Kate Festival

Time: From the 1st day of the seventh month according to Cham calendar (equivalent to 25 September to 5 October by solar calendar).

Place: Po Nagar Tower Temple (Huu Duc Hamlet), Po Klong Garai Tower (Do Vinh Ward, Cham Tower), Po Rome Tower (Hau Sanh Hamlet).

Objects of worship: Gods: Po Klong Garai, Po Rome.

Characteristics: Ritual of the Cham people.

The Cham people’s Kate Festival lasts three days on a large area, from tower temple (Bi mon or Ka lan) to villages (Paley) to each family (Nga wom).

This is the most unique festival of the Cham community. It is not only connected with ancient tower temples where the highest technical and aesthetic values of Cham culture are stored but also other cultural aspects such as votive things, costumes, music instruments, and songs praising kings who made great service to the country and people. The festival is also an occasion where the participants can enjoy unique folk singing, dancing and music. They can dance with Cham girls and relax with Gi nang drumming and Saranai trumpeting. The festival serves as evidence for the cultural richness of the Vietnamese.

The Cham people’s Kate Festival takes place in three tower temples at the same time and on the same day. The rituals are similar in content and the way of conducting.

The festival consists of two parts, rituals and festivities, as follows:
The first day is for the ceremony to receive Goddess Po Nagar’s costumes in Huu Duc Hamlet.

The ceremony takes place from 1.30 p.m of the first day to 9 p.m of the same day in the hamlet’s temple. It is for receiving the costumes of Po Nagar, who the Cham people consider the mother of their land. She is the ancestress of the Cham community. She taught local people to grow rice, plant cotton, weave clothing and carry out the festival. At the temple, people hold ceremonies to receive and give the goddess’ precious things and cultural exchanges between the Cham and Raglai people.

The second day is for Kate Festival at Cham Towers.
The costume receiving ritual (often starting at 7 a.m) All the royal costumes at Cham tower temples are kept by the Raglai people. Therefore, at the Kate Festival, the Cham people have to do a ceremony to welcome the Ragrai people who bring the costumes to the Cham Tower Temples. The ceremony is held solemnly because it initiates the whole festival.

The ceremony to receive costumes at Po Nagar Temple takes place in the afternoon, one day before the official festival day at the tower temples. It starts at 1.30 p.m and finishes at 9 p.m the same day. Similar ceremonies at Po Rome and Po Klong Garai Towers take place in the next morning. Although they take place at different times, the rituals are almost the same.

On the day of the ceremony to receive King Po Klong Garai’s costumes at Po Klong Grai Temple in Phuoc Dong, the Raglai people arrive there in the early morning. The man who takes care of the temple offers liquor and eggs to ask for gods’ permission to take the costumes to Po Klong Garai Tower for a ritual. When he finishes his job, King Po Klong Garai’s costumes are put on a palanquin and taken to Po Klong Garai Tower. The way from Phuoc Dong Hamlet to the tower is about four kilometers. As soon as the procession arrives at the tower, a group of dancers will perform a dance in front of the tower. This dance will also performed at the end of any stage of the Cham people’s rituals.

The similar ceremony at Po Rome Tower takes place on the same day.

The Ghe Ngo Festival, Vietnam is a Khmer observance and is particularly prevalent amongst the Khmer groups residing in the southern Mekong Delta region. The Ghe Ngo Festival is held on the fifteenth day of the tenth lunar month, which is also the year end time for the Khmer people. So the Ghe Ngo Festival is also an occasion for them to herald a new year with hopes of prosperity and fertility.

The festivities of the Vietnam Ghe Ngo Festival begin on the Khmer New Year’s Eve whence the people assemble in the grounds of their local pagoda, preferably an area devoid of trees. A massive bamboo archway is built and charmingly adorned with fresh blooms and leaves. Underneath this archway, the Khmer people make their offerings of the newly harvested sticky rice, bananas, sweet potatoes, coconuts and cassava.

The moon deity is also summoned to partake in these ceremonies and is offered prayers amidst the chanting of prayers and the intoxicating smell of incense sticks. Children play an important role in the rituals of the Ghe Ngo Festival, Vietnam. They pray to the Moon God and their wishes are said to foretell the destiny of the Khmer people in the forthcoming year.

After the rituals are over, the merry-making commences, to the accompaniment of rice wine, of course. The dark skies are lit up by thousands of incandescent paper lanterns and little boats made from banana leaves are floated in the canals.

One of the most popular customs of the Ghe Ngo Festival, Vietnam is the Ghe Ngo (boat) race that takes place on the Khmer New Year’s Day. Long boats made from the trunk of the Sao tree, with about 50 men aboard take to the rivers and make a dash for the finishing line to the cheers, claps and clamor of the thousands of people lined up on the banks.

The Vietnam festivals & events are good ways to know the culture, customs and traditions of the Vietnamese people. In Vietnam, Ghe Ngo Festival gives you an opportunity to get close with the little known Khmer people.

Do Son Buffalo Fight Festival

Overview

Place: Do Son (Đồ Sơn) district, Haiphong.
Time: 9th day of 8th lunar month.
Characteristics: show the wish of a good fishery season, present the spirit of the people

 History

Buffalo fighting Festival in Do Son starts from first to fifteenth of 8th lunar month. Through many qualifying rounds, nine buffaloes will be selected to compete on the 9th day of 8th lunar month.

According to several  historic statistics, Buffalo fighingt Festival in Do Son started 1000 years ago, in King Ly Thanh Tong’s dynasty.

Legend has it that an oldest man of the village dreamed of the two buffaloes fighting on the sea waves creating big and silvery waves. The next morning, he told everybody about his dream and that year the whole fishing village had surplus season. Villagers thought  that was the happy omen and  they held this festival to pray for the luck to their life.

Buffalo fight festival
This is a unique festival. The buffalo is chosen and raised carefully according some specific standards. Each of Communes appoints two experienced person to buy a buffalo. The good buffalo is a healthy one which has "long neck, medium buttock, small tail", "long thigh", "reddish brown skin, pinch fur", "a hole, four Cowlick", etc. They go everywhere to find; some even go to the surrounding provinces like Hai Duong, Hung Yen, Thai Binh. It is hard to buy a good buffalo but it is more difficult to teach it. Its daily meals are of special one and increased  to the day of competition.

The fighting is very interesting. At the opening, tens of boys and girls dance with flags. After the speaker sound, buffaloes are lead into the fighting ground. When having the command; the takers release them  and the two buffaloes start fighting in the encouragement shout . The losing buffalo will be the one first running away. The rirst ranked will be taken to the Communal House in the shout of everybody. Whatever it is the winner or loser , both of buffaloes will be killed to worship the General and their meat  is equally divided to everybody.

The Buffalo fighting Festival in Do Son is very unique and attracts more and more visitors. Today, besides the main festival in  9th of lunar August, the Buffalo fighting Festival in Do Son also takes place in Summer Tourism Festival on 1 May (normal calendar).

Festival in July (2) - in Hue province, Dong Nai province

Traditional festivals in Thua Thien - Hue province:
 

Vietnam traditional festivals in July Chi Long Village Festival
Time: 12th to the 13th day of the sixth lunar month. The main festival day on the 13th day of the sixth lunar month.
Location: Phong Chuong Commune, Phong Dien District, Thua Thien Hue Province.
Objects of worship: Lady Dai Cang (in the 15th century), who had merit of escorting 4 heads of clan (Le, Nguyen, Vo, Tran) reclaimed wasteland and set up the village.
Activities: Ky phuoc ceremony, procession of heads of clan's votive tablets, túc yêt ceremony (includes: reading funeral oration, bong dancing, incense offering). The offerings include the whole pig and ox. After worshipping, some offerings are put on paper boat and floated on river. The custom of avoiding going to the forest and no fire from morning to evening.

