Alongside familiar festivals, the Midsummer Festival is also an extremely important day in the year. Nowadays, it has gradually become a day with great spiritual value for everyone across the country. Especially for Buddhists, this is also an opportunity for them to turn their minds to practice, relying on the grace of the ten directions Buddhas, holy beings, determination, and then the ancestral ancestors. To understand more about the Midsummer Festival, please refer to this article.
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1 What is the Midsummer Festival?
The Midsummer Festival (Festival for celebrating the new rice crop)
The Midsummer Festival (Festival for celebrating the new rice crop) is a festival that takes place on the 15th of the lunar October every year. This is also a day for people to prepare, worship their ancestral altar in order to pray for the well-being of their families or seek salvation for their deceased relatives.
Regarding the origin, after each rice harvest in August, the agricultural work is also gradually relaxed. At that time, with the new rice and new straw, the people immediately think of the gratitude of the harmonious weather, without floods damaging the crops.
Therefore, when the 15th of the lunar October comes, the people will bring what they have harvested to make traditional foods according to local customs and offer them to their ancestral altar, Land God, etc. Gradually, this day has become an indispensable event in people’s lives and is called a thanksgiving festival, a celebration of the new rice crop, or the Midsummer Festival.
Offering traditional foods to the ancestral altar
This is also one of the four great obligations of Buddhism that the Buddha transmitted when He was still in the world. After expressing gratitude, the whole family will gather around the warm fireplace, enjoying a cozy meal in the cold winter.
2 The meaning of the Midsummer Festival
Praying for peace and salvation for relatives
Praying for peace and salvation for relatives
This is an opportunity for people to go to the pagoda to pray for peace and happiness for their family members, especially their grandparents and parents. After the Buddhist ritual, many families also visit their deceased relatives who are buried at the pagoda and pray for them.
Remembering the merits of the Buddha and ancestors
Remembering the merits of the Buddha and ancestors
On this day, especially for Buddhists, they will remember and express their gratitude for the merits of the Buddha, Bodhisattvas in creating, preserving, and promoting the wholesome qualities, expelling the unwholesome, and remembering the merits of their ancestors. Therefore, the Midsummer Festival usually takes place at the pagoda for people to follow the Buddha’s example.
Leading everyone towards goodness
Leading everyone towards goodness
Through the Midsummer Festival, people voluntarily live in a good way because, when it comes to human beings, there is nothing higher than doing good deeds. Especially, during the festival, this beauty is even more honored when everyone wholeheartedly worships and performs rituals. At the same time, they remember the merits of their ancestors and parents.
3 Activities on the Midsummer Festival
Giving gifts to relatives
Giving gifts to relatives
On this occasion, people often give gifts or seasonal specialties such as sugar-coated lotus seeds to show filial piety and gratitude to their grandparents, parents, and respected elders.
Worshipping Ancestors and Three Jewels
Worshipping Ancestors and Three Jewels
To make the Midsummer Festival more solemn, sincere, every family buys incense, candles, cooks new glutinous rice, and prepares a splendid and pure altar to respectfully offer to the Three Jewels and ancestors.
Visiting pagodas and lighting incense
Visiting pagodas and lighting incense
To pray for peace, people will go to pagodas to light incense, have Buddhist services, and sincerely pray for everything to go smoothly and successfully. Therefore, on every Midsummer Festival, pagodas are crowded, filled with the smell of incense.
4 Recommended dishes for the Midsummer Festival
Alongside sticky rice, incense, fruits, the Midsummer Festival also has delicious dishes (not only vegetarian ones) to offer to deities, ancestors, etc.
Bánh cúng (Rice cakes)
Rice cakes
This is a rustic pounded rice cake that surely everyone in the Mekong Delta region knows. Each soft, white cake is wrapped inside a layer of fresh green banana leaves. When tasting it, you will feel a little salty taste, a bit of sweetness, especially the rich and creamy taste of coconut milk.
Xôi ngũ sắc (Five-colored sticky rice)
Beautiful, solemn five-colored sticky rice for offerings
Not only does it have eye-catching colors, but this dish also has a sweet and fragrant taste. You just need to place sticky rice and decorate it like a flower with leaves around it. It’s that simple to have a beautiful, solemn five-colored sticky rice for offerings.
Bánh in (Tea cakes)
Tea cakes
Besides rice cakes, tea cakes are also a good suggestion for offering ceremonies. Each white, pure cake has a soft, smooth flour layer, combined with a greasy filling, sweet and chewy. It is suitable to appear on a worship altar, isn’t it?
Steamed pork
Steamed pork
Each piece of pork is cooked just right, tender, fragrant, and slightly fatty, combined with various fresh vegetables. In addition, there will be a unique, characteristic dipping sauce, creating a harmonious and very stimulating taste when enjoying it. This is also a simple dish that many people love and choose for the Midsummer Festival offerings.
Steamed chicken
Steamed chicken
In any festival, if there is no steamed dish, it will be a big flaw on the offering altar of the Vietnamese. After steaming, the chicken has a glossy, eye-catching golden skin. When tasting, you will feel the juicy, tender, naturally sweet taste of each piece of meat. Placing it on the altar will greatly enhance the solemnity of the offering table.
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Hopefully through the above sharing, you will understand the meaning of this festival. If you don’t know what to do or prepare for the offering table, just refer to the above suggestions.
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