Meeting on the first day of Tet at the family temple, sect

Ancestor worship is a beautiful traditional cultural feature of the Vietnamese people. In many localities, clans, branches, and sects build ancestral shrines to worship their ancestors. Every year, in addition to the death anniversaries of their clans and sects, on the morning of the first day of the traditional Lunar New Year, all descendants gather at the clan shrines and sects to meet at the beginning of the new year. Not only do they wish each other good luck at the beginning of the year, this is also an opportunity for people in the clan to remember their ancestors.

Meeting on the first day of Tet at the family temple, sect - The beauty of early spring

Tran family temple in Ha Loi Trung village - Photo: TT

In Ha Loi Trung village, Trung Giang commune, Gio Linh district, my hometown, it has become a tradition that every year, during the Lunar New Year, all the men and boys in the Tran family gather at the family temple early in the morning on the first day. Every year, from the evening of the last day of the old year, in addition to cleaning the house, placing the fruit tray on the ancestral altar, preparing offerings for the New Year's Eve, the elders do not forget to tell their children and grandchildren to prepare the most beautiful clothes to go to the family temple early in the first morning of the new year. Just thinking about it makes my heart flutter, indescribably elated.

Early morning. The sun gradually appears on the horizon, the dew still glitters on the leaves, here and there the rooster crows loudly, waking up the sleeping villagers. For me, this is always the most beautiful and vibrant time of the day. But waking up early on the first day of the new spring feels even more special. The cool, peaceful air gently caresses the skin, the abundant energy spreads to every cell. Family members smile brightly, wish each other luck and happiness, and give each other lucky money envelopes. A new year begins!

After lighting incense on the ancestral altar, the men dressed neatly walked out into the street, heading towards the family temple. At home, the women happily prepared banh loc, banh it, banh gao... to entertain the guests.

At around 8am, at the Tran family temple, all the descendants had gathered. Busy all year round with making a living and establishing a career, the family members were scattered from the South to the North, but on the morning of the first day of Tet, they all gathered at the family temple. Brothers and uncles who had not seen each other for a long time shook hands and greeted each other, asked about work and family, and encouraged each other to strive in the new year.

Inside the ancestral hall, the heads of the clans, the heads of the sects and the elders solemnly pray before the ancestral altar, asking the ancestors to bless their descendants with good health, success in business, success in studies, and a happy, prosperous and fulfilling life. After the ceremonies, the offerings will be taken down for the descendants to enjoy.

In the middle of the church, the descendants of the family sat together listening to the patriarch and elders tell stories about their glorious ancestors, sending them wishes of good luck and not forgetting to advise their descendants to strive in their studies and work to make progress and bring glory to the family. The first glasses of wine of spring were raised and drained. Warm handshakes and wishes were exchanged.

The first meeting of the year at the family church ends, the descendants will return to the churches of the branches and sects to continue the ceremony. At the Tran Cong sect church, the sect leader and elders continue to perform the ancestral worship ceremony and pray for the best blessings for their descendants. Here, the descendants break the feast, enjoy the ancestors' first blessings and raise their glasses of wine to celebrate the new year. The sect leader announces the good news achieved during the year and wishes the descendants many new victories in the new year. The descendants of the Tran family in general, and the Tran Cong sect in particular, have many successful and prosperous people. Therefore, after the ancestral worship ceremony, some people stand up to mobilize financial contributions to support the sect in renovating the church, supporting the scholarship fund to encourage and motivate the children to overcome difficulties, excel in their studies, and aim for a better future. At around 10 o'clock, the first meeting of the year at the sect church ends, everyone goes to each family to wish them a happy new year.

Ha Loi Trung village has 9 clans, in which the big clans are divided into many branches. As one of the big clans, having contributed to the establishment of the village, the Tran clan temple and the Tran Cong sect temple were built majestically and spaciously in the center of the village. Some other clans and branches with few people and not yet built a temple, the descendants will gather at the house of the clan leader and sect leader to meet at the beginning of the year.

The family temple and sect temple are places to worship ancestors, heroes, celebrities, and people who have contributed to the country, making the family name famous in the history of the country and the nation. The family temple and sect temple always have a special place in the spiritual world of the children of the family, because it is the place that helps them remember the ups and downs of the family, be proud of the shining examples of their ancestors, and at the same time, it is the place to entrust the aspirations of their descendants for a warm and peaceful life. Going to the family temple on the first day of the Lunar New Year is a sacred cultural ritual that has been preserved by the people of my hometown Ha Loi Trung village for many years.

Tran Tuyen

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