Vietnam traditional festivals in July Phu Xuan Communal House Festival
Time: 5th to the 6th day of the sixth lunar month
Location: Thai Phien Street, Tay Loc Ward, Hue City, Thua Thien Hue Province.
Objects of worship: The genies of founding the village.
Activities: Tam sinh sacrifice (use three animals: ox, pig, and goat as offerings to sacrifice to the god).

Traditional festivals in Dong Nai province:
 

Vietnam traditional festivals in July Ky Yen Festival
Time: The 26th day of the sixth lunar month.
Location: Nguyen Huu Canh Temple, Bien Hoa City, Dong Nai Province.
Activities: Boat racing, vying for offerings to get fortunes.

Khau Vai love market festival

Each year, there is a market session on lunar March 27 (often falling on solar May), but it is not a farming produce trading market but a love market. The name and activities of the market have common things with love market in Sapa.

But what’s different is that Khau Vai is a love market for various ethnic minority groups from four mountainous districts in Dong Van Plateau and ethnic minority groups in communes adjacent to Bao Lam and Bao Loc districts of Cao Bang province.

Local senior people said that this love market dated back to 1919. Roads are now more accessible than the previous years, so more people come to the market. However, activities of the market are still rich in cultural identity.

A local myth tells the story of a young couple from different tribes who fell in love with each other. The girls belonged to the Giay group and the boy belonged to the Nung group. The girl was so beautiful that her tribe did not want to let her get married with a man from another tribe. Consequently, violent conflict arose between the two tribes.

One day, the boy witnessed an aggressive fight between the tribes as a result of their love. To stop the blood shed, the lovers sorrowfully decided to say goodbye. However, they made plans to meet once a year on that day, lunar March 27.

The place where they used to meet is Khau Vai, which thereafter became a meeting place for all of those in love.

In the market area, there are two temples called Ong and Ba (Mr and Mrs). A story tells that, once upon a time, there was a boy and a girl born in two different places of the Dong Van Plateau. The boy’s surname is Linh and the girl’s surname is Loc. They love each other very much despite being hindered by deep streams and high rock mountains.

Because their families prevented their marriage, they together came to Khau Vai, a prosperous land with rich plants which they could live on.

Although they did not have a child but they lived happily until they died. In honour of their merits in cultivating the wild land into a rich land, the local people built the two temples to worship them.

Therefore, on every lunar March 27, Khau Vai attracts couples of different ages, including those who seek their partners for the first time. However, most of them are those who love each other very much but cannot wed together because of many different reasons.

On the day when the market session takes place, it is likely that both the wife and her husband together go to the market but they look for their own partners to share emotions. If one of them has to stay at home, he or she is not jealous in love because the dating at the marketplace is really a faithful feeling exchange.

It can be said that the beauty of love is a basic factor to keep the existence of Khau Vai love market for such a long time.

With the assistance of Ha Giang Culture and Information Department, Meo Vac district and Khau Vai commune authorities hold the traditional love market of Khau Vai in order to promote cultural identity of ethnic minority groups in the locality.

The love market festival is held on lunar March 26 and 27 with the participation of a large number of locals. The festival features food and drink culture, song performances and folk games. Ethnic costumes, jewellery, ethnic musical instruments and culture and art publications are on display at the market, reflecting activities of the local people.

Go Thap Festival

Time: The 16th day of the third lunar month and the 16th day of the eleventh lunar month.
Place: Tan Kieu Commune, Thap Muoi District, Dong Thap Province.
Characteristics: Cau an ceremony

Go Thap Historical Site includes 5 relics, among which Doc Binh Kieu Grave and Ba Chua Xu Temple are the most famous. Every year, the festival is held in the large-scale with ceremonies of via Ba Chua Xu (the 16th day of the third lunar month) and Doc Binh Kieu’s death anniversary (the 16th day of the eleventh lunar month), attracts many people.

The festival involves cau an ceremony, worshipping the Agriculture genie, worshipping Ong (Doc Binh Kieu) or Ba Chua Xu. During the festival, other activities such as unicorn dance, boi singing, martial fighting, battle of fire are held.

Festival in July (1) - in Hai Phong city, Thai Binh province, Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City

Traditional festivals in Hai Phong City:

Vietnam traditional festivals in July Kha Lam Temple Festival
Time: The 3rd day of the sixth lunar month.
Location: Kha Lam Temple, Kien An District, Hai Phong City.
Objects of worship: Princess Chieu Minh - the daughter of King Tran Thanh Tong, who had merit of building bridge, opening market, taking care of old people, assisting people in misfortune, offering all her fields and gardens to people.
Activities: Incense offering, recalling ceremonies, reciting the Buddhist scriptures, celebrating a requiem.

Traditional festivals in Thai Binh province:

Vietnam traditional festivals in July Phu Hieu Festival
Time: The 14th day of the sixth lunar month.
Location: Doc Lap Commune, Hung Ha District, Thai Binh Province.
Objects of worship: The village's tutelary god.
Activities: Water procession, sacrifice to the god, dragon dance, cheo singing.

Traditional festivals in Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City: 

Ong Pagoda Festival
Time: The 24th day of the sixth lunar month.
Location: 676 - 678 Nguyen Trai Street, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City.
Objects of worship: Quan Cong and many other Chinese gods.
Activities: Incense offering ceremony, statue-washing ceremony, unicorn dance, boi sin

Quan Lan festival

Time: The festivities are organized yearly on the 18th day of the sixth lunar month, but the celebration lasts from the 10th to the 20th day of month.

Location: Dinh Wharf in Quan Lan Commune, Van Don District, Quang Ninh Province.

Activities: The festival is organized to commemorate the victory against the Mongol invaders in 1288, as well as the feats of Tran Khanh Du, a famous Tran General. They also pray for good “harvest” from the sea.
Quan Lan Communal House Festival is the village-wide celebration for the inhabitants of the island community of Quan Lan: located the central area of the ancient Van Don harbor.

The 10th day of the sixth lunar month features the ritual of “closing the village": the inhabitants cannot leave, but those who have moved away and other guests from any corner of the country are welcome.

The festivities of Quan Lan Communal House are comprised of a traditional rowing competition: villagers are divided into two sides. They establish their particular training grounds on the 13th day of the month in order to prepare themselves. The boats used are ordinary 5 to 6 - tones fishing boats, with lowered sails and dragon - heads carved on the fronts.

The 16th day is reserved for receiving the genies. There is a procession for the funeral tablets of Tran Khanh Du from the temple to the village’s communal house.

On the 18th day at about 3 p.m (every year at this time the tide reaches the temple’s wharf), the boats start. The "soldiers" on one side wear a white jacket and blue pants, while the other group wears gray or black clothing. When the opposing generals meet each other at the communal house, the “soldiers” and spectators shout resoundingly; the noise echoes throughout the region. The two generals make sword - tracings in the air, and the two troops meet each other three times: symbolizing the three victories during the Tran Dynasty. Following the third meeting, they assemble before the shrine and the rowing contest begins.

Quan Lan Communal House Festival bears Activities of traditional village festivals, but is particularly grandiose, expressing the military spirit of the Vietnamese in the struggle against foreign invaders.

Tet Trung Nguyen

Tet Trung Nguyen, Wandering Souls Day, the Vietnamese version of the Hungry Ghost Festival is called is also called xa toi vong nhan, which means "forgive the lost souls". This is one of Vietnam's most popular festivals, and the second largest of the year.

