Death anniversary

A death anniversary is a Confucian custom observed in several cultures of East and Southeast Asia, including China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam, as well as in other nations with significant overseas Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Vietnamese populations. Like a birthday, it is celebrated each year, but instead of on the date of birth of the individual being celebrated, it is celebrated on the day on which a family member or other significant individual died.

Japan

In Japan, a death anniversary is called meinichi (命日).

Vietnam

In Vietnam, a death anniversary is called giỗ, ngày giỗ (literally "giỗ day"), đám giỗ (literally "giỗ ceremony"), or bữa giỗ. It typically involves members of an extended family gathering together on this day. Typically, female family members will spend all day cooking elaborate dishes in honor of the deceased individual, which will then be enjoyed by all the family members. It is not unusual for a family to celebrate several giỗ per year, so it serves as a time for families to reunite, much like the Vietnamese new year, Tết.

Although a giỗ is usually a private ceremony attended only by family members (and occasionally also close friends), in March 2007 a new public holiday called Giỗ tổ Hùng Vương (giỗ of the Hùng King ancestors) has been instituted in Vietnam to commemorate the Hung Kings, the legendary founders of the first Vietnamese kingdom in Vietnam's remote past, although it had been unofficially commemorated for thousands of years.[1]