Rằm Tháng Giêng (Tết Nguyên Tiêu): The First Full Moon and Temple-Going Traditions
Rằm Tháng Giêng, the lunar year's first full moon, brings temple visits and star-releasing rites, with the saying "a year of offerings cannot match this one.
Results for "temple visits"
Visiting the Thăng Long Tu Tran Temples at the Start of Spring: The Order of the Four Temples, What to Pray at Each One, and the Mistakes First-Timers Often Make
A guide to the Thăng Long Tu Tran spring pilgrimage: the order of the four temples, what to pray at each, and mistakes first-timers often make.
How Does Lunar New Year for the Ethnic Chinese in Chợ Lớn Differ from Vietnamese Tet?
How Lunar New Year among the Hoa of Chợ Lớn differs from Vietnamese Tết: Kitchen God send-off, offerings, bánh tổ, assembly halls, visiting order.
The custom of asking for divination sticks, drawing fortune sticks at the temple at the beginning of the year: A guide to the ritual and its cultural significance
Drawing fortune sticks at the temple at the start of the year: offerings, ritual steps, cultural meaning, and notes for a respectful visit.
Full Moon of the First Lunar Month - Tết Nguyên Tiêu: Why It Is Considered the Most Significant Full Moon of the Year and What to Prepare for the Offering Tray
Tết Nguyên Tiêu, the first full moon of the lunar year, is greatly valued in Vietnamese culture. See why it matters and what to prepare for the offering tray.
What does 'First day Tet for father, second day Tet for mother, third day Tet for teacher' mean?
The Vietnamese saying about the first three days of Tet: day one for the father's side, day two for the mother's side, day three for one's teachers.
When is the Đồng Bằng Temple Festival (Đức Vua Temple Festival, Đức Vua Cha Bát Hải Động Đình Temple Festival) held in the eighth lunar month, who is worshipped there, and why do pilgrims visiting Côn Sơn and Kiếp Bạc continue downstream to this temple?
The Đồng Bằng Temple Festival runs from the 20th to 26th of the eighth lunar month in Hưng Yên, honoring King Father Bát Hải Động Đình.
Calligraphy for the New Year at the Temple of Literature: the beautiful cultural tradition of the calligrapher during Tet
Asking for calligraphy at the Temple of Literature is a beautiful Vietnamese Tet custom, showing respect for knowledge and sending new year wishes.
Trạng Trình Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm (1491-1585): Cultural Celebrity and the Heritage of Vĩnh Bảo Temple
Trạng Trình Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm was a 16th century cultural celebrity. His temple in Vĩnh Bảo, Hải Phòng, is a special national relic.
Bạch Mã Temple Guarding the East and the Deity Long Đỗ: Why the Spirit of the Navel of the Land Became the Tutelary God of the Entire Capital
Bạch Mã Temple in Hanoi guards the East of Thăng Long's Four Guardian Temples and worships Long Đỗ, the city's tutelary god.
Ramưwan Festival (Month of Fasting and Contemplation) of the Cham Bàni Community: A Cultural Beauty Toward the Roots
Ramưwan is the traditional New Year of the Cham Bàni community in Ninh Thuận, a month of grave visiting, ancestral offerings and fasting.
Ramưwan Festival of the Cham Bani: Timing, Rituals and Meaning
Ramưwan, the month of fasting and prayer of the Chăm Bà Ni: grave visiting, ancestral offerings and the retreat of the dignitaries at the mosque.
Which Buddha and Bodhisattva memorial days are there in the lunar calendar?
Lunar memorial days for Shakyamuni Buddha, Guanyin, Ksitigarbha, Manjushri, Samantabhadra and other Bodhisattvas, with origins and practice notes.
Huong Pagoda Festival (Hanoi): distinctive features and how to attend
Discover the distinctive features of Huong Pagoda Festival: the pilgrimage journey through Yen Stream, the cave pagoda complex and offering rituals.