The Vietnamese believe that after a person dies, his soul is put on trial. If he is found to have led an evil life, his soul goes to the underworld. But on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, these spirits are granted time off to wander through the upper world. They visit their former homes and relatives in search of food, or if they don't have any family, they just roam and hope.

On this day, families make offerings and pray to Lord Buddha in the hope of clearing any false charges which have resulted in an undeserved punishment among the dead, and for the peaceful repose of their souls. The offerings are placed in temples and household altars, and among the roots of banyan trees, which are revered in Vietnam.

Grand buffet tables are spread in the open air, laden with meats, rice, desserts and other delicacies. These feasts are meant not only for their own relatives, but for any wandering soul who happens by. Votive papers and incense are burned as a purification of the dead souls. Whatever food is leftover is given to the poor.

Festival in June (2) - in Hue, Ninh Thuan, Tra Vinh

Traditional festivals in Thua Thien - Hue province: 
Co Bi Village Festival
Time: 23rd day of the fifth lunar month
Location: Co Bi Village, Phong Son Commune, Phong Dien District, Thua Thien-Hue Province.
Objects of worship: God of the opening rice paddies.
Activities: Procession of worship-conferring diploma from Dinh Shrine to the communal house, chess playing, cock fighting.

Traditional festivals in Ninh Thuan province: 
Cau Dao Festival of the Cham
Time: The 18th day of the fifth lunar month or when the drought menaced.
Location: Poklong Garai and Po Rome Towers, Ninh Thuan Province.
Objects of worship: Agriculture Genie.
Activities: The sorcerer and local people go to tower to worship the Agriculture Genie praying for rain and pray gods for good crops. White buffalo is used as the offering to sacrifice to the god.

Traditional festivals in Tra Vinh province: 
My Long Sea Worshipping Festival
Time: From 10th day to the 12th day of the fifth lunar month.
Location: Ba Chua Xu Temple, My Long Town, Cau Ngang District, Tra Vinh Province.
Objects of worship: Ba Chua Xu (the local goddess), Ca Ong (whale).
Activities: The festival of the fishermen in the southern coastal areas. The festival includes rites: welcoming the Lord Whale, procession of Ba Chua Xu, sacrifice to the Agriculture genie. Games: bag jumping (jumping in the bag), tug-of-war, fish catching.

Festival in June (2) - in Hanoi, Hung Yen province

Traditional festivals in Hung Yen province: 
Thanh Sam Festival
Time: The 2nd day of the fifth lunar month.
Location: Kim Dong District, Hung Yen Province.
Objects of worship: Tutelary god Huong Thien, Dao Quang (the reign of Hung Due Vuong), who had merit of fighting Thuc troop.
Activities: The festival recalls the embodied day of tutelary god.

Traditional festivals in Ha Noi city:
Van Khe Communal House Festival
Time: From the 17th to the 18th day of the fifth lunar month.
Location: Nghia Huong Commune, Quoc Oai District, Ha Tay Province.
Objects of worship: Two village's tutelary gods, sons of Lac Long Quan and Au Co.
Activities: Water procession, wrestling, chess playing, to tom diem playing, cheo performance.
 
Vinh Ninh Communal House Festival
Time: 13th day of the fifth lunar month.
Location: Vinh Quynh Commune, Thanh Tri District, Hanoi.
Objects of worship: Nang Tia, general of Hai Ba Trung.
Activities: Worshipping ancestor, traditional procession of god, mock battle performance.

Festival in June (1) - in Vinh Phuc Province

Bo Sao Village Festival

 Time: From the 15th to the 16th day of the fifth lunar month.
Place: Bo Sao Commune, Vinh Tuong District, Vinh Phuc Province.

Objects of worship: Dong Hai Dai Vuong.
Characteristics: Game of farming performance: villagers play in role of ploughman, raking people, rice seeds sowing people… Every year, the Bo Sao Village Festival is held to encourage good crops for local farms.
According to the lunar calendar, it is scheduled for the 15th and 16th of the fifth lunar month. This means that it will happen on June 26th and 27th on the Western calendar. Vietnamese explains that the festival is characterised by a series of performances and games all related to farming. The website notes that locals will dress up and act out various farming activities, such as ploughing, sowing seeds and raking the fields. It all forms part of a procession which takes rice seeds to the Duong Temple. Once at the holy building, they are placed on a tray and blessed, before being taken away to be planted. Anyone who makes the journey to the Bo Sao village will be able to observe the participants in this ceremony as it makes its way through the streets. According to figures from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, Vietnam produces some 27.6 million tonnes of rice on an annual basis.

Cuu Ap Village Festival

Time: The 10th day of the fifth lunar month.
Place: Lien Chau Commune, Yen Lac District, Vinh Phuc Province.
Objects of worship: Tam Giang Dai Vuong Tho Lenh.
Characteristics: Custom of vying for silk-worms while racing boat: the racing boats start from Chai Communal House to Xuan Vien Village in the other bank of the river then vying for silk-worms for good luck.

It is a celebration dedicated to the silk worm and sees villagers racing to receive the creatures, which are seen as symbol of good luck. Locals take to the river for the race, which begins at the Chai Communal House and ends at Xuan Vien Village.Those competing will challenge for the top spot by racing across the river, with the hope of winning silk worms when they reach the other side.Vietnam's silk industry is still important to the country, with silk weaving, embroidery and painting all carried out by people around the nation. In some parts of the country, silk dying is still carried out by hand, despite the increasing mechanisation of the industry.According to Asia-Art.net, silk painting in Vietnam rose to popularity because artists believe it is "a unique way to create mystique and a charming sense of the mystique in their paintings".

Giong Festival, Hanoi

The Giong Festival is held annually in Phu Dong village, Gia Lam district, Hanoi, on the 9th day of the 4th month of the lunar calendar. The date commemorates Saint Giong who defeated An invaders. In order to show their gratitude to the hero of Giong Village, who sacrificed his life to fight the invaders, people have proclaimed him Saint Giong. Preparation for the festival occurs from the 1st day of the 3rd month to the 5th day of the 4th month of the lunar calendar. The festival is celebrated from the 6th to 12th of the fourth lunar month with a series of processions, rituals and performances, each taking place on a particular day. On the 6th, there is a ceremony of carrying water from the well at the Mother Temple to the Upper Temple. On the 7th, flags are carried to the Mother Temple. On the same day offerings of boiled rice and salted egg-plants are also carried to the Upper Temple, a practice that commemorates the agricultural meals of early times. Another vestige of ancient times occurs at night on this day when young men and women run after one another on the dyke of the Red River. Also on the 7th day, a water puppet performance is held in front of the Phu Dong Temple. On the 8th day, 28 women are selected to represent the generals of the An invaders. The main day of the festival is the 9th of the fourth lunar month. On this day flags are carried from the Mother Temple to the Upper Temple and sacrifices are made to the genie. The guilds perform ritual dances and songs and there is a tiger catching show. Fighting against the Yin invaders is re-enacted and there is a solemn march of the Van Lang army. Finally, the two battles against the invaders at Dong Dam and Soi Bia are symbolised by flag dances and victorious feasts. On the 10th day the "troops" are reviewed and the invader-generals, after "being defeated", give offerings to Giong. On the 11th, the ceremony of cleaning and washing weapons with holy water takes place. On the 12th, a procession goes to inspect the battlefield. On this day of the festival, tribute is given to the gods of heaven and earth. At the Giong Festival, people can make connections with their neighborhood, with relations between the individuals within a community, and with the past and present. This festival blends together the traditions of love for the motherland and the preservation of cultural heritage.

