people's humane view of the afterlife – a world not distant, but one that still experiences burdens, worries, and abundant love, just like in real life.

After the incense has burned out and the ritual of burning offerings is over, the whole family will gather for a farewell meal to send the "ancestor" back home. This is also the last Tet meal before everyone parts ways to return to farming or begin long journeys for work. During this meal, people usually remind each other of their plans for the new year and ask for the "ancestor's" blessings for their children and grandchildren's health and academic success.

When the ceremony ends, the sugarcane is cut down, and its sweetness is shared with the children as a good luck blessing for the new year. Tet may have truly passed, but the warmth of family bonding, reverence for ancestors and forefathers will remain, becoming an invaluable spiritual asset that empowers each person on their new journeys.

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/van-hoa/doi-song/nghi-thuc-cung-tien-dua-ong-vai-net-dep-tam-linh-cua-nguoi-viet-nam-1026874