TL;DR: There is no fixed list of dishes for a vegetarian giỗ (death anniversary) tray; it varies by region and family. Common dishes include vegetarian fresh spring rolls, canh kiểm, vegetarian mắm, bánh bèo, bánh nậm, bánh lọc, mushroom hotpot, jackfruit salad and stir-fried jackfruit. A vegetarian giỗ is considered fitting when the deceased ate vegetarian, when the family follows Buddhism and wishes to avoid killing, or when descendants want to dedicate good merit to the departed.
What is a vegetarian giỗ and how does it differ from a meat giỗ?
A vegetarian giỗ is a death anniversary rite using only plant foods, with no meat or fish and no killing of animals for the offering. A meat giỗ includes meat, fish and alcohol. The difference lies not only in ingredients but in the idea of offering: a meat giỗ emphasises a full spread, while a vegetarian giỗ emphasises a pure mind and the avoidance of creating the karma of killing for both the living and the dead[1][5].
In practice, many Vietnamese families still hold meat giỗ, regarding it as a custom handed down from grandparents. This article does not judge which way is right or wrong; it presents the Buddhist understanding and the actual vegetarian trays in use, so that readers can choose what suits their own family.
When should you hold a vegetarian giỗ?
There is no rule requiring every giỗ to be vegetarian. Whether to hold a vegetarian or meat giỗ depends on each family's circumstances, and one may commemorate according to conditions[3]. However, there are several situations in which a vegetarian giỗ is considered more fitting.
The deceased ate vegetarian or followed Buddhism
If the departed ate vegetarian during their lifetime, or was a practitioner, descendants often hold a vegetarian giỗ to match that person's way of life. An article in Báo Vĩnh Long recounts: the grandmother died when the author was small, she ate vegetarian, so afterwards at each giỗ for her, the author's parents prepared vegetarian dishes to offer[6]. This practice stems from respecting the departed's eating habits in life.
The family follows Buddhism and wishes to avoid killing
A common Buddhist view holds that killing living beings at a giỗ creates further karma of killing for both the offerer and the one offered to. Regarding the offence of killing, Buddhist scriptures say that killing oneself, having an animal killed for one's sake, or rejoicing when seeing others kill are all connected to this offence[1]. Therefore Buddhists often choose to present a devout vegetarian offering, organise chanting and sutra recitation, and release living beings to dedicate merit, praying that the spirit may dissolve its karma and increase its blessings[1].
When descendants want to dedicate good merit
Some families choose a vegetarian giỗ not necessarily because the deceased ate vegetarian, but because they want to devote the whole anniversary day to chanting, reciting the Buddha's name and doing good deeds, then dedicating the merit to the departed. In that case the vegetarian tray is only the minimal offering, while the main part is sincere mind and charitable acts[3][5].
What dishes are usually placed on a vegetarian giỗ tray?
There is no fixed list of vegetarian dishes for every giỗ. The vegetarian tray depends on the region, the season and the family's taste. Below are dishes that commonly appear in recorded vegetarian giỗ trays.
Common vegetarian dishes on a giỗ tray
A vegetarian giỗ in a rural area of the old imperial city of Huế was recorded as including: a pickled dish made from papaya called vegetarian mắm, bánh bèo, bánh nậm, bánh lọc, all vegetarian, vegetarian mushroom hotpot, lotus root salad, jackfruit salad, stir-fried jackfruit, braised jackfruit and fig salad[4]. These are specialities of Huế, showing that a vegetarian giỗ tray carries strong local character.
A family in the Mekong Delta had a different vegetarian giỗ tray: vegetarian fresh spring rolls with tofu, tofu skin, taro, fried glass noodles and roasted peanuts; canh kiểm with coconut milk cooked with pumpkin, sweet potato, taro, yardlong beans, wood ear mushroom and peanuts; and especially the family's traditional vegetarian mắm[6]. This vegetarian mắm is mixed from pineapple, cucumber, carrot, salted radish, taro, glass noodles, tofu skin, tofu, roasted rice powder and chilli[6].
It can be seen that a vegetarian giỗ tray is very diverse, not confined to a few fixed dishes. Ingredients are usually seasonal vegetables, tofu, tofu skin, mushrooms, glass noodles and cakes made from rice and flour.
Table comparing vegetarian dishes by region
| Region | Common vegetarian dishes on a giỗ tray | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| One giỗ in rural Huế | Bánh bèo, bánh nậm, bánh lọc, lotus root salad, jackfruit salad, stir-fried jackfruit, braised jackfruit, fig salad, vegetarian mushroom hotpot, pickled dish (vegetarian mắm from papaya) | Many rice-based cakes and local vegetables[4] |
| One family in Vĩnh Long | Vegetarian fresh spring rolls, canh kiểm with coconut milk, vegetarian mắm mixed with pineapple, cucumber, salted radish, tofu skin, roasted rice powder | Rich ingredients, with the family's own vegetarian mắm[6] |
A minimal vegetarian tray
For families without the means to prepare many dishes, the vegetarian tray may consist only of incense and lamps, flowers and fruit, and a few pure dishes. An article on a Buddhist page stresses: only incense and lamps, flowers and fruit with a few pure dishes, and one stick of sincere incense to show reverence are needed[1]. The core is sincerity, not the number of dishes.
