The Goddess of the Sea’s Ceremony in Hoi An

The Goddess of the Sea’s Ceremony in Hoi An, like most of the religious festivals of Vietnam is festival that concentrates on appeasing god. Locally known as the “Lady Thien Hau’s Ceremony”, the Goddess of the Sea’s Ceremony in Hoi An in Vietnam is a popular and very religious ceremony. The Goddess of the Sea’s Ceremony in Hoi An is basically a Chinese festival. In fact, the festival is commemorated mostly by the Chinese communities in Hoi An in Vietnam. However, every other member of the society pitch in and participate during the festivities.
Though the Goddess of the Sea’s Ceremony in Hoi An is celebrated with much flourish, the ceremony nevertheless tends to be based on a crucial social issue. The goddess worshipped during the Goddess of the Sea’s Ceremony in Hoi An is the goddess “Thien Hau Thanh Mau”. She is said to be the ‘Goddess of the Sea’. She is not just responsible for the prosperity of this small fishing town’s chief source of income, but also for protecting the community who are engaged in the occupation of fishing. Added to this, she is also responsible for protecting sea-faring vessels. To beseech her graces and protection, the Goddess of the Sea’s Ceremony in Hoi An is celebrated once every year on the 23rd of march. The festival has two parts. In the first part, there are Chinese worship rituals; while the second part has is more of a cultural display with music, dance, parades, fortune telling, oracles and fairs. The ‘Lion Dance’ is a specialty of this festival. In the town of Hoi An, the festivities are hosted at the Phuc Kien and the Ngu Bang club.