Truong Yen Festival

Time: From the 9th to the 11th day of the third lunar month, the main festival day is on the 10th day of the third lunar month.
Objects of worship: King Dinh Tien Hoang and King Le Dai Hanh.
Place: Truong Yen Commune, Hoa Lu District, NinhBinhProvince.
Characteristics: The procession of water, Chinese character forming.
The two most solemn rituals of the festival are the water procession and sacrifices - offering ceremony.
The sacrifices - offering ceremonies take place at midnight in Dinh and Le temples at the same time. The funeral oration is divided into nine parts praising the contributions of the two kings. It is expressed in a lively tru (a traditional type of singing) melody. As soon as it finishes, the boat carrying water arrives. Pilgrims take turns in presenting incense sticks to pay tribute to the kings and visit ancient sculptural and architectural items
Visitors can participate in many folk games, cultural, tourist and sports activities such as wrestling, boat racing, swings, chau van (a traditional type of music) singing, poem critique, poem writing, Chinese character forming, stick dancing, dragon dancing, unicorn dancing, or human chess.
The most special about the Truong Yen Festival is a game called " maneuver game with reed flag", which replays the childhood of Dinh Bo Linh as a buffalo boy in Truong Yen.

Coming to the festival is an opportunity for visitors to visit the ancient capital of the Dinh and Le courts, which mark the glorious period of unifying and establishing the country after suffering more than a thousand years under Northern Domination.
Source:(Vietnam National Administration Of Tourism)

Thay Pagoda Festival

Time:From the 5th to the 7th day of the third lunar month, main festival day on the 7th day of the third lunar month.
Place: Thay Pagoda (Thien Phuc tu), Sai Son Commune, Quoc Oai District, Ha Noi Capital. Objects of worship: Buddhist monk Tu Dao Hanh - founding father of the water puppetry in Vietnam.
Characteristics: The procession of the worshipping tablet, water puppetry and so on.
Tu Dao Hanh was a Buddhist monk in the Ly Dynasty. He had outstanding merits regarding the popularization of the religion, the treatment of diseases for people and the creation of many games original to Vietnam, including water puppetry. The Thay Pagoda Festival is held on the seventh day of the third lunar month in remembrance of his merits.

Several days prior to the festival, Buddhist followers and pilgrims far and near flock to the pagoda, further adding to the boisterous atmosphere of the festival. The Pagoda is cleaned and incenses, candles lit, bringing about a charming scene.
The statue bathing ritual takes place before the opening of the festival. Buddhist monks and the people participate in the ritual. Pieces of red cloth are used to clean the statues. Those standing around solemnly hold their hands in front of their chests, whispering Buddhist sutras. When the ritual ends, the used water, the holy water the Buddha bestows, will be scattered all over the pagoda in a wish for bumper crops and prosperous life. The cloths are also torn into smaller pieces to divide among the people as they are thought to have the power of warding off the evils. The rite of cleaning objects of worship comes after this statue bathing ritual.
The procession of Tu Dao Hanh’s worshipping tablet takes place on the 7th day of the third lunar month, with the participation of four villages Thuy Khue, Da Phuc, Sai Khe and Khanh Tan. Covering under a yellow cloth, the colour of the outfits worn by those having supernatural powers, the tablet is carried by four representatives from the four villages mentioned above. Each village carries its own tutelary god’s tablet. Noteworthy is that in the procession the tablet and white horse of Da Phuc must go ahead those of the Thuy Khue. Normally the procession comes to the pagoda at twilight.
At the pagoda the ritual of presenting offerings to Buddha is held in a solemn manner to the accompaniment of musical instruments. The offerings in various kinds and different colours are out into the altar, looking impressive in the smoke of incenses and candles. Wearing fine outfits, holding sticks to which are decorated with flowers, Buddhist monks chant Buddhist sutras while dancing to display the journey of mankind in striving for noble things.

Among fascinating games in Thay Pagoda Festival, water puppetry stands out. It is performed at the Thuy Dinh House in Long Tri pond in front of the pagoda. Tu Dao Hanh is said to be the founder of this artistic performance.

Going to Thay Pagoda Festival pilgrims have an opportunity to revere the relics imbued with the imprints of outstanding monks and men of the past.
Source:(Vietnam National Administration Of Tourism)

Quan Am Festival

Time: From the 18th to the 20th day of the second lunar month, the main festival day is on the 19th day of the second lunar month.
Place: Avalokitesvara Pagoda, Ngu Hanh Son District,Da NangCity.
Objects of worship: Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva.
Characteristics: The procession of the statue of Avalokitesvara Bodhisttava, floating lamps on the river and other philanthropic activities.
Quan Am (Avalokitesvara) Festival on Ngu Hanh Son, Da Nang is organized on the 19th day of the second lunar month. Like other traditional festivals, Quan Am (Avalokitesvara) Festival on Ngu Hanh Son, Da Nang consists of two parts: the religious ceremony and the festival itself. The former takes place with the rituals of Buddhism.

The ceremony to worship spring with full rituals is usually held on the evening of the 18th of the second lunar month. The notables of Hoa Hai, Hoa Quy and Bac My An Wards perform the rites of worshipping, reading oration and praying for safe and sound to everybody.
The ceremony of beginning sutra chanting occurs on the early morning of the 19th of the second lunar month. This ceremony is to pray for peaceful country and prosperous people. It is held in the sanctuary of Quan The Am (Avalokitesvara) Pagoda and conducted by the monks. This ritual shows the solemnity the belief of Buddhism.
The ceremony of giving alms to the wandering souls is held on the afternoon of the last day of the festival. The ceremony is dedicated to patron saint, god of earth and spirits of the death. The monks pray the Buddha for peace and happiness to the living and for freedom from suffering to the souls of the death. Normally, the Buddhist bereaved gives the list of the deceased to the pagoda in advance. The master of ceremonies must be a superior bonze.
The preaching sessions about culture, arts, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, and the association between the Buddhist culture and traditional culture in the history of the nation is also part of the festival.

Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva statue procession is held on the morning of the 19th day. Four people carry a palanquin that contains a stone statue of Avalokitesvara Bodhisttava standing on the lotus-shaped throne. She has a look of refined beauty with a gentle smile like the image of a mother. The palanquin goes first and is accompanied by Buddhist followers.
Source:(Vietnam National Administration Of Tourism)

Phu Day Festival

Time: From the 1st to the 10th day of the third lunar month, the main festival day is on the 3rd day of the third lunar month.
Place: Phu Day, Kim Thai Commune, Vu Ban District, NamDinhProvince.
Objects of worship: Princess Lieu Hanh - the Holy Mother.
Characteristics: The procession of the Holy Mother, Chinese character forming game, hau dong (seance - typical ritual of the tradition of worshipping Holy Mothers of the Viet).
PhuDayTemple is located in Kim Thai Commune, Vu Ban District, Nam Dinh Province. From NamDinhCity, one can reach Phu Day by car for 15 km. One can also reach it by train. The station is two kms from the temple.

The temple is dedicated to Holy Mother Lieu Hanh who is one of four immortal gods in the Vietnamese pantheon. The legend of Holy Mother Lieu Hanh is sung from one generation to another throughout the country, from the north to the south, from the delta regions to the mountainous areas of the country. It was believed that Phu Day was in the center of the homeland.
In the minds of Vietnamese people, the Hung kings are the ancestors, Holy Mother Lieu Hanh is the mother and General Tran Hung Dao is the father. The Vietnamese community is considered a family that has the same ancestors, father and mother.
Phu Day Festival is held every year from the 1st to the 10th day of the third lunar month, but the main day of the festival occurs on the 3rd. On the 6th day, people organize a procession that escorts “the Mother” from TienHuongTemple to Goi Pagoda and a festival in which people stand in the shape of Chinese Characters on the 7th day. Those are the most typical activities of the festival.

