Traditions help people remember their history and stay connected to their community. In Việt Nam, one important tradition is called cúng, which means making offerings to ancestors or spirits. Families prepare food, fruit and incense and place them on a home altar to show respect and gratitude.
I grew up seeing this tradition in my Vietnamese-American family. When I moved to Việt Nam with the Peace Corps, I was able to see how this tradition continues in everyday life here. It helped me understand how families stay connected to their past and to each other.
The tradition I learned more about is cúng, which is a ceremony of offering food, fruit, flowers and incense to ancestors. Families place these items on a tray, called a mâm cúng, and light incense while saying prayers to invite their ancestors to join them. After the incense burns for a while, the family takes the food down and eats it together.
I was already familiar with this tradition growing up in a Vietnamese-American household. My relatives and I often visited each other’s homes to perform cúng at our family altar. We also visited the graves of our ancestors to clean them, light incense and bring flowers or food.
