The People's Committee of Quang Tri province recently issued regulations on implementing a civilized lifestyle for weddings and funerals in the area.

Given its unique characteristic of having the highest number of martyrs' cemeteries nationwide, with 157 cemeteries and over 74,000 graves, Quang Tri province encourages brides and grooms to place flowers at memorials, martyrs' cemeteries, engage in charity, or plant commemorative trees at public places and historical sites on their wedding day.

According to the Quang Tri Provincial People's Committee, this activity carries profound humanitarian significance. It contributes to educating the tradition of "drinking water, remembering the source" (a Vietnamese proverb emphasizing gratitude and remembrance of one's origins or benefactors), and showing appreciation to fallen heroes on each family's important day.

Families temporarily using sidewalks for weddings or funerals must report to and receive approval from the People's Committee of the commune, ward, or special zone. If both a wedding and a funeral occur simultaneously in the same residential area, families should coordinate and share to ensure solidarity and maintain neighborly relations.

For weddings, customary ceremonies such as engagement visits (dam ngo), formal engagements (an hoi), and bride fetching (xin dau) should be organized simply and lightly. Extravagant feasting should be limited to save and avoid waste. Wedding decorations should be simple, not ostentatious. Brides and grooms should wear polite attire, suitable for national cultural traditions.

Agencies, organizations, and families hosting weddings must ensure they are solemn, joyful, healthy, economical, and consistent with local customs, practices, traditions, and the circumstances of both families.

Wedding receptions, whether tea parties or savory meals, must comply with food safety regulations. The transportation of the bride must adhere to traffic safety and public order regulations.

Road 9 National Martyrs' Cemetery, the resting place of over 10,400 martyrs, with nearly 6,000 graves yet to be identified. Photo: Dac Thanh

Wedding music must be wholesome and cheerful. Organizations and individuals hosting weddings must comply with noise regulations, ensuring they do not affect the daily lives of the residential community.

Authorities also encourage limiting alcohol and beer consumption and avoiding tobacco at weddings. They prioritize tea parties and dessert receptions over lavish wedding feasts. Brides and grooms are encouraged to wear traditional or ethnic attire on their wedding day.

Quang Tri encourages agencies, organizations, and associations to hold collective weddings at cultural houses or community centers. It also promotes adopting digital transformation by using e-invitations, e-thank you cards, and electronic screens for wedding decorations. Gift-giving should align with a civilized, economical lifestyle, avoiding ostentation or forms that cause offense.

Dac Thanh