Is offering only incense and flowers enough for a vegetarian giỗ?
Not necessarily. Some hold that a giỗ with only incense and flowers, without an offering tray, is not sufficiently ceremonial[3]. Giỗ offerings symbolise the filial heart of descendants; a modest offering with a sincere heart, besides flowers, fruit, incense and lamps, should include a tray[3].
However, that tray need not be large. What matters is that there is an offering, however small, to show reverence to the departed. For Buddhists, that tray should be vegetarian, without killing living beings and without drunken drinking[3].
Can you hold a vegetarian giỗ but serve meat to guests?
This is a practical question for many families, especially where many guests attend and are not used to vegetarian food. Some hold that if you and your relatives cannot yet eat vegetarian, you can cook a separate vegetarian meal to offer to the grandparents, while you and close relatives and friends may entertain as you wish[2]. That way the grandparents avoid the reputation that because of them you kill living beings[2].
But some argue against this half-measure. An article in the newspaper Pháp Luật Việt Nam holds that "a vegetarian giỗ but serving meat" means it is called vegetarian while only a few dishes sit on the altar; compared with tables full of meat and fish, those vegetarian dishes are merely a token formality[5]. This view holds that if you have chosen a vegetarian offering out of compassion, you should do it fully, not merely go through the motions.
These two views are not in agreement. This article records both; readers may choose what suits their circumstances and family viewpoint.
Should you choose Sunday to hold a vegetarian giỗ?
It is possible. Some families do not hold the giỗ on the exact date but choose Sunday so that descendants can gather[3]. According to advice from the advisory group of the newspaper Giác Ngộ, choosing Sunday for the giỗ so that descendants can gather fully is, in the spirit of skillful means, not an obstacle, but the exact giỗ date should be repeated clearly to descendants so they remember it[3].
An article on a Buddhist site holds that in reality no grandparents return to enjoy such things, and the death anniversary is merely a remembrance to honour the deep grace of the departed and remind the living to follow the good example of the deceased[2].
What should be done on a vegetarian giỗ day?
Besides arranging the vegetarian tray, a vegetarian giỗ day often includes spiritual and community activities.
Chanting and reciting the Buddha's name
If conditions are favourable, descendants should gather to recite a session of sutras for the departed, offer incense, flowers and a vegetarian tray, do charitable deeds to dedicate merit; the family meal should be intimate and warm, and the life story of grandparents and parents should be recounted so descendants remember and follow their example[3].
A recorded vegetarian giỗ in Huế shows the whole family chanting together before and during the giỗ. The family chanted Kinh cầu an, kinh cầu siêu, kinh Vu lan bồn and kinh Báo hiếu[4]. The whole family chanted, recited the Buddha's name and paid homage to the Buddha, with one person on the bell and one on the wooden fish, very properly, like a practice hall in a pagoda[4].
Eating vegetarian on the giỗ day
In the vegetarian giỗ in Huế, the whole family ate vegetarian for three days. The vegetarian dishes were cooked simply, with the family buying ingredients to cook[4]. This shows that a vegetarian giỗ is not only about placing food on the altar, but also about the whole family eating vegetarian to dedicate merit.
The author of that article was told that within 7 days, 49 days or even 100 days after a death, the whole family offers vegetarian food and eats vegetarian to dedicate merit to the deceased[4]. This is a practice recorded in one rural area, not widespread everywhere.
Visiting the grave and offering incense
In the vegetarian giỗ in Huế, the whole family went to the cemetery, offered incense at the grave and chanted sutras and mantras there[4]. The family also burned a pile of firewood beside the grave, with the idea of making the place warm so the dead would not be cold[4]. This is a local custom, not an orthodox Buddhist rite.
A note on mindset when holding a vegetarian giỗ
If you hold a vegetarian giỗ, please be pure from your own mind and from the grateful heart of children and grandchildren toward ancestors, not only in form[5]. This is a point stressed in articles about vegetarian giỗ.
An article in the newspaper Pháp Luật Việt Nam analyses the sayings "trần sao âm vậy" and "âm dương vô nhị lý". According to this article, "trần sao âm vậy" refers to "Lý", that is, truth, essence, nature. Life and death differ in phenomenon but are one in essence[5]. The author argues that citing "trần sao âm vậy" to prepare alcohol and meat and to use the lives of animals and their fear and pain to make an offering meal for a spirit is an act that needs reconsidering[5].
This view holds that a meat offering is an act lacking compassion, lacking upward aspiration and respect for life[5]. This is the view of the article's author, not the common view of all Vietnamese people. In reality, many families still hold meat giỗ according to traditional custom.
In summary
A vegetarian giỗ is an increasingly common choice, especially in families who follow Buddhism or have a relative who ate vegetarian. A vegetarian giỗ tray has no fixed formula; it depends on region and family circumstances. Common dishes include vegetarian fresh spring rolls, canh kiểm, vegetarian mắm, bánh bèo, bánh nậm, bánh lọc, mushroom hotpot, jackfruit salad and stir-fried jackfruit. The most important thing is not a tall, full tray, but sincere reverence and the dedication of good merit to the departed.