Marching in the van of the procession is a group of old women holding Buddhist pennons. They are followed by four teams of dragons, young men and women with eight weapons in their hands, a group of monks telling their beads.
Following the monks are seven palanquins. The Mother - the first’s palanquin is carried by eight girls in red costumes, Mother the second’s palanquin carried by eight girls in green costumes and Mother the third’s by eight girls in white costumes. A group of people carrying the belongings of the Holy Mother on their heads goes after the palanquins. The last are representatives and pilgrims. A Chinese character forming game that held on the 7th day of the third month is a unique performance of the festival. Participants have to practice so that they can stand in ranks in such a way as to forge Chinese characters “Mau nghi thien ha” (A woman whose virtue makes her the mother of the nation), “Thien ha thai binh” (Peaceful World), when they hear the signal from the flag commander.
A unique cultural and religious activity at the Phu Day Festival is hat van and hau bong. This is a combination of music, singing, dancing and worshipping that is a typical ritual of Holy Mother Cult. During the festival, various games and entertainment activities are held such as tuong (classical opera), cheo (popular opera), xam singing performances, wrestling, tug of war, cockfighting and chess playing.

Phu Day Festival is also a market fair where people sell local products.
Source:(Vietnam National Administration Of Tourism)

Don Village Festival to feature various activities, Dak Lak Festivals

A great many of unique activities are due to take place at the Don Village in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak, said organisers. They said the festival would feature folk games such as buffalo stabbing, food and drink, and an elephant race. The Don Festival is expected to take place from March 22 to 26, 2006 in the Buon Don District, said director of York Don National Park, one of official members to join the festival. This is an annual traditional festival of the Don Village, which will also show visitors performances of gongs, UNESCO’s oral-transmitted and intangible heritage of humanity. Sports competitions such as football, volleyball and a dug-out canoe race will be held at the festival as well. So far, many central and local media agencies have registered to report the event. The festival is an opportunity for Vietnamese and foreign tourists to come and learn about the Don Village and York Don National Park of the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak

Do Temple Festival, Bac Ninh

The festival takes place from the 14th to the 16th days of the third lunar month. Legend has it that the 15th day of the third lunar month was the coronation of King Ly Cong Uan. Later generations chose the day as a common festival to pay homage to kings of the Ly Dynasty. According to customs in Dinh Bang Village, a chief officiant appointed to administer the festival. The person then presents himself to the genie in a set of solemn rituals and votive offerings including a drum, a platter of betel, and a small bottle of wine. Residential groups, mass organizations and local authorities administer the festival. Pieces of work are assigned according to ages and kinds of person. On festival days, they have to fulfill their assigned tasks. On the 14th, preparatory work finishes. Those appointed for such posts as the King's bodyguards (the tuong), flag holders or palanquin carriers have prepared their costumes and equipment. Others have to clean the road, pagoda and temple. The palanquin procession takes place on the afternoon of the 14th day, starting from Do Temple to Dan Pagoda, where prayers will be read. This ritual aims to take kings Ly to the place where the founder of the dynasty was born and grew up and pay gratitude to those who brought him up and gods and Buddhist spirits at the pagoda. After that, the king’s mother is taken to the temple for the coronation. On the early morning of the 15th day, the procession returns from Dan Pagoda. By then, it is accompanied by another palanquin and altar representing the king’s mother. On the way, the procession drops at Dinh Bang Communal House. The festival manager enters the house to do presentation rituals in front of the village’s tutelary god. After that the procession continues on its way back to the temple. When the procession arrives at the temple yard, dragon-dancing starts, followed by senh tien castanets dancing. Next, three men in the role of the king’s bodyguards, enter the dragon yard. The two palanquins are placed alongside the yard: the one carrying the king’s mother on the right and the other carrying the king on the left. The chief officiant steps into the main sanctuary and reads King Ly Thai To’s edict on the movement of the capital to Thang Long. After that, he puts the document on the main altar. Then he starts the incense offering and festival inauguration rituals. Others follow him to do the incense offering. On each of the 15th and 16th, there is a ceremony solemnly held with votive offerings. There are a lot of fun games during the festival: cock fighting, chess playing, and cheo and tuong performances. Fun activities take place in the temple yard, pond, and other places in the region, attracting a lot of visitors from elsewhere.

Leaving the tomb festival

Time: Not fixed, often lasting from 3 to 7 days in spring time
Place: The cemetery
Objects of worship:The deceased people
Characteristics:Rituals of sacrifice offerings, eating, playing of the whole community beside the tomb house.
Unlike other ethnic minorities in Vietnam, some groups in the Central Highlands, including E-de, Gia Rai, Ba Na do not have the practice of worshipping their ancestors and deceased persons. The bereaved only look after the tombs of the deceased for a period of three, five or seven years, and thereafter perform a “leaving the tomb” ceremony to bid farewell them to the village of the death, and the tomb is left unattended. The “leaving the tomb” Festival is the most important one reserved for the deceased held by their family members. All the local villagers attend the festival that lasts for three or four days. It involves two to three slaughtered buffaloes and hundreds of small jars of liquor.
The meaning of the “Leaving the tomb” festival is to see off the spirits of the deceased to their permanent world so that they can reincarnate and continue a new life. As for the living, they finish their duties and are free to remarry.
The festival is associated to the cycle of agriculture. It is held in the lunar first months that is the transition time between the two cycles of production. The festival is also an opportunity for farmers to give thanks to the gods and pray for a new bumper crop.

Although this ceremony is associated to the death, it is very cheerful, bearing the nuance of a festival. The festival includes three steps: taking the tomb to pieces, erecting the new tomb, and seeing off the death’s spirits to their world and treating the villagers with a feast.
Source:(Vietnam National Administration Of Tourism)

