(VOVworld)-Village festivals offer a way to preserve the national identity and educate younger generations about their origins. Village festivals are usually held in the spring.

The swinging festival at Gia Vien village, Phong Dien district, Thua Thien Hue province. (Photo: Le Hieu/VOV)

For the Vietnamese people, spring is the season of festivals. Following Tet, the Lunar New Year festival, festivals are held in villages all across the country. Each village has a tutelary god who might be a genie credited with pioneering virgin land, or a general who drove out foreign invaders, or a person who taught the villagers a new craft.

A village festival usually involves sacred rites, a village ceremony, and a procession, followed by folk art performances and games.

A boat racing festival on Da Rang River in Phu Yen province. (Photo: Le Biet- Quoc Hoan/VOV)

Vietnam has countless village festivals, many of which, including the Hung Kings’ Temple Festival, the Saint Giong Festival, the Huong Pagoda Festival, the Lim Festival, the Yen Tu Festival, and the Co Loa Festival, have been held for centuries.

Like other villages in Vietnam, Vinh Thuong village in Hanoi’s outlying Ung Hoa district organize a large-scale festival every 4 years to show their respect to their ancestors, who made great contributions to the nation. The Vinh Thuong communal house worships 5 genies who were famous figures of Vietnam.

The wrestling festival in Hong Ha commune, Dan Phuong, Hanoi. (Photo: Lan Anh)

Nguyen Huu Cham, a member of Vinh Thuong village’s Elderly People’s Association, told us: “I feel heartened whenever I attend the village festival, which is still being held by our descendants. The festival organization reflects the unity of the younger generation.”

Although a village festival is a religious event, it is meaningful in advising people to resist evil and incline to the good, dispel the sorrows of daily life, and remind descendants to remember their ancestors, their origin, and family and clan traditions.

Do Quoc Hung, who has returned from Ho Chi Minh City to attend the Vinh Thuong village festival, told us: “We decided to attend the village festival because we want to preserve our fatherland’s traditions. We also want to donate some money to the locals to build roads, pagodas, and temples.”

Vu Huu Tiep, who is doing business in Hungary, said: “Though I’m very busy, I have made time to take part in the village festival. I get emotional at the time of the village festival because I miss my hometown. I have called on fellow-countrymen abroad to donate to the development of our homeland.”