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Customs And Culture

Customs and Culture

Vietnam's ancient culture is primarily based on an agricultural civilization centered around wet rice cultivation. It dates back several centuries and has been influenced in various ways by Chinese, Khmer, French, and American cultures. For most Vietnamese, connections with family and community are paramount, whether they come from rural villages or live in fast-paced cities. Ancestor worship is Vietnam's oldest religious practice, predating Buddhism and Confucianism. The Vietnamese believe in an afterlife and that the souls of their ancestors protect their descendants.

Most festivals are celebrated with extended family—participating in rituals, enjoying special dishes, giving symbolic gifts, and paying homage to ancestors. Besides ancestor worship, most Vietnamese practice a form of religion that is an interesting blend of Mother Goddess worship, animism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. There are also many practicing Catholics living in Vietnam, along with some followers of Caodaism.

After enduring the hardships caused by the Vietnam War in the 1960s and 1970s, most Vietnamese wish to move forward with their lives, living with a sense of optimism and humility.