Ba Chua Xu Temple Festival, An Giang

Ba Chua Xu Temple (the local tutelary goddess) lies at the foot of Sam Mountain, Chau Doc Town, An Giang Province. It is said that the goddess is so sacred that anyone who offers incense to her can realise all his/her wishes. Therefore, during the festival of Ba Chua Xu (also called the Via Ba ceremony), numerous pilgrims from everywhere flock to the temple. The festival is held annually from the 23rd to the 27th of the fourth lunar month with the ceremonies as follows: The statue of Ba Chua washing rite: This rite takes place at midnight of the 24th day. The first ritual is to light two big candles in front of Ba Chua statue. It is followed by the rites of offering incense, wine, tea, burning joss-sticks and praying. A group of four or five women that selected before open the curtain to go inside and perform the bathing ritual for the statue. At the foot of the statue is a small fragrant water basin. These women wash the statue of Ba Chua and spray it with perfume. And then, they change the statue into a new robe and hat. This rite often lasts one hour. After that, pilgrims burn incense pray for good things. The procession from Thoai Ngoc Hau Mausoleum to Ba Chua Xu Temple. At 3 p.m. of the same day, locals hold a procession that starts from Ba Temple to Thoai Ngoc Hau Mausoleum. They want to express their gratitude to Thoai Ngoc Hau who had merit to reclaim this land. The members of procession offer incense and flowers to Thoai Ngoc Hau. Then, they bring three tablets of Thoai Ngoc Hau, ladies Chau Thi Te and Truong Thi Miet, and one tablet of those who had merit to help Thoai Ngoc Hau to the Ba Temple. These four tablets are placed at the sanctuary. Tuc Yet rite: The rite begins at midnight of the 25th and continues into the early morning of the 26th. Participants dressed in smart traditional costumes stand on the two sides and the master of ceremonies stands in front of the statue of Ba Chua. The offerings include a white pig, a dish of pig's blood and a little hair, called mao huyet, a tray of sticky rice, a tray of fruits, a tray of areca and betel, a dish of rice and salt, which are place on a table before the statue. The master of ceremonies and notables burn incense on the altar. Following are the rituals of offering incense, wine, tea and an oration. One person reads the oration, and then the master of ceremonies burns this oration and votive papers. The pig is turned over before it is taken away. It marks the end of the tuc yet rite. Xay chau rite: The xay chau rite is performed after the tuc yet rite. In order to prepare for this rite, people replace the table before the altar with a drum. The master of ceremonies holds two drumsticks and says his prayers before the altar. After that, he dips a branch of willow into a water bowl on the left of the altar, and sprinkles water on the floor. When he finishes the ritual, he put the bowl and the willow branch on the altar, and beats three salvos of drumbeat to begin the hat boi (classical opera) performance. Chanh te rite: The chanh te rite takes place at 4 a.m of the 26th with the rituals similar to tuc yet rite. On the afternoon of the 27th day, the four tablets are brought back to Thoai Ngoc Hau Mausoleum, marking the end of the festival. During the festival days, many traditional cultural activities are organised, including unicorn dance, dance with dishes and cups. Ba Chua Xu Festival is rich in the national identity and the southern colours.

Ba Chua Xu Temple (the local tutelary goddess) lies at the foot of Sam Mountain, Chau Doc Town, An Giang Province. It is said that the goddess is so sacred that anyone who offers incense to her can realise all his/her wishes. Therefore, during the festival of Ba Chua Xu (also called the Via Ba ceremony), numerous pilgrims from everywhere flock to the temple. The festival is held annually from the 23rd to the 27th of the fourth lunar month with the ceremonies as follows: The statue of Ba Chua washing rite: This rite takes place at midnight of the 24th day. The first ritual is to light two big candles in front of Ba Chua statue. It is followed by the rites of offering incense, wine, tea, burning joss-sticks and praying. A group of four or five women that selected before open the curtain to go inside and perform the bathing ritual for the statue. At the foot of the statue is a small fragrant water basin. These women wash the statue of Ba Chua and spray it with perfume. And then, they change the statue into a new robe and hat. This rite often lasts one hour. After that, pilgrims burn incense pray for good things. The procession from Thoai Ngoc Hau Mausoleum to Ba Chua Xu Temple. At 3 p.m. of the same day, locals hold a procession that starts from Ba Temple to Thoai Ngoc Hau Mausoleum. They want to express their gratitude to Thoai Ngoc Hau who had merit to reclaim this land. The members of procession offer incense and flowers to Thoai Ngoc Hau. Then, they bring three tablets of Thoai Ngoc Hau, ladies Chau Thi Te and Truong Thi Miet, and one tablet of those who had merit to help Thoai Ngoc Hau to the Ba Temple. These four tablets are placed at the sanctuary. Tuc Yet rite: The rite begins at midnight of the 25th and continues into the early morning of the 26th. Participants dressed in smart traditional costumes stand on the two sides and the master of ceremonies stands in front of the statue of Ba Chua. The offerings include a white pig, a dish of pig's blood and a little hair, called mao huyet, a tray of sticky rice, a tray of fruits, a tray of areca and betel, a dish of rice and salt, which are place on a table before the statue. The master of ceremonies and notables burn incense on the altar. Following are the rituals of offering incense, wine, tea and an oration. One person reads the oration, and then the master of ceremonies burns this oration and votive papers. The pig is turned over before it is taken away. It marks the end of the tuc yet rite. Xay chau rite: The xay chau rite is performed after the tuc yet rite. In order to prepare for this rite, people replace the table before the altar with a drum. The master of ceremonies holds two drumsticks and says his prayers before the altar. After that, he dips a branch of willow into a water bowl on the left of the altar, and sprinkles water on the floor. When he finishes the ritual, he put the bowl and the willow branch on the altar, and beats three salvos of drumbeat to begin the hat boi (classical opera) performance. Chanh te rite: The chanh te rite takes place at 4 a.m of the 26th with the rituals similar to tuc yet rite. On the afternoon of the 27th day, the four tablets are brought back to Thoai Ngoc Hau Mausoleum, marking the end of the festival. During the festival days, many traditional cultural activities are organised, including unicorn dance, dance with dishes and cups. Ba Chua Xu Festival is rich in the national identity and the southern colours.

Chol Chnam Thmay Festival

* Time: From the 1st to the 3rd day of Chet month (according to Buddhist calendar, equivalent to the 12th to 15th day of April by solar calendar).
* Objects of worship: Welcoming the God of the New Year, Buddha and ancestors.
* Characteristics: The traditional Tet (New Year) of the Khmer community, seeing the old year off and welcoming the New Year.
* Participator: The Khmer people in the southern provinces.

Khmer people’s new year festival lasts three days and four days in leap years. Each of these days has its own name. Apart from worshipping the Buddha, Khmer people believe that every year the heaven sends a god called Tevoda to the earth to look after human beings and their life. At the end of the year, the god returns to heaven and another one will replace him. Therefore, in the new year’s eve, every family prepares a party, burns incense and lights up lamps in a ceremony to see off the old Tedova and greet the new one. They also pray to this god for good luck.

Khmer people always prepare for the new year ceremony very carefully. They clean and redecorate their house and buy necessary food for the holidays. They stop all farm work, relax and set free their cattle. The three official festival days are held in a joyful and exciting way.

The first day is for the ceremony to receive the great calendar. Moha Sang-Kran is considered a calendar which gives a detailed account of dates and festivals in a year and a forecast of rainfall so the villagers can foresee if they get a good or bad crop that year. On this day, at a selected hour no matter it is in the morning or afternoon, people take a bath and put on their best clothes in anticipation of the new year. They take incense, lamps, flowers and fruits to a pagoda where they do the great calendar-receiving ceremony. At the pagoda, Moha Sang-Kran, put on a red-lacquered, gilded tray, is placed on a palanquin and carried three times round the main sanctuary. This rite is to welcome the new year and wait for omens for a bad or good new year. Then the official ceremony is carried out inside the sanctuary. After that, every participant prays to the Buddha and chant prayers for a happy new year. Young males and females walk out to the pagoda yard and join in fun activities until late at night.

The second day is for the ceremony to offer boiled rice and heap up a sandy mountain. On this day, every Khmer family cooks rice and offers it to Buddhist monks at the pagoda in early morning and at noon. The monks chant prayers to thank those who make the food and bring it to their pagoda and say good luck to them.

On the afternoon the same day, people start to heap up a sandy mountain in search of happiness and luck. They make small mountains looking to eight directions and one in the middle which represent the universe. This custom originates from an age-old legend. It displays people’s aspirations for rain.

The third day is for the ceremony to wash the Buddha’s statue and Buddhist monks. After giving boiled rice to the monks in the morning, they continue to listen to Buddhist teachings. In the afternoon, they burn incense, offer sacrifices and use scented water to wash the statue in order to pay tribute and gratitude to the Buddha. This is also to get rid of the old year’s misfortunes and wish all the best for the new year. The monks do a ceremony to pray for peace in the dead’s souls. After that, the people return to their house and wash the Buddha’s statue at home. They offer dishes, confectionery and fruits to ask for happiness for their parents and grandparents and being forgiven for their mistakes made in the old year.

