The 15th Day of the 7th Lunar Month and the Meaning of the Three Offering Trays
The 15th day of the 7th lunar month, also known as Vu Lan (Ullambana) or the Festival of Wandering Souls, is one of the most important spiritual days in Vietnamese culture. According to folk belief, on this day, the King of Hell opens the Ghost Gate to allow wandering souls to return to the living world. During this occasion, Vietnamese families prepare three separate offering trays to worship Buddha, ancestors, and wandering souls. Each tray carries its own significance and arrangement, reflecting the devotion and filial piety of descendants.
Offering Tray to Buddha
Meaning and Origin
The tray offered to Buddha on this day is linked to the story of Ullambana. According to the Ullambana Sutra, Maudgalyayana used his supernatural powers to see his mother suffering in the realm of hungry ghosts, tormented by hunger and thirst. The Buddha taught him to gather the Sangha, who would focus on reciting sutras, and then offer food to dedicate the merit to his mother. Vietnamese people adapted this ritual into preparing a pure vegetarian tray to offer to Buddha.
Typical Dishes
The Buddha tray is usually vegetarian, containing no meat or fish, only light dishes made from vegetables, roots, and fruits. Common items include sticky rice with mung beans, red sticky rice (xoi gac), sweet mung bean soup (che kho), vegetarian sausage, vegetarian spring rolls, mushroom soup, stir-fried vegetables, and fresh fruits. Notably, sticky rice and sweet soup are essential, symbolizing sweetness and abundance.
Arrangement and Notes
The Buddha tray should be placed at the highest and most respectful position in the house, typically on a separate Buddha altar or the main altar if the family worships together. During the offering, people light incense, flowers, candles, and use only pure sandalwood incense. Importantly, the Buddha tray must be prepared first, followed by the ancestor tray, reflecting the hierarchical order in spirituality.
Offering Tray to Ancestors
Meaning of Ancestor Worship
Worshiping ancestors on this day expresses gratitude and remembrance for deceased grandparents and forebears. Vietnamese believe that on this occasion, ancestors return to reunite with their descendants. Therefore, the ancestral tray is prepared carefully and fully, like a meal for the living.
Dishes on the Ancestral Tray
Unlike the vegetarian Buddha tray, the ancestral tray is a complete savory tray with traditional Vietnamese dishes. It typically includes a whole boiled chicken, pork roll (gio lua) or head cheese (gio thu), fried spring rolls, braised pork with eggs or jellied meat, bamboo shoot soup or cellophane noodle soup, red sticky rice, square or cylindrical sticky rice cakes (banh chung or banh tet), and stir-fried dishes. Additionally, the tray includes fruits, betel leaves and areca nuts, wine, and water.
Regional Differences
The ancestral tray varies among the three regions. Northerners emphasize boiled, braised, and stir-fried dishes, with boiled chicken being indispensable. Central Vietnamese often add spicy, flavorful dishes like banh beo (steamed rice cakes), banh loc (tapioca dumplings), and fermented shrimp paste. Southerners prefer sweet and fatty dishes like braised pork with eggs, sour soup, and often use banh tet instead of banh chung.
Arrangement of the Tray
The ancestral tray is placed on the ancestral altar, below the Buddha tray. Dishes are arranged neatly and attractively, usually with larger items in the center and smaller ones around. The tray always includes a pair of chopsticks, bowls, and spoons to invite ancestors to enjoy the meal. After the ceremony, family members share the food, receiving blessings.
Offering Tray to Wandering Souls
Spiritual Meaning
According to folk belief, on this day the King of Hell opens the Ghost Gate, allowing souls without refuge or descendants to return to the living world. The tray for wandering souls aims to give alms to these spirits, embodying Buddhist compassion and rescuing them from suffering, while also preventing them from disturbing the family.
Offerings on the Tray
The tray for wandering souls is usually placed outdoors, in front of the house or in the yard. Offerings are diverse and somewhat special compared to the other two trays. Typically, it includes thin rice porridge, raw rice and salt, popcorn, candies, fruits, votive paper money, and paper clothes. Notably, thin porridge is essential because, according to belief, these souls suffer from hunger and thirst, with throats as thin as needles, unable to eat solid food, only thin porridge.
How to Offer
The ceremony for wandering souls is usually held in the late afternoon or evening, after the Buddha and ancestor offerings. It is believed that wandering souls can only receive offerings at night, not during the day. The host places the tray outdoors, not indoors, and lights incense, praying to invite the souls to accept the offerings and then leave, not disturbing the family. After the ceremony, rice and salt are scattered outside or in all directions to distribute to the souls.
Order of Offerings and Important Notes
Order of Ceremonies
According to tradition, the order is clearly defined. First, offer to Buddha with a vegetarian tray; second, offer to ancestors with a savory tray; finally, offer to wandering souls outdoors. This order shows respect for higher beings and ensures that wandering souls do not compete with ancestors for offerings.
Appropriate Timing
The Buddha and ancestor offerings are usually held in the morning or midday on the 15th day. The ceremony for wandering souls is held in the evening. Many families choose to conduct the rituals on the 14th day instead of the exact full moon day to avoid crowds and have more preparation time.
Taboos to Avoid
During this day, certain taboos are observed. Do not place the wandering souls tray indoors, to prevent spirits from entering the house. Avoid burning excessive votive paper, which wastes and pollutes the environment. Do not offer savory food to wandering souls, as it may provoke their anger. Additionally, after the ceremony, votive paper and paper clothes are burned outdoors, not brought inside.
Regional Differences in Preparing Trays
Each region has its own way of preparing the trays, reflecting distinct culinary cultures. Northerners often prepare ancestral trays with traditional dishes like boiled chicken, pork roll, spring rolls, bamboo shoot soup, and red sticky rice. Central Vietnamese add local cakes like banh beo, banh loc, and spicy dishes. Southerners favor sweet and fatty dishes like braised pork with eggs, sour soup with snakehead fish, and often use banh tet instead of banh chung.
For the wandering souls tray, differences also appear. Northerners often offer thin porridge, rice and salt, and candies. Central Vietnamese add sweet bean soups and banh it. Southerners include tropical fruits and xoi vo (sticky rice with mung beans). Despite differences, the common thread is the sincerity and compassion of the host toward wandering souls.
Modern Perspectives on the 15th Day Rituals
In modern society, many young families have adopted new approaches. Instead of preparing elaborate dishes, they focus on sincerity and spiritual meaning. Some choose vegetarian trays for all three offerings to express compassion and avoid killing. Others reduce votive paper burning to protect the environment, instead using the money for charity and helping the poor.
Preparing three trays on this day is not only a spiritual ritual but also an occasion for family members to gather, prepare together, and share meaningful meals. It is also a time for descendants to show filial piety to living elders, remember the deceased, and practice compassion toward all beings, in line with Buddhist values deeply rooted in Vietnamese culture.
