Some people call it Vu Lan or Vietnamese Mother's Day, others call it Trung Nguyen.  It is the day when lost souls are said to be in the search of mercy.  The festival takes place every year on 15^th day of the 7th lunar month, and it celebrates the 7^th full moon of the lunar year. 

This year, Vu Lan falls on 28 August, and the moon itself will be an extra large ‘supermoon’.

Being the second largest annual traditional festival in Viet Nam after the Tet Festival, Vu Lan is widely celebrated throughout the country - by families, businesses and other institutions.

In accordance with Buddhist beliefs, the 7^th lunar month is known as the spirit month.  At this month’s full moon, wandering souls are believed to return to their former homes.

The legend behind this festival is that once, whilst meditating, a disciple of Buddha named Muc Kien Lien saw that his mother was suffering from hell’s tortures.  Following Buddha’s advice, on the 7th full moon of the year, Muc Kien Lien gathered monks and devotees and prayed with them for his mother’s relief.  This festival is therefore an occasion for family gatherings as well as a time to express love and gratitude to parents (especially mothers) and also to help the lost souls of ancestors find their way back to earth.

On this day, people usually visit pagodas and temples to worship ghosts and hungry spirits.  They offer food, clothes and other items, and release animals such as birds and fish.  In addition, they give presents and flowers to their parents to show their deep gratitude.

(Source: Danang Today/ holidaysvietnam.com)