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In the West, the death anniversary is not only an occasion to remember the deceased but also a vivid cultural picture, a connection between the past and the present through each dish and each story. Every time this day comes, the atmosphere of the hometown is bustling, bustling, imbued with the typical flavor of the river region. This is an occasion for each family to pay respect to their ancestors, besides preserving and spreading traditional cultural values.
Western death anniversary - the beauty of Western culture.
Busy preparing from a month in advance
A death anniversary in the West is not a one-day affair but requires a long preparation process. Phan Thanh Dat, a native of the West, shared: "A death anniversary in the West is usually prepared a long time in advance, maybe a month."
From home raised chickens...
to other ingredients are prepared very early.
This process includes many steps, from raising chickens and ducks for meat, buying ingredients to store in the house, to cleaning and decorating the house. The death anniversary usually takes place over two days. On the first day, neighbors will come to help the homeowner prepare dishes and clean the house. In the afternoon of the day before, there is a worship and feasting ceremony called "Cung Tien Thuong". On the official day (Chanh Ky), the homeowner will invite more guests and prepare a sumptuous feast to worship and feast.
A characteristic of Western death anniversaries is that there is always a Tien Thuong day.
Typical cuisine in the death anniversary
When it comes to Western death anniversaries, it is impossible not to mention the typical dishes that are imbued with the homeland. "The dishes in Western death anniversaries are often very elaborate and have many dishes. According to tradition, all the dishes are prepared and cooked by the children and neighbors. Although the dishes are familiar, they are prepared very carefully and meticulously," Thanh Dat shared.
Prepare to make stuffed bitter melon.
Eggs to make braised duck eggs.
Familiar dishes such as braised pork with duck eggs, chicken curry, spring rolls, steamed pork rolls, roasted pork with rice vermicelli, shrimp and pork salad... all have deep meanings. In particular, sticky rice and rice wine are always present, both to entertain guests and as gifts to take home.
Typical dishes in Western death anniversaries.
No one knows when these dishes became traditional symbols in every death anniversary of the Western people. All we know is that from the available ingredients in the home garden, through the talented hands of the cook, they become delicious, sophisticated and solemn dishes, expressing respect to ancestors.
Nowadays, in addition to traditional dishes, some families also add new dishes to diversify the offerings. However, the core values of culinary culture in the Western death anniversary are still preserved intact. The appearance of modern dishes not only helps to change the taste but also helps to save preparation time, when many families no longer have as many children as before.
Following the modern flow, some families also have new variations in the death anniversary meal tray.
However, it still retains the traditional features of the river region.
Love like a big water
The death anniversary in the West is not just a family affair, but a whole neighborhood affair. Every year, when the death anniversary comes, the villages in the West are more bustling than ever.
"Before the death anniversary, many villagers came to help clean up, adults chatted happily, children played, all creating a very close and bustling atmosphere like an annual festival in each family," Thanh Dat said.
A death anniversary in the West is not just a family affair, but a neighborhood affair.
People in the West often believe that community cohesion is the foundation of a sustainable society. Everyone contributes a little bit of effort, from going to the market, raising chickens and ducks, to cooking and cleaning. The death anniversary meal is not only to worship ancestors, but also an occasion for everyone to sit together, tell stories of life and the village.
Going down memory lane, Dat added: "Currently, the death anniversary in my family has been shortened in some steps to make it simpler and more suitable for current life, however, I am still most impressed with the death anniversary in the past, when I was young, with my aunts and grandmothers preparing for the death anniversary such as cleaning the house many days in advance, going to the market, wrapping banh tet and banh it, cooking sticky rice (nowadays this activity is almost ordered and few families do it themselves anymore)".
Warm meals with family and neighbors are deeply imprinted in the minds of the people of this land.
The death anniversary of the West, with all the hustle and bustle and warm meals, has become a unique cultural feature, a way to connect the community, to preserve and spread traditional values. The typical dishes of the river region, the stories told from generation to generation, all are important pieces that create the unique cultural picture of the West.
The death anniversary, therefore, is not only a ritual to honor ancestors, but also an occasion to remember the origin, so that each person in the West always remembers their homeland, the cultural values that have nurtured them for generations. In the modern flow, the death anniversary in the West still retains those values, like a great river always full of love, flowing forever.
