*Tet Festival:
The Vietnamese consider Tet to be the year's most important festival. Family members gather in their hometowns, traveling from across the country ( or the world ) to spend the Tet holidays in each other's company. On the stroke of midnight, as the old year turns into the new, Vietnamese usher out the old year and welcome the Kitchen God by beating drums, lighting firecrackers, and goading dogs to bark (a lucky omen).
*Perfume Pagoda Festival:
The Perfume Pagoda is Vietnam's most famous Buddhist pilgrimage site, welcoming hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who arrive at the sacred cave to pray for a happy and prosperous year ahead. This stream of pilgrims reaches its peak at the Perfume Pagoda Festival - devotees travel through a picturesque gauntlet to the sacred caves, first boarding boats that pass a landscape of rice paddies and Limestone Mountains, then going by foot past historical shrines and up hundreds of stone steps.
*Lim Festival:
On the 13th day of the first lunar month, visitors come to Lim Hill in Bac Ninh province to watch performances of "Quan ho", traditional songs performed by both men and women from boats and from the Lim Pagoda. The songs cover numerous topics, such as greetings, exchanging love sentiments, and even trivial objects like village gates.
*Phu Giay Festival:
At Phu Giay Temple in Nam Dinh province, tribute is paid to Lieu Hanh, one of the Vietnamese "four immortal gods", and the only one based on a real person (a princess of the 16th century who died young). Many devotees from all over make a pilgrimage to Phu Giay Temple to join the festival, taking advantage of the traditional lull in work during the third lunar month. Traditional diversions like cock-fighting, "Keo Chu", and folk singing are held all throughout the festival.
*Chu Dong Tu Festival:
Downstream from Hanoi on the Red River, the Da Hoa and Da Trach temples in Khoai Chau district host a festival to Chu Dong Tu, one of the four immortal gods worshiped by Vietnamese. Ceremonies are performed at both temples between the 10th to the 12th day of the second lunar month. These then give way to traditional games and activities like human chess, wrestling, and Vietnamese dances.
*Thay Pagoda Festival:
If any Buddhist monk deserved worship, it was Tu Dao Hanh, innovator and inventor. He made numerous advances in medicine and religion, but is mainly remembered for inventing water puppetry. The Thay Pagoda Festival celebrates Tu Dao Hanh's life with a procession of the monk's worshipping tablet, borne by representatives from four villages. The festival is celebrated by laymen with many water puppetry performances, particularly at the Thuy Dinh House in front of Tu Dao Hanh's pagoda. The festival takes place from the 5th to the 7th day of the third lunar month.
*Buon Don Elephant Races:
Vietnam’s Buon Don District has long been famous for its M’Nong wild elephant tamers and trainers. Demand for their skills may have dried up somewhat, but Buon Don continues to celebrate its proud heritage every year with its annual Elephant Races, held every year in the forests near the Sevepoi River. The race takes place on a short racetrack a mile or so long, set on level ground. Each elephant is ridden by two jockeys; one steers the elephant, while the other manages the animal’s speed. Elephants can move at a surprisingly fast clip ( 25 mph ), especially when encouraged by crowds yelling and beating gongs.
*Lang Ca Ong ( Whale Festival ):
Vietnamese fishermen believe whales are their protectors on the high seas. The Lang Ca Ong festival thanks the whales for their support and prays for prosperity in the coming year. This festival occurs in the middle of the third lunar month, and is common in fishing communities throughout Vietnam. Devotees offer prayers to the whale god for his continued protection, and proffer sacrifices (which do not contain seafood). At dawn on the second day, a fluvial procession is performed to propitiate the whale gods.
*Buddha’s Birthday:
Buddha's Birthday is celebrated with much gusto in Vietnam, despite its nominal Communist status. Most Buddhist temples and many towns throw great festivals in honor of the Buddha, drawing thousands of devotees from nearby towns.
*Truung Th Festival:
Tet Trung Thu is a wonderful, ancient festival of Vietnam that revolves around children.
The Festival dates back as far as 15-20,000 years ago in Southeast Asia, and is traditionally held on the 15th day of the 8th Lunar Month. An important to families in Vietnam for many years, originally this Festival came about as a way for parents to make up for lost time with their children after harvest season.
The harvest was done by September, and the parents were anxious to spend time with their children and do something special with them, as well as celebrate the harvest, after spending much time working hard and away from the family. It was held under the full moon, which represents fullness and prosperity of life.
Story Related To Tet Trung Thu
A favorite folklore is about a carp that wanted to become a dragon. The carp worked and worked and eventually transformed itself into a dragon. This is the story behind the mythical symbol, Ca hoa Rong. Parents use this story to encourage their children to work hard so that they can become whatever they want to be.
There's also a story about how the Moon Lady ascended to the moon. A man named Chu Coi found a lucky tree that had special healing powers. Because this tree was sacred, people were forbidden to urinate at the foot of this tree. Unfortunately, Chu Coi's wife, Chi Hang forgot the rule and urinated on the tree. On day, while she was sitting on the tree's branch, the tree started to grow and grow. Eventually, it reached the moon, Since then, Chi Hang lived on the moon for the rest of her life as a punishment for desecrating the sacred tree.
Craelebtion
Children parade on the streets, while singing and carrying colorful lanterns of different sizes. Some of the popular shapes include fishes, stars, butterflies and a lantern that spins when a candle is inserted, representing the earth circling the sun. Dances are also traditional, and include the dragon dance and the flower dance. It is customary to give Banh Trung Thu, boxes of moon cakes, which are traditionally very rich in taste. The cakes are filled with lotus seeds, ground beans and orange peels and have a bright yoke in the center to represent the moon.
Appropriately, the Mid-Autumn Festival is also called the Children's Festival. To help children get ready for the Festival, parents can help children make their lanterns and costumes for the lantern procession and discuss the history and culture of Vietnam.
Showing our love for our children and teaching of Vietnam's love for their children is a wonderful reason to celebrate.
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