Thanh Minh In Vietnam 2024

Thanh Minh is a significant spiritual festival for the Vietnamese. On this day, people honor their ancestors with the guideline "when drinking water, consider its source".

About Thanh Minh

"Thanh" means fresh, clean, while "Minh" means bright. Thanh Minh is Vietnamese for "when the weather is cool and clear." Thanh Minh is one of the Chinese, Taiwanese, Vietnamese, Japanese, and North Korean calendars' 24 qi periods. In the north of Vietnam, this is the season when the rain and humidity have ended, and the weather has become clear and comfortable.

Thanh Minh lasts around 15-16 days, with the first day being known as the Tet Thanh Minh. Tet Thanh Minh will be held in 2024 on April 4 (February 26 of the lunar calendar).

Tet Thanh Minh has been an important day in the spiritual lives of Vietnamese people

Meaning of Tet Thanh Minh

Thanh Minh has been an important and holy festival in Vietnamese people's psyche from ancient times, with the notion of "when drinking water, consider its source".

Thanh Minh is not a large event but it is related with morals and the responsibility of Vietnamese people - the duty of descendants to remember the virtues of their ancestors and predecessors. This is the common anniversary of the ancestors' death anniversary, so that everyone gets the opportunity to return the filial piety, also known as partially repaying the ancestors' birth and creation.

The Qingming days are a time to reflect on people's roots

Vietnamese people's activities in Thanh Minh

During the Thanh Minh, it is common for Vietnamese people to visit their ancestors' graves. Descendants will visit the cemetery to repair, clean, make offerings for the grave, and burn incense.

Clear out forefathers' graves (Tao Mo)

During Thanh Minh, every family should visit their ancestors' and clans' graves. This is a vital and valuable activity that should not be overlooked. Grave cleaning includes clearing the grass, cleaning the ancestral graves, and then burning incense and arranging flowers.

In addition to repairing the graves of their family members, the humanity of the Vietnamese people is shown in Thanh Minh by repairing and sweeping unknown graves, or graves rarely visited.

Tao mo is a Vietnamese ritual that shows respect and thanks to ancestors

Clean the home and the altar

In addition to the grave, families also clean the house and keep the altar clean and neat on Thanh Minh. Cleaning dwellings and altars, such as replacing flowers and cleaning incense bowls, displays the descendants' care and hospitality for their ancestors, according to the traditional notion.

Thanh Minh is mainly of a memorial nature

Making sacrifices for Thanh Minh

Following the washing of the tomb, visitors place an offering plate, ignite incense, place flowers, and read vows inviting the departed to share the Thanh Minh with their successors.

It is critical to prepare an adequate number of offers for the offerings. Incense offerings can be either vegetarian or savory.

• Incense, candles, tea, fruit, wine, pure water, betel nut, and gold coins are among the offerings.
• Sticky rice, banana cake, fruit cake, water, salted rice, popsicle, butter, and honey cup are included in the vegetarian tray.
• More wine, beef, hog legs, boiled chicken, or pork buns can be found on the salty tray.

Thanh Minh's offerings are not particularly complex but must be comprehensive

Hopefully, this post has taught you more about Thanh Minh, which is a day for Vietnamese and their families to visit cemeteries, reunite, and honor their ancestors. You may learn more about particular festivals and events in Vietnam.