Vietnamese Funeral Customs: A Guide for Overseas Families
For overseas Vietnamese communities — and for international friends and colleagues of Vietnamese families — understanding Vietnamese funeral customs is essential for expressing condolences in a way that is genuinely respectful and culturally appropriate. This guide covers everything an overseas family or friend needs to know.
SYMPATHY
The Timeline of a Vietnamese Funeral
Immediately after death: The body is prepared and placed at the family home or funeral parlour. Immediate condolences are expected from close relatives and associates within hours.
Days 1–2 — The mourning period: The family receives visitors at home or at the funeral venue. Flowers arrive throughout this period. This is the most important time for flower delivery.
Day 2–3 — The funeral ceremony: The formal ceremony takes place at home, a funeral parlour, a temple (Buddhist), or a church (Catholic). Flowers are displayed prominently throughout.
The procession and burial/cremation: Wreaths and flowers accompany the procession. Burial takes place at the family grave or a public cemetery.
After the funeral: The family enters a formal mourning period. Family members may wear white headbands or mourning armbands for 49 days or longer.
The Role of Flowers at Vietnamese Funerals
Flowers at Vietnamese funerals serve three purposes: they honour the deceased, comfort the bereaved family, and fulfil the sender's social obligation. White chrysanthemums are the most important — present at virtually every funeral. White lilies, white lotus, white orchids, and white gladiolus are also widely used. All funeral flowers should be white. Red, pink, and orange are celebration colours and must never be sent to a funeral.
White — The Colour of Mourning in Vietnam
The single most important thing to know: white, not black, is the colour of mourning. The bereaved family wears white mourning garments. The funeral venue is filled with white flowers. The ribbon banners are white. Sending red, pink, or orange flowers to a Vietnamese funeral is a serious cultural mistake.
Sympathy Basket
The Funeral Ribbon — Băng Tang
Every funeral flower stand in Vietnam carries a ribbon banner displaying a condolence phrase and the sender's name — read by every guest. This is how you publicly fulfil your social obligation. Common phrases: Kính viếng (Respectful condolences), Thành kính phân ưu (Sincere condolences). SaigonFlowers prepares ribbons in Vietnamese and English for all overseas orders.
Buddhist and Catholic Funeral Customs
Buddhist funerals (most common in Vietnam): prayers led by monks, lotus and chrysanthemum flowers, focus on guiding the soul toward enlightenment. White flowers are most appropriate.
Catholic funerals: Rite of Christian Burial including Mass at the parish church. White lilies and white roses are most symbolically appropriate, carrying meanings of resurrection and the Virgin Mary.
What Overseas Families Are Expected to Do
- Send flowers immediately — Order as soon as you hear the news. SaigonFlowers offers same-day delivery across Vietnam.
- Call or message the bereaved family — A personal call is deeply important for close relationships.
- Include a card or ribbon with your name — The family needs to know you sent the flowers.
- Consider contributing to funeral expenses — A financial contribution in a white envelope is appropriate and appreciated.
- Follow up after the funeral — A message checking in a week or two later is a thoughtful gesture.
Condolence Flowers
Frequently Asked Questions
How quickly do Vietnamese funerals take place after death?
Within 48 to 72 hours of death. Flowers must be ordered and delivered as quickly as possible after hearing the news.
Why is white the mourning colour in Vietnam, not black?
White is associated with the west — the direction of the setting sun and of death — in traditional Vietnamese and Chinese cosmological thought. It also represents purity in Vietnamese Buddhist tradition.
What should overseas family members who cannot attend a Vietnamese funeral do?
Send flowers immediately, call or message the family to express condolences personally, and consider contributing to funeral expenses.
Is it appropriate for non-Vietnamese to attend a Vietnamese funeral?
Yes. Dress in dark or muted colours, bow respectfully at the altar, and offer simple, sincere condolences to the immediate family.
What is the most important thing to know about Vietnamese funeral flowers?
Always choose white flowers. White chrysanthemums are the universal and correct choice for any Vietnamese funeral regardless of religion, region, or relationship.
How can I send flowers to a Vietnamese funeral from overseas?
Order online through SaigonFlowers. Same-day delivery across Vietnam, international payment accepted, ribbon wording in Vietnamese and English.
Related Reading
- Sympathy Flowers in Vietnam: A Complete Guide
- Funeral Flowers in Vietnam: Types, Meanings & Etiquette
- Funeral Flower Etiquette in Vietnam
- How to Express Condolences to a Vietnamese Family
- Best Sympathy Flowers to Send from Overseas to Vietnam
Be There, Even from Far Away
Sending flowers promptly, expressing heartfelt condolences, and maintaining contact with the bereaved family are the most important ways to honour Vietnamese funeral customs from afar. SaigonFlowers has been helping overseas Vietnamese families do exactly this since 2001.
