SETTING UP VIETNAMESE ANCESTOR ALTAR: THE ROLE AND THE MEANING OF SPIRITUALITY
Keywords:
Set up, ancestor altar, role, spiritual meaning, Vietnamese
Abstract
Ancestor worship not only contains precious cultural values and ethics of the
country, but also reflects Vietnamese perspective about the world and humanities. These
beliefs could be seen on their products for worship in Vietnamese altars. They ofen build
ancestor altar for expressing their respect to ancestors as well as wishing a protection from
them. It is true that ancestor altar is the symbol of precious traditional values in each
family, thus imply the depth of spiritual values such as “Tree has root, water has source”
and “Gratitude is the sign of noble souls” which remind the future generation of their roots.
Setting up worship products also reflects the outlook on life and the worldview of people
on nature and their community