Vu Lan Festival: The Season of Filial Piety and the Rose-Pinning Ceremony
Learn about the Buddhist origins of Vu Lan on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month, the legend of Mục Kiền Liên, filial piety, and the rose-pinning ceremony.
What's on in Vietnam in November 2026? Festivals, lunar dates and where to go
November 2026 (23rd of 9th lunar month to 22nd of 10th) brings the Thái Nguyên Tea Festival, Gia Lai Gong Festival, Ok Om Bok, Kathina and more.
Quan Công Temples: A Religious Imprint of the Chinese Community in Vietnam
Quan Công worship among Vietnam's Chinese community, seen through temples in Châu Đốc and Cà Mau that serve as places of worship and cultural centers.
First-day Tet travel for the 2027 Lunar New Year: how to choose the hour and direction, and where sources disagree
First-day Tet travel for 2027: how to choose the hour and direction, prepare offerings, and follow the route, plus why sources disagree on the calculations.
What Is Phong Tục in English? Vocabulary for Vietnamese Customs
Phong tục in English is custom, tập quán is usage, and truyền thống is tradition. See how the three differ, plus a vocabulary table of Vietnamese customs.
Vesak: Origins, Meaning, and the Buddha Bathing Ritual
Vesak marks the birth of Shakyamuni Buddha, and its date differs between Theravada and Mahayana traditions. The bathing ritual symbolizes inner purification.
Tet in Hue: How Do Hue Locals Prepare for and Celebrate Tet?
Tết in Huế runs from the twelfth lunar month to the seventh of the first: the Thướng tiêu rite, đạp đất, vegetarian offerings and many cakes and preserves.
Worship of Chúa Thác Bờ: Two Female Generals from the Lê Lợi Era in Hòa Bình
Chúa Thác Bờ in Hòa Bình honours two female generals from the Lê Lợi era who ferried provisions across the Da River for his army.
How Are Rice Offerings Made on the First Three Days of Tết? Accounts from the North, Huế and the South
Cúng cơm ba ngày Tết covers the first, second and third day rites: Nguyên đán, Chiêu điện, Tịch điện and the Tạ ceremony, with regional differences.
Kỳ Yên Festival at Thoại Ngọc Hầu Communal House in An Giang: A Cultural Beauty Commemorating the Pioneer
The Kỳ Yên festival at Thoại Ngọc Hầu communal house in An Giang honors the Nguyen dynasty mandarin who dug the Vĩnh Tế Canal.
Katê Festival and the Indispensable Role of the Raglai People
The Katê Festival in Ninh Thuận centers on the ceremony of receiving Goddess Pô Nưgar's attire, kept by the Raglai and brought down to the Chăm.
How many incense sticks should you burn, and why is an odd number usual?
How many incense sticks? Folk custom burns 1, 3 or 5 because odd numbers are yang; Việt Nam phong tục only records one, a few or three to five sticks.
How do lì xì and mừng tuổi differ between the North, Huế and the South of Vietnam?
Mừng tuổi and lì xì are one Tết custom with two names: the northern term, the southern Cantonese loanword, and practices recorded in Huế and the old South.
Từ Đạo Hạnh, Nguyễn Minh Không, Dương Không Lộ: Three Lý-Era Zen Masters in Lĩnh Nam chích quái and in Village Belief
Từ Đạo Hạnh, Nguyễn Minh Không and Dương Không Lộ in Lĩnh Nam chích quái are tales of wonder about three monks of the Lý era, told as tales.
Regional Differences in Ancestor Worship and Tết Customs Among the Kinh Across North, Central, and South Vietnam
Though united as one Kinh ethnic culture, ancestor-worship, wedding, and Tết customs differ substantially across North, Central, and South Vietnam.
Vietnam Cultural Heritage Day, November 23: When Did It Begin and Why That Date?
