TL;DR: The longevity celebration is a beautiful traditional cultural feature of Vietnamese people, expressing filial piety, respect, and gratitude from children and grandchildren toward grandparents and parents when they reach the ages of 60, 70, 80, 90, or 100. This is an occasion for family and community to honor old age, a 'great blessing' that not everyone can attain. The names for these age milestones may vary between regions, and the ceremony can be held within the family or collectively at the village communal house.
What is a longevity celebration and why is it considered a 'great blessing' for the family?
In the Vietnamese mind, living long has always been seen as a stroke of good fortune, a 'blessing' bestowed by heaven. A family with elderly members and with children and grandchildren gathered in full is considered to have great good fortune. From that belief, the longevity celebration came into being as a special rite of passage, not only an occasion to mark advancing age but also a way for children and grandchildren to express their filial devotion, respect and deep gratitude to those who gave them life.
Unlike obligatory rituals, the longevity celebration springs from the voluntary heart of children and grandchildren. People in the past held that only with blessing does one live long and have children and grandchildren in harmony. Organising a longevity celebration is therefore a celebration of that blessing, an occasion for the family, the clan and the village to share in the joy and to wish happiness to the elderly grandfather or grandmother. The researcher Phan Kế Bính, in his book 'Việt Nam phong tục', emphasised the importance of filial piety: 'We read the books of the sages and saints, and hold that filial devotion to one's parents is the greatest of moral bonds, the head of the hundred virtues of a person.' The longevity celebration is a vivid and most concrete expression of filial duty in modern life.
Origins and the age milestones that are celebrated
According to traditional custom, Vietnamese people of the past held old age in such esteem that from the age of 40 a person was already honoured by the village and relatives as an elder. At 50, a man was given a ceremony to enter the ranks of the elders, seated on the upper mat with his own tray at the village communal house on festive occasions. Today this custom of 'revering the elderly' is still preserved, but expressed in a more modern and widespread way. Longevity celebrations are usually held for the elderly at 'round' age milestones such as 60, 70, 80, 90 and 100.
Each milestone has its own name in Hán characters, expressing the solemnity of the rite. Specifically:
| Age milestone | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 60 years old | Thượng thọ lục tuần | Celebrating the 60th year, the beginning of a new cycle of life for the elderly person. |
| 70 years old | Thượng thọ thất tuần | Celebrating the 70th year, 'nhân sinh thất thập cổ lai hy' (since ancient times, few people have lived to 70). |
| 80 years old | Thượng thọ bát tuần | Celebrating the 80th year, all the more treasured as longevity grows higher. |
| 90 years old | Thượng thọ cửu tuần | Celebrating the 90th year, a milestone of which the family and the clan can be proud. |
| 100 years old | Bách tuế / Bách niên chi lão | Celebrating a full 100 years, a grand occasion, usually held with great solemnity. |
It should be added that the names of the age milestones are not uniform from place to place. The naming in the table above follows the 'thượng thọ' style applied to every milestone from 60 upward. Another common way of naming divides them by rank: hạ thọ at 60, trung thọ at 70, and thượng thọ from 80 upward. Phan Kế Bính's book 'Việt Nam phong tục' (1915), when discussing longevity celebrations, mentions only the milestone of parents reaching seventy or eighty years of age, at which children and grandchildren hold a celebration called the thượng thọ ceremony, and does not divide it into hạ thọ, trung thọ and thượng thọ ranks. So depending on the locality and the family, the naming may differ; the essential thing remains the filial devotion of children and grandchildren.
Why is 70 called cổ lai hy?
The age of 70 is also called 'cổ lai hy', after a line by Đỗ Phủ of the Tang dynasty in the poem 'Khúc Giang': 'nhân sinh thất thập cổ lai hy', meaning that a person who lives to seventy has been rare since ancient times. Not merely carrying the sense of rarity, the word 'hy' in this case also implies something precious and worthy of respect, and so the age of 70 is considered a milestone worth celebrating and honouring.
Traditional and modern ways of conducting the longevity celebration
What does the solemn traditional rite include?