During these three days, Khmer people go to visit each other and wish good health, good luck and prosperity to each other. They also join in fun activities.

Chol Chnam Thmay festival shows Khmer people’s aspirations, like many others ethnic groups, to forget about the old year’s misfortunes and look for a better new year.

Cold Goods Tet

Cold goods Tet or Tet han thuc is celebrated on 3rd day of the third lunar month in almost regions of the Viet.

Tet han thuc offers glutinous rice flour cakes stuffed with plum of brown sugar (banh troi), glutinous rice flour cakes stuffed with green bean paste (banh chay) to worship ancestors. Tet han thuc also is an occasion for people to visit and tidy the burial graves of relatives and have funs in spring.

Worshipping Forest Festival in Lao Cai

(Cinet)- To Lao Cai border land, travelers probably will not miss the opportunity to mix with the festive character of the upland areas, including forest worship festival of the ethnic Nung, Dao, Mong ... traditions that through many generations have always been to preserve and develop.

Worshipping Forest Festival of the Nung take place on the 29th day of the first lunar month, in Muong Khuong District, Lao Cai Province.

Worship two ancient trees (Father and Mother trees), and worship people who sacrifice their life for reclaiming the village. Games: contest of leng hao, lan co singing, swinging, wood chess playing.

From the forest worship festival to remind people to protect forest green. After the ceremony, everyone signed commitment to protecting forests and planting more trees in the garden, hills and enjoy the aromatic yeast and other folk games with strong ethnic identity, such as blindfold catching goats, throwing, carousel, etc.

COW RACING FESTIVAL

Each year on the last day of the Khmer calendar, the Khmer, an ethnic minority group living in the Mekong delta province of An Giang, hold a festival to honor their ancestors. The festival begins with a visit to the pagoda, where Khmer families invite the souls of their ancestors to dine with the living. Should any visitors appear during the festival they will be warmly received since the Khmer believe that guests who arrive around New Year are messengers sent by their ancestors.
Following a visit to the pagoda people walk to the nearest stream or river where they tie the trunks of banana trees together to form rafts. Offerings are placed on these rafts, which are then pushed into the water to be swept away by the current.
These quiet ceremonies are sharp contrast to the highlight of the festival, a cow race. The racetrack, set in a muddy and slippery paddy field, is 120m long, with both the start and finish lines marked with red and green flags. Each race involves two pairs of cow, controlled by two young men. To further complicate their task, the teams must run in a straight line and will be disqualified for veering off course.
The races are both exciting and hilarious. People travel from miles for the show, bringing food and pots and pans for a picnic. Part rodeo, part race and part comedy, a Khmer cow race is an unforgettable spectacle.

PERFUME PAGODA ( HUONG TICH) FESTIVAL

Perfume Pagoda

The Perfume Pagoda (Huong Tich), At My Duc, 69km south of Hanoi, without doubt, is the most famous Buddhist pilgrimage site in northern Vietnam. Hhundreds of thousands of pilgrims travel to this sacred cave to pray for happiness and prosperity in the coming year. pilgrims board boats, usually rowed by young women, which carry them along the Yen Stream through a stunning landscape of blazing green rice paddles studded with jagged limestone mounts to the base of Huong Mountain. From the riverbank, pilgrims proceed on foot, past various ancient pagodas, monasteries and shrines, up hundreds of stone steps and a switchback trail, all worn smooth by the passage of countless feet. The Perfume Pagoda consists of a group of caves and is an impressive architectural ensemble of both human and natural endeavor.

The Perfume Pagoda Festival lasts from the 6th day of the 1st month to the end of the 3rd month of the lunar calendar. Visitors can get tot the Perfume Pagoda either by the inland road or by water way. The Vietnamese believe that Huong Son is Buddha's Heaven. Huong Son is considered the place to worship Brodhisattva Kwan Yin. People conduct a dragon dance in the yard of Trinh Pagoda, and sail the royal barge on the 6th day of the 1st month. The festival is held in three places, Huong Tich, Tuyet Son, and Long Van. The festival is most crowded from the 15th - 20th day of the 2nd month of the lunar calendar as this period marks the main festival. The path leading from Ngoai Pagoda to Trong Pagoda is full of visitors coming up and down the mountain.

A pilgrimage to the Perfume Pagoda is not only for religious reasons, but also to see the numerous natural landscapes and the buildings that are valuable artifacts of the nation.

Starting Dates in Western Calendar 2011 Feb 08, 2012 Jan 28

Festival in February (3) - Nui Ba Festival

NUI BA FESTIVAL

If you go to Tay Ninh, you should visit Nui Ba, a beautiful mountain located in the middle of the Mekong Delta, 11km from downtown Tay Ninh.
Nui Ba (Ba Mountain) is often called Ms. Den Mountain. According to a legend, the mountain was named after a young woman called Denh, but who was referred to as Den. She was the devout daughter of a guard officer of the Mien ethnic minority group. Den left her house to enter a monastery in the mountains. She became a nun due to family pressure to marry a guard officer's son from the Trang Bang Area. She remained at the monastery until she died. After her death, the Nguyen Dynasty ordered that a mould of her be cast in black bronze in her honour as the Linh Son Thanh Mau ( Saint Linh Son).
During the spring until the afternoon of the 30th day of the 1st lunar month, and especially on the day of the full moon of the first month, tourists from Ho Chi Minh City and the provinces of the south pilgrimage to worship and sightsee. Starting at the bottom of the mountain, tourists climb one half of the mountain to Saint Linh Son's communal house and then follow a path that leads to a pagoda. This pagoda offers vegetarian meals. Tourists can eat as much as they want, but should donate some money to the pagoda; the amount of the donation depending on the budget of the tourist.
Starting Dates in Western Calendar 17 Feb 2011, 06 Feb 2012

Festival in February (2) - Cau Ngu Festival

CAU NGU FESTIVAL

This festival of lower Thai Duong Village in Huong Hai Commune of Huong Dien District is organized annually on the 12th day of the 1st lunar month in memory of the village tutelary genie Truong Quy Cong. His alias is Truong Thieu, and he was a native of the North who came to the village to settle, teach the locals how to fish, and trade junks.
On the eve of the festival, the entire village begins making offerings. Both parts of the village, the upper and lower parts,worship to Truong Quy Cong. Late at night, the "fish worshipping ceremony " occurs, where people pray for peace and the future abundance of fish. Every three years, games representing sea fishing activities are organized, such as the "fish catching" game and "net-casting" game. After these games, people tend to go watch the rowing skiffs.
The "net-casting" performance is a form of entertainment that is characterized by rituals to commemorate the merits of the village tutelary genie.
Starting Dates in Western Calendar 14 Feb 2011, 6 Feb 2012

Ba Den Moutain Festival

Time: Spring Festival: From the 15th to the 18th day of the first lunar month; Via Ba Festival lasting from the 5th to the 6th day of the fifth lunar month.
Place: Ba Den Mountain, TayNinhProvince.
Objects of worship: Linh Son Thanh Mau (Linh Son Saint Mother - Ba Den).
Characteristics: Two big festivals annually.

