Gratitude to our roots
This year, Thanh Minh Festival falls on Thursday, April 4th (February 26th in the lunar calendar), but on March 31st (February 22nd in the lunar calendar), the people's cemetery in Do Chang village, Hong Du commune (Ninh Giang district) was already filled with the fragrant smoke of incense, and crowds of people eagerly visited the graves to pay tribute to their ancestors according to ancient traditions.
In front of the ancestral tombs, a large number of descendants of the Nguyen Dinh family, belonging to branch 3, sub-branch 3, and lineage 2 of Do Chang village, gathered to clear weeds, clean, and decorate each tomb to make it more beautiful and tidy. The most beautiful chrysanthemums and the most fragrant incense sticks were offered by the descendants to the tombs of their ancestors and deceased relatives to commemorate their parents' and grandparents' contributions to their upbringing.
After visiting the ancestral graves, nearly 200 descendants of the aforementioned branch of the family, including about 70 living in Hanoi , Bac Giang, and Quang Ninh provinces, returned to the ancestral temple to perform ancestral worship ceremonies and participate in other meaningful activities. Here, representatives of the branch introduced the family tree diagram to help future generations understand their origins and ancestors. The gathering and interaction among family members further strengthened their bonds.
At the public cemeteries in Gia Loc town and Ngoc Ky commune (Tu Ky district)... crowds of people eagerly visit graves during the Thanh Minh festival. People bring clean water and fragrant water to clean and tidy the ancestral tombs. Some bring sickles, hoes, and shovels to cut grass and neatly trim the graves of their deceased relatives. Fresh flowers, sweet fruits, incense, candles, betel leaves, areca nuts, sticky rice, pork sausage, and banh chung (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes) are arranged by people to offer as sacrifices before their family graves. Even unmarked graves receive attention; people clean them and light incense, hoping to alleviate the loneliness and sadness of the departed souls.
At 78 years old, despite her hunched back and aching knees, Mrs. Le Thi Phuong from Ngoc Ky commune still goes to visit the graves of her ancestors with her children and grandchildren. "Being able to live with a clear mind until now is thanks to the kindness of my ancestors, grandparents, and parents who gave me life and raised me. Unless I'm too sick to go, I visit the graves every year. Furthermore, this is also a way to educate my children and grandchildren about the importance of continuing the beautiful traditions and culture of our people," Mrs. Phuong explained.
For the past week, almost every afternoon at Cau Cuong Cemetery – the largest public cemetery in Hai Duong City – has been crowded with people visiting graves during the Thanh Minh festival. The graves, usually cold and desolate, become warm and beautiful on Thanh Minh Day thanks to the care of relatives and descendants. Ms. Vu Thi Tuyet from alley 38, Tue Tinh Street, shared with her family: "As life becomes more prosperous, our descendants have more means to celebrate Thanh Minh more fully to show gratitude to our ancestors. Along with visiting the graves, our family focuses on preparing meals to offer to our ancestors and the deceased on this occasion to show our respect."
Organize many meaningful activities.
Many families and clans organize gatherings and reunions during the Qingming Festival. After visiting the graves of their ancestors, clans gather to slaughter pigs and chickens to prepare meals, firstly to offer to their deceased ancestors and relatives, and secondly for siblings and descendants to reunite and celebrate. The feast may be simple, with a few dishes made from pork, but it is filled with affection, expressing the unity and closeness among family members and between families within the clan.
Every year during the Qingming Festival, the Nguyen Dinh clan, belonging to branch 3, sub-branch 3, and sub-branch 2 of Do Chang village, organizes an awards ceremony for their descendants who have achieved outstanding academic results. Mr. Nguyen Dinh Chan, Head of the Education Promotion Committee of sub-branch 2, said that this activity has become a beautiful cultural tradition of the clan, maintained since 2004 to encourage and motivate descendants to study diligently, strive for useful things, and contribute to their homeland and country. This year, 81 descendants of the clan were honored and awarded. "Our clan also established a Zalo group to exchange information and create connections between families and descendants living far away. Last year, a descendant of our clan living in Bac Giang suffered a serious accident. Our clan members contributed over 69 million VND to support him. The spirit of solidarity and closeness within the clan is further strengthened by these meaningful activities," Mr. Chan shared.
On the occasion of the Thanh Minh festival and the anniversary of the founding of the clan this year, the Nguyen clan of Mac origin in Thanh Lien village, Cong Hoa commune (Kim Thanh district) also organized the awarding of the "Promoting Education - Promoting Talent - Two-Nation Scholar Mac Dinh Chi" prize from the Mac Clan Council of Hai Duong province and wished longevity to the elderly.
TIEN MANHSource
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