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When is the date of Tet Thanh Minh in 2024? Essential preparations for Thanh Minh rituals

In Vietnamese culture, Thanh Minh is a time for descendants to show gratitude and respect to their ancestors. In 2024, which day is Thanh Minh and what should be taken into consideration to avoid bad luck?

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16 March, 2024

In Vietnamese culture, Thanh Minh festival is an occasion for descendants to express their gratitude and pay homage to their ancestors. In 2024, when is Thanh Minh festival and what should be noted to avoid bad luck.

The significance of Thanh Minh festival

Thanh Minh festival, also known as Clear and Bright festival, is the fifth festival in the twenty-four solar terms. In its literal meaning, “Thanh” means pure and clear, while “Minh” means bright. Therefore, Thanh Minh festival can be understood as a day of purity and brightness.

In our folklore for thousands of years, Thanh Minh festival also holds the meaning of a national memorial day, a day when the younger generations pay respect to their ancestors. On this day, family members gather together to offer ancestral altars, clean and repair family graves (including unclaimed graves), demonstrating their gratitude and respect to their deceased ancestors, praying for family’s well-being. Moreover, in Vietnamese culture, this is also seen as an opportunity for family members to come together, bond with each other, and pass on the beautiful traditions of the nation to future generations.

When is Thanh Minh festival in 2024?

Thanh Minh festival does not have a fixed date and it is conventionally considered as the first day of Thanh Minh term. Thanh Minh term starts about 45 days after Lập Xuân (the beginning of spring) and 105 days after Đông (Winter), which usually falls on around April 4th or April 5th and ends on around April 20th or April 21st (according to the Gregorian calendar), lasting for about 15 – 16 days. Therefore, according to this calculation, Thanh Minh festival in 2024 will fall on April 4, 2024, which is February 26, 2024 in the lunar calendar, the year of Giáp Thìn.

Preparations for Thanh Minh ritual offerings

Thanh Minh festival is an important day to express the beauty of culture and religious beliefs that have been passed down for thousands of years, so it is highly valued by everyone. Therefore, a well-prepared ancestral altar is necessary, not necessarily extravagant, just a tidy altar based on each family’s financial capacity is enough to show gratitude and remembrance to the deceased.

Common ritual offerings for Thanh Minh festival include: candles, tea, flowers, fruits, incense, wine, water, gold objects, betel leaves and areca nut, vegetarian or regular banquet,… depending on each family’s preparations.

+ Ancestral graves offerings

Family needs to arrange ritual offerings neatly and cautiously before the regular banquet is separately placed. For worshiping the earth and the spirits, all incense should be lit (only 1 or 3 sticks), bow 3 times to pay respect to the earth and the spirits, then invite ancestral spirits home before proceeding to recite prayers. After that, clean up the grave and burn 2/3 of incense, the family pays homage, cleans up the ritual objects, smelts gold, asks for blessings, and then leaves.

+ Home offerings

Family needs to tidy up the ancestral altar and the house, clean and tidy up before the ritual. A thoroughly prepared altar, according to the family’s requirements, can also have simple offerings. The person conducting the ritual should be neat and polite, respectfully light incense, bow down, and clearly recite the prayers. After all the incense is burned, the family smelts gold and asks for blessings.

Notes for Thanh Minh festival

When going to perform rituals on Thanh Minh festival, you should avoid certain things to prevent bad luck

When going to perform rituals on Thanh Minh festival, you should avoid the following issues to prevent bad luck and negative impacts on your fortune:

+ If women are menstruating, have rheumatism or arthritis, and especially if they are pregnant, they should not go to the cemetery. Because their bodies are weak and prone to cold, harmful energy, and bad energy in the cemetery.

+ When visiting the cemetery, you should maintain a serious and polite attitude, refrain from joking, stomping, or kicking others’ ritual objects, and pointing at others’ graves, as it will bring bad luck and is disrespectful to the deceased.

+ Limit taking commemorative photos when going to the cemetery to show respect for the sacred space.

+ Before cleaning or repairing the ancestors’ graves, you need to light incense for permission. Then, you should clean up the weeds, sweep away dirt, and carefully repair to prevent small insects or animals from entering. In addition, you can plant new trees and flowers, add soil to the ancestor’s grave.

+ When offering fruits and flowers, you should choose fresh ones, and the number of offerings should be odd.

Frequently asked questions

The Thanh Minh festival in 2024 falls on April 4, which is February 26 in the lunar calendar, the year of Giáp Thìn. It usually occurs around April 4 or 5 and lasts for about 15–16 days.

The ancestral altar should be well-prepared, reflecting each family’s financial capacity. Common ritual offerings include candles, tea, flowers, fruits, incense, wine, water, gold objects, betel leaves, areca nuts, and vegetarian or regular banquets. It is important to be neat and cautious when arranging the offerings.

When performing rituals, it is considered bad luck for pregnant women or those with rheumatism/arthritis to visit cemeteries due to their vulnerability to negative energies. Maintain a serious and polite attitude, refrain from joking or kicking ritual objects, and avoid taking commemorative photos to respect the sacred space. Always ask for permission by lighting incense before cleaning or repairing ancestral graves, and ensure you clean and repair them carefully to prevent small insects or animals from entering.

When offering fruits and flowers, choose fresh produce, and ensure that the number of offerings is odd.