In the past, longevity celebrations were usually held with very solemn ritual. On this day, children and grandchildren would perform a living offering to express their reverence. Grandparents and parents would be invited to sit in the central place of the house, the most solemn spot. Children and grandchildren, in order from eldest to youngest, would come before the elders to bow and present small cups of wine and peaches (called a 'bàn đào chúc thọ', a peach tray of longevity wishes) as a wish for long life.
The tale of the immortal peach offered by the Queen Mother of the West to Emperor Wu of Han is often mentioned, with the belief that eating that peach brings long life. For families with the means, the offering could be held at the village communal house, called 'bái tạ thần hưu', to thank the deities for protecting the parents so that they live long. This rite has someone to announce the offering and a presiding officiant, and children and grandchildren bow twice (not four times as when worshipping the deceased). Before the celebration, the family usually performs a rite to inform the ancestors that someone in the household has reached a great age. Inside the house, parallel couplets and congratulatory banners are hung everywhere, often inscribed with phrases such as 'Phúc như Đông Hải, Thọ tỷ Nam Sơn' (happiness like the East Sea, longevity like the Southern Mountains), and the atmosphere is truly decorated and warm.
How it is organised today
Today the longevity celebration still keeps its core values, but the way it is organised has changed a great deal to suit the pace of modern life. Instead of complex offering rituals, children and grandchildren usually hold a warm meal at home or at a restaurant, inviting relatives and close friends to attend and offer congratulations. The timing usually falls on the elder's birthday or on Tết Nguyên đán (the Lunar New Year), when children and grandchildren gather in the greatest numbers.
Longevity gifts today have also become more practical, usually items needed in the daily life of the elderly such as a warm blanket, warm clothing, or health related gifts. However, whatever form the celebration takes, the most important thing remains the sincere heart of children and grandchildren. Whether the celebration is large or small, it expresses the joy and pride of the family in having a member who lives long. In addition, wards and communes today all have an Association of the Elderly (Hội thọ). When elders reach the full ages of 70, 80 or 90, the Association will come to the house or hold a congratulatory gathering, give commemorative gifts and take photographs, creating a sense of connection and care from the community.
Besides celebrations at home, many places also hold collective longevity celebrations. In many villages of the northern delta, the village association of the elderly organises a joint longevity celebration at the communal house in early spring for elders reaching a round age that year. At such a ceremony, the elders often wear áo dài and khăn xếp, seated in a place of honour to receive congratulations and gifts from the local authorities, creating a warm and solemn feature of community life.
What is the humane meaning of the longevity celebration in modern life?
The longevity celebration is not simply a ritual or a meal; it also carries deep humane values, helping to nurture the fine traditions of the nation.
- Expressing filial duty: This is an occasion for children and grandchildren to repay the kindness of grandparents and parents, to express gratitude for the care and upbringing they received. Filial devotion lies not in the material value of the gift but in constant care and attention, in the sincere heart shown on this important day.
- Honouring the elderly: The longevity celebration affirms the standing and role of the elderly in the family and in society. They are not only the ones who gave life but also a 'storehouse of life experience', a spiritual mainstay, a bridge between generations. Valuing the elderly means valuing the historical and cultural values they have built and passed on.
- Educating younger generations: A longevity celebration is a vivid and most direct moral lesson for children and grandchildren. Seeing their parents and grandparents respected and loved, the younger generation will naturally form a sense of duty, of the way of living that 'when eating a fruit, remember the one who planted the tree', of remembering those who came before in their dealings with people and with society.
- Binding the community: The longevity celebration, especially when the Association of the Elderly and local authorities take part, creates a joyful atmosphere warm with neighbourhood ties. This helps the elders feel that they are not forgotten, that they always receive the care of the whole community, and so live more happily and healthily.
The longevity celebration is a beautiful cultural feature that deserves to be treasured and preserved. It reminds us of the moral principle of 'when drinking water, remember the source', of gratitude and filial devotion. In modern life with its many worries and burdens, maintaining and organising longevity celebrations for grandparents and parents not only brings joy to the elders but is also an invisible thread binding the generations of the family together, enriching the spiritual life of each person.
Overview article on the topic: What rituals make up the life-cycle ceremonies of the Vietnamese?
