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Offering incense and making offerings to fallen soldiers on 27 July (Gregorian calendar)

Also called: Bài khấn liệt sĩ, Văn khấn tại nghĩa trang liệt sĩ, Giỗ liệt sĩ, Lễ cầu siêu anh hùng liệt sĩ

  • Festivals through the year

Culture and belief A record of custom.

Prayer text for Offering incense and making offerings to fallen soldiers on 27 July (Gregorian calendar)4 texts, kept in Vietnamese, with an English summary.

On 27 July (Gregorian calendar) every year, relatives, comrades and people offer flowers and burn incense at martyrs' cemeteries, and many households prepare a tray of rice to make offerings to fallen soldiers at home to remember and give thanks to those who sacrificed for the Fatherland. The Vietnam Buddhist Sangha organizes great requiem ceremonies, lights candles of gratitude and rings bells in remembrance at pagodas.

At a glance

When it is held
27 July (Gregorian calendar) (Ngày Thương binh, Liệt sĩ, War Invalids and Martyrs Day) and the days before it
This year (2026)
Next year (2027)
For whom
Heroic fallen soldiers; in each household, the family's fallen soldier, together with ancestors and deities invited according to the custom of giỗ (death anniversary) offerings

Lunar calendar

Each family and each region may do it differently.

The offering tray

Folk practice

Where the offerings are set
At home, before the altar where the fallen soldier is worshipped; at martyrs' cemeteries, before graves and memorials
Who makes the offering
Relatives of fallen soldiers, comrades, organizations and people
OfferingVegetarian or notNotes
Incense, lamps, candles
incenseBoth at home and at the cemetery
Flowers
Flowers (at cemeteries usually yellow chrysanthemums)
Fruit
FruitVegetarian
A bunch of yellow bananas, white oản (glutinous rice cakes)VegetarianOfferings brought to the cemetery
Tea, rice wine, water
Sweet cakes; tea, beer or wine, cigarettesVegetarianOfferings for worship at home
Other
A tray of rice with meat or vegetarianAt home, depending on the family's circumstances
Votive paper
Votive paper, sớ (petition)At home, as one wishes

Buddhist

When
On the occasion of 27 July every year; in 2026 the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha requests pagodas and monasteries nationwide to strike three rounds of the Bát nhã (Prajna) bell and drum at 5 a.m. on 27/7
Where the offerings are set
Pagodas, monasteries; martyrs' cemeteries, memorials (newspaper articles describe ceremonies at Tam Chúc Pagoda, Hà Nam and at the Quảng Trị Citadel)
Who makes the offering
Monks, nuns, Buddhists of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, in coordination with authorities
OfferingNotes
Incense, lamps, candles
Incense, flowers
CandlesLighting gratitude candles

Steps of the rite

Used across Vietnam, Folk practice

  1. At home: arrange offerings, burn incense, read the prayer text inviting the family's fallen soldier together with ancestors to witness
  2. At the cemetery: offer flowers, burn incense before each grave, including graves whose names are unknown; bow in remembrance
  3. Many families bring children along to tell stories about the person who sacrificed

Used across Vietnam, Buddhist

  1. Toll three rounds of Bát nhã (Prajna) bells and drums in remembrance
  2. Offer flowers, offer incense in remembrance at the memorial
  3. Establish a trai đàn (requiem altar) for requiem: invite and make offerings to the spirits of heroic fallen soldiers, chant the Ksitigarbha Sutra
  4. Pray for national peace and people's well-being and light gratitude candles

What is avoided

  • When going to the cemetery, dress solemnly, keep order

Communities and regions

Sources

  • Bài văn khấn liệt sĩ tại nhà, tại nghĩa trang ngày 27/7 (voh.com.vn)
  • Lặng người trước khoảnh khắc tri ân ở Nghĩa trang Liệt sĩ TP Hà Nội (tienphong.vn)
  • 5h sáng 27/7, các chùa, tự viện cử chuông tưởng niệm Anh hùng liệt sĩ (daibieunhandan.vn)
  • Lễ cầu siêu và thắp nến tri ân các Anh hùng, liệt sĩ (baolaocai.vn)
  • Đại lễ cầu siêu tưởng niệm, tri ân các anh hùng liệt sĩ (baovanhoa.vn)

Part of the open datasets Types of Vietnamese offering rites and Vietnamese offering procedures, licensed CC BY 4.0.

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