 Vietnamese
believe that the soul of a dead person, even if dead for many
generations, still rests along with their descendants on earth.
The dead and living persons still have spiritual communion; in
everyday life, people must not forget that what they enjoy and
how they feel is the same for their dead relatives.
 On the last day of every lunar year, an
announcing cult, cung tien thuong, is performed to invite the
dead forefathers to return home to celebrate Tet holidays with
their families. During the last days before Tet, all family
members visit their ancestors’ graves; they clean and decorate
the graves, in the same manner that the livings clean and
decorate their houses to welcome the New Year.
On the anniversary of an ancestor’s death,
descendants and relatives unite and prepare a feast to worship
the dead people and to ask for health and happiness for
themselves. From generation to generation, ancestor worshipping
customs have been religiously preserved. There are some small
variations between those customs among the many Vietnamese
ethnic groups, but the common theme of fidelity and gratitude
towards the ancestors remains.
(Vietnamtourism)
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