|
Festivals in any nation reflect the tradition and cultural heritage. According
to common notion, festivals are spontaneously associated with celebration and
festive spirits but a deeper probe into the matter will reveal that festivals
have deeper significance than its apparent outer manifestation. Festivals form
an intrinsic aspect of the social perspective of a country and embody the religious
beliefs and faiths of the people. Festivals have always been a refreshing welcome
in any city in any nation in any time period as people always embraces festivity
with open arms and a gorgeous smile. Festivals not only increases social interaction
among various cross section of the society but also provides a soothing relief
from the monotony and drudgery of day to day life and inspires us to look past
our sorrows and disappointments in life and revitalize our spirit to move ahead
in life.
Vietnam is nation of an assimilation of diverse culture and tradition and thus
a wide range of various festivals are celebrated in different parts of Vietnam
as well as in its capital, Hanoi. The Whale Festival in Hanoi is a popular
festival which is being celebrated in Vietnam for centuries.
Features of Whale Festival in Hanoi
- For centuries, the Whale Festival in Hanoi is considered as the biggest
water festival among the fisherman of the Quang Nam, Danang province.
- In Quang Nam, Danang province, the Whale Festival is celebrated with the
belief that paying respect to the Whale God will ensure safety and prosperity
of the entire village.
- Whale Festival in Hanoi last for only two days and it is commemorated
in the middle of the 3rd lunar month.
- In Whale Festival in Hanoi, whale is worshipped and an elaborate
ceremony takes place to honor the whale god.
- An important aspect of this popular water festival is decorating the whale
temple and all the houses and boats in the village
- The elderly people of the village bears the responsibility of offering peace
in the first evening at the whale temple.
- In Whale Festival in Hanoi, offerings excluding the sea food are given
while the oration is recited.
- To express their sincerity toward the Whale God, a procession of boats is
set on the sea at dawn, the following day of the festival and the official ceremony
of the Whale Festival is conducted as school children offer incense which is
accompanied with a classical opera played by the orchestra.
- The Whale Festival in Hanoi is so significant to the fishermen that
all the fishing boats and villagers returns to take part in the festival irrespective
of wherever they might have been.
|
