Memorial For Ruth on December 26

Candles in remembrance of Ruth

[Edited for 2019]

According to Vietnamese (and East Asian) tradition, I hold a memorial for Ruth each year on December 26.  This year (2019) it will be on Thursday.  In Viet-Nam, the tradition is called giổ, which I wrote about here.

This will be the 9th one I’ve done.  It will have been almost 10 years since Ruth passed away. It’s hard to believe that that much time has passed already.  In many ways, her passing seems like just yesterday.  The images of that time are still fresh in my mind. But I can also tell that much time has passed, since I have tried to keep living my life, doing new things and seeing changes in me and the family with each passing year.

Although anyone is welcome to the memorial, most of the time just the immediate family is present.  I expect it to be the same this year.  I hold the service at 7 p.m., which consists of primarily offering incense and it lasts only about 10 minutes.  Then we all sit down for dinner.

There are many things in Asian tradition which I have appreciated.  Giổ is one of them. Ruth has always been a special part of me, and this is a way to keep her memory freshly present with each passing year.

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