Spring Festival
The Ba Den Mountain Spring Festival is much boisterous than Via Ba Festival. Pilgrims go there for religious reasons as well as for sightseeing. The landscape displays its beauty in the fine weather. In the 20km-long route from Tay Ninh to the foot of Ba Den Mountain pilgrims from near and far crowd the road.
Via Ba Festival
The festival is held on the 5th to the 6th day of the fifth lunar month. At 0:00 hours on the 5th day of the fifth lunar month the Tam Ba (the statue washing of the Sacred Lady) ceremony takes place solemnly in the worshipping altar. An elderly woman directs this ceremony. After burning incense to ask for the Lady’s permission, she and other assistants clean the statue with pure water, then with fragrant water. After three times of cleaning, they wear a new outfit for the statue and kow-tow before the statue. Lights inside the temple are switched on, incense burned, and doors open to welcome visitors.
Early in the morning of the 5th day of the fifth lunar month the chanting of Buddhist sutras signals the opening of the main festival day. Until 6 a.m monks in yellow outfit from nearby pagodas come to carry out the ritual in the ceremonial hall. During this day incense is burned continuously in the altars of Linh Son Thanh Mau, the Ba Chua Xu (Local Goddess), Buddha, or Ho Phap (Guardians).
Ten offerings presented to the altar of the Sacred Lady includes incense, oil lamp, flowers, tea, cinnamon, alcohol, vegetarian it cake, a pair of necklace, bracelet and earrings (three things of them are paper votive objects). Those serving the ceremony wear ceremonial costumes and walk to the accompaniment of music. After the incense offering ceremony, the monks pray the Buddhist sutras. The ceremony lasts two hours from 5 p.m to 7 p.m. On the 6th day of the fifth lunar month several rituals are held. The monks read Buddhist sutras in the altar dedicated to Buddha. The temple is open for pilgrims near and far from early in the morning until late at night.
Source:(Vietnam National Administration Of Tourism)

Festival in February - Lim Festival

LIM FESTIVAL

The Lim Festival, organized in Lim village located 18 km from Hanoi, where Quan Ho, the special folk songs performed. It takes place every year on 13th day of the 1st lunar month. Tens of thousands of visitors come here to enjoy the dialogues performances between "lien anh" (male singers) and "lien chi" (female singers), the country's most skilled Quan Ho singers. These are male and female farmers who sing different types of songs in the pagodas, on the hills, and in the boats. Besides this, visitors can come to the Lim Festival to enjoy the weaving competition of the Noi Due girls. They weave and sing Quan Ho songs at the same time. Like other religious festivals, the Lim Festival goes through all the ritual stages, from the procession to the worshipping ceremony, and includes other activities.
The Lim Festival is a special cultural activity in the North. The festival celebrates the "Quan Ho" folk song which has become a part of the national culture and a typical folk song that is well loved in the Red River Delta region.
The Lim Festival is also celebrated with traditional temple games. In one game, teenage girls must mind a stranger's baby, chew pieces of sugar cane in order to create fuel with which to start and maintain a fire, cook rice, and prevent a frog from jumping out of a circle marked on the ground. If the baby cries, the fire goes out or the frog escapes, the girl is disqualified.
Starting Dates in Western Calendar 15 Feb 2011, 4 Feb 2012

Festival in January - Lunar New Year (Tet)

LUNAR NEW YEAR ( TET )

Tet - Vietnamese and Chinese Lunar New Year, is the most important Festival of Vietnamese people. This scared Festival sometime between late January or early February (depend on Lunar Calendar ) and Tet has become so familiar to the Vietnamese that when Spring arrives, the Vietnamese, wherever they may be, are all thrilled and excited with the advent of Tet, and they feel an immense nostalgia, wishing to come back to their homeland for a family reunion and a taste of the particular flavours of the Vietnamese festivities.. Although officially a three-day affair, festivities may continue for a week or more with every effort made to indulge in eating, drinking, and enjoyable social activities. It is also a time for family reunions, and for paying respect to ancestors and the elders. Gifts of food are made to friends, neighbors and relatives in the days before Tet.
The Tet of the New Year is, above all, is an opportunity for the household genies to meet, those who have helped during the year, namely the Craft Creator, the Land Genie and the Kitchen God. Tet is also an opportunity to invite and welcome deceased ancestors back for a family reunion with their descendants to join the family's Tet celebrations. Finally, Tet is a good opportunity for family members to meet. This custom has become sacred and secular and, therefore, no matter where they are or whatever the circumstances, family members find ways to come back to meet their loved ones, gather for a dinner of traditional foods like bánh chưng (a square cake made of sticky rice stuffed with beans and pork), măng (a soup of boiled bamboo shoots and flied pork) and xôi gấc (orange sticky rice). This is followed by a visit to the local pagodas
Everyone is in a rush to get a haircut, buy new clothes, spruce up their homes, visit friends, settle outstanding debts, and stock up on traditional Tet delicacies. Businesses hang festive red banners which read "Chuc Mung Nam Moi" (Happy New Year) and city streets are fes­tooned. With colored lights. Stalls spring up all over town to sell mut (candied fruits and jams), traditional cakes, and fresh fruit and flowers. Certain markets sell nothing but cone-shaped kumquat bushes. Others sell flowering peach trees, symbols of life and good fortune which people bring into their homes to celebrate the coming of spring. As vendors pour into the City with peach trees strapped to their bicycles, the streets look like moving pink forests.
The "Mam Ngu Qua"
The "five-fruit tray" on the ancestral altar during the Tet Holidays symbolizes the admiration and gratitude of the Vietnamese to Heaven and Earth and their ancestors, and demonstrates their aspiration for a life of plenty. Legend said abot of theories but in a simpler way, the five fruits represent the quintessence that Heaven and Earth bless humans. This is one of the general perceptions of life of the Vietnamese, which is "When taking fruit, you should think of the grower".
Dao, Mai, Quat (the Peach, Apricot and Kumquat)

Coming to Vietnam during the season of the Tet festival, the visitor is engulfed in an ocean of colourful flowers. Visiting flower shows, contemplating the buds and blooms, and purchasing blossoms represents one of the distinct Vietnamese cultural characteristics. The peach ( in the North ) and the apricot blossoms (in the South) are symbols of the Vietnamese Tet. The warm pink of the peach could very well match the dry cold of the North, but the hot South seems to be flourishing in the riot of the yellow of the apricot. The mandarin is symbolic of good fortune and, therefore, people tend to choose the little plants laden with fruit, big and orange, and verdant leaves for a longer display.
The Giao Thua ( New Year's eve )
The Giao Thua is the most sacred point of time, the passage from the old to the new year. It is popularly believed that in Heaven there are twelve Highnesses in charge of monitoring and controlling the affairs on earth, each of them taking charge of one year. The giao thua is the moment of seeing off the old chieftain upon the conclusion of his term and welcoming in the new one upon his assumption of office. For this reason, every home makes offerings in the open air to pray for a good new year.
After the giao thua is the start of the new year with many customs and practices, amusements and entertainment, all of a distinct Vietnamese folk culture. If you have an opportunity to visit Vietnam during the Tet Holidays and to welcome the Tet Festivities, together with the Vietnamese people, you will surely be profoundly impressed by the distinct traditional culture that is rich in national identity.
Food specialties for TET
On the last day of the old year, the preparation of food to offer to the ancestors is of special significance. Dishes to offer to the ancestors differ in the Northern, Central and Southern parts of the country, depending on their respective weather conditions at the time and on different local agricultural products available. What is common in all regions of the country during Tet holidays are the varieties of soups, fried, boiled, or stewed dishes, meat, fish, vegetable... The foods that the Vietnamese eat at Tet are varied and diverse What they have in common is that the people throughout the country all want to have the best and the most beautiful looking food on this occasion to offer their ancestors and to treat their friends and guests.
Starting Dates in Western Calendar 3 Feb 2011, 23 Jan 2012