Vietnam Cultural Heritage Day falls on November 23 under Decision 36/2005/QD-TTg, the date chosen because Ho Chi Minh signed Decree 65/SL in 1945.
Hung Kings Worship - Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
The Hung Kings Worship, a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage, reflects Vietnam's tradition of remembering the source when drinking water.
Red River Delta Culture: Village Life, Communal Houses, Pagodas and Worship Traditions in the Northern Delta
Red River Delta culture centres on village life, communal houses, pagodas, village gates and worship. A close look at Đường Lâm, Phù Lưu and Phúc Xá.
Lantern Festival of the Chinese Community in Chợ Lớn and the Belief in Thiên Hậu
The Lantern Festival in Chợ Lớn, a national intangible cultural heritage, centers on the belief in Thiên Hậu Thánh Mẫu at ancient assembly halls.
Why Do Vietnamese Hold Annual Death Anniversaries and What Does the Day of Gio Mean
The gio day is an annual memorial rite held on the lunar death date of a family member. This article explains its origin, meaning, and how it is understood.
What's on in Vietnam in October 2026? Festivals, lunar dates and where to go
Vietnam's October 2026 festival calendar: Côn Sơn Kiếp Bạc, Lam Kinh, Katê, Sene Dolta, Hanoi Autumn Festival, Keo Pagoda, plus lunar dates.
Phủ Dầy Festival: The Center of Mother Liễu Hạnh Worship
The Phủ Dầy Festival in Nam Định, held in the third lunar month, honors Saint Mother Liễu Hạnh with Chau Van singing and Hau Dong mediumship.
Kinh (Viet) People: Residence, Language, Ancestor Worship and Major Festivals
The Kinh (Viet) are 86.83% of Vietnam's population and speak Vietnamese of the Việt Mường group. Their villages and ancestor worship are covered here.
Vietnamese Lunar New Year Customs and the Meaning Behind Each Ritual
Vietnamese Lunar New Year customs: the Kitchen Gods send-off, New Year's Eve rites, first-footing, and lucky money, with the meaning behind each.
Chôl Chnăm Thmây: Three Days of the Khmer Traditional New Year
Chôl Chnăm Thmây is the Khmer New Year, held in mid-April over three days with rituals like the Maha Sangkran procession and bathing the Buddha.
Why some people 'must go to the field': spirit roots (căn đồng) through practitioners' accounts and how anthropologists read them
Practitioners describe căn đồng as a spirit root that forces the trình đồng rite, while anthropologists read it as rebuilding self and social position.
The Legend of Linh Sơn Thánh Mẫu and the Bà Đen Mountain Festival
The legend of Linh Sơn Thánh Mẫu centers on Lý Thị Thiên Hương, canonized under the Nguyen dynasty, and the festivals at Bà Đen Mountain.
Dinh Cậu Phú Quốc Festival (Dinh Cậu Offering Ceremony, Nghinh Cậu Ceremony): 15th day of the 10th lunar month, rituals and beliefs of the island's fishermen
Dinh Cậu Phú Quốc Festival falls on the 15th and 16th of the 10th lunar month, with Nghinh Cậu, Yết Cậu and Chinh Te rituals honouring Chúa Ngọc Nương Nương.
Where is the Grand Memorial Ceremony for King and Buddha Emperor Trần Nhân Tông's Parinirvana (1st day of the 11th lunar month) held, what rituals does it include, and why is it tied to Yên Tử and Ngọa Vân?
The Grand Memorial for Buddha Emperor Trần Nhân Tông's Parinirvana is held at Cung Trúc Lâm, Yên Tử and Ngọa Vân Pagoda each year.
Yên Tử Festival (Quảng Ninh): A Journey to the Buddha's Land and the Meaning of Trúc Lâm Buddhism
The Yên Tử Festival honours Emperor-Buddha Trần Nhân Tông, founder of the Trúc Lâm Zen sect, with its rituals and spiritual meaning.