Guide to Rituals for New Year’s Eve Worship

The New Year’s Eve Offering is an essential ritual on every 30th night of Tet. Every family wants to prepare thoroughly, fulfilling all the offerings and rituals on New Year’s Eve to bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new one.

The New Year’s Eve Ceremony (Trừ Tịch)

Trừ Tịch marks the final moments of the old year transitioning into the new year. At this time, the Vietnamese people traditionally perform the Trừ Tịch ceremony. The significance of this ceremony is to cast away all the bad things of the past year to welcome the good things of the upcoming year. The Trừ Tịch ceremony is also a ritual to “exorcise evil spirits”, which is why it is called “Trừ Tịch.” As it occurs at midnight, it is also known as the New Year’s Eve ceremony.

New Year’s Eve Prayer for the Year of the Dragon 2024

After three incense sticks burn out, gold paper offerings are made.

Who to Honor During the New Year’s Eve Ceremony?

It is believed that every year, there is a deity responsible for overseeing human affairs. At the end of the year, the old deity hands over duties to the new one; therefore, offerings are made to bid farewell to the old deity and welcome the new one. The outdoor New Year’s Eve offerings are made because our ancestors envisioned that during the moment of transition, the old deity hands over duties to the new one amidst a flurry of celestial beings, busy and rushing (though our mortal eyes cannot see them), with some even not having time to eat.

During those moments, families bring rice, chicken, fruits, and cold dishes outdoors to make offerings, sincerely bidding farewell to the celestial beings who governed them in the past year and welcoming the new celestial being for the upcoming year. Due to the urgency of the transition, the deities cannot linger in the house with a feast but can only pause for a moment to quickly eat or take offerings with them, witnessing only the sincerity of the host.

Setting Up the New Year’s Eve Offering

Offerings are made at temples, shrines, and family homes. The New Year’s Eve altar is set up outdoors. An incense table is arranged with incense sticks, two oil lamps, or two candles.

The offerings for New Year’s Eve include:

• A whole pig or chicken
• Bánh Chưng (square sticky rice cake)
• Candied fruits
• Betel leaves and areca nuts
• Fruits
• Rice wine or water
• Gold paper offerings, sometimes including a hat for the deity.

However, in traditional Vietnamese culture, a rooster is still used for offerings. The Vietnamese see the rooster as a symbol of the five virtues: Literature, Martial, Bravery, Kindness, and Trust. The red rose on the rooster’s beak symbolizes the Sun.

In traditional Vietnamese culture, a rooster is still used for offerings.

At the stroke of midnight, bells and drums sound, the host performs the offering, followed by everyone else, sincerely praying for the new deity to bless them with a year full of fortune. Temples also perform New Year’s Eve offerings but with vegetarian offerings. Today, families still honor the New Year’s Eve tradition with the same reverence as before, though the altar is simpler, often placed in the yard or at the front door.

Why Offerings are Made Outdoors?

Every ethnic group considers the moment of New Year’s Eve to be sacred. Our ancestors believed that every year, the Heavenly Court changes all deities overseeing earthly affairs, led by a deity with wisdom like a prime minister. If the deity is competent and virtuous, the earthly realm will be blessed with abundance, fewer natural disasters, and peace; otherwise, if the deity is lazy and greedy, the earthly realm will suffer.

Due to the urgency of the transition, the deities cannot linger in the house with a feast but can only pause for a moment to quickly eat or take offerings with them, witnessing only the sincerity of the host…

Every ethnic group considers the moment of New Year’s Eve sacred.

New Year’s Eve Prayer for Outdoor Offerings in the Year of the Dragon 2024

Should the New Year’s Eve Offering be Done Indoors or Outdoors First?

According to folk artist Anh Tuyet, at the transition moment between the old and new year, the outdoor offering should be performed first before the indoor one, to “welcome the new and send off the old,” meaning to welcome the new controller and bid farewell to the old one: “The New Year’s Eve offering has been a traditional ceremony from ancient times to the present. Everyone believes that the moment the old year passes and the new year arrives is extremely sacred, so families pray for peace. The indoor offering is for ancestors, while the outdoor offering is for Heaven and Buddha.

It is essential to pray outdoors first, addressing Buddha and the deities, asking for Heaven and Buddha’s blessings, praying for the people’s peace and national stability, and for the family’s health and safety before the indoor ceremony. If the indoor ceremony is performed first, it is not quite the correct belief because the highest is Heaven and Buddha, followed by our ancestors,” artist Anh Tuyet shared.

The Best Time for the New Year’s Eve Offering in the Year of the Dragon (2024) to Attract Prosperity Throughout the Year

According to feng shui experts, the New Year’s Eve offering for the Year of the Dragon should be conducted at the Hour of the Rat (11 PM) or ideally at midnight (12 AM) and conclude before 1 AM on the first day of Tet.

In folk beliefs, the New Year’s Eve ceremony, also known as the ceremony of “sending off the old and welcoming the new,” is intended to bid farewell to the deities of the old year and welcome the deities of the new year. Therefore, the New Year’s Eve offering holds significant importance in the beliefs of Vietnamese people, who view it as a way to welcome the God of Wealth and pray for a year of peace and good fortune.

During this transitional period, families prepare an offering tray with the intention of eliminating all misfortunes from the past year to welcome better fortunes in the new year.

Feng shui experts recommend that the New Year’s Eve offering for the Year of the Cat (2023) should take place at the Hour of the Rat (11 PM) or the ideal time is at midnight (12 AM) and finish before 1 AM on the first day of Tet.

Before 1 AM is when the old deities hand over their duties to the new deities. Therefore, you should perform the New Year’s Eve ceremony between 11 PM and 1 AM so that the deities can witness the sincerity of the host.

Do Apartment Dwellers Need to Make Outdoor Offerings for New Year’s Eve?

In apartments, due to limited space and no ground-level area, the offering can be focused indoors without the necessity of outdoor rituals. If families wish to offer outdoors, they should go down to the apartment building’s yard, not the upper floors.

Outdoor offerings require a space that connects to both Heaven and Earth, so the offerings need to be placed close to the ground. Therefore, if offerings are made on the upper floors of an apartment, the distance is too far for it to truly be considered an outdoor offering.

The Offering to the Earth God

After completing the New Year’s Eve offering, homeowners should also pray to the Earth God, the deity that governs the household. The offerings are similar to those made for New Year’s Eve.

Important Notes for New Year’s Eve Offerings

• The offering tray must be prepared meticulously: Traditionally, preparing an offering tray is primarily done with sincerity and does not need to be fully complete as required. However, this does not mean it can be done carelessly.

Depending on the customs of each region and locality, the offering tray may vary, but generally, you need incense, candles, tea, wine, salt, rice, fruits, sticky rice, and banh chung…

• According to Chinese beliefs, on New Year’s Eve, all descendants should be present to welcome the ancestors back to the family to celebrate Tet. If the family is not complete, it reflects an incomplete year of happiness.
• On New Year’s Eve, family members should get along harmoniously, avoiding arguments or loud voices.
• Avoid creating loud noises or breaking things.
• Do not look in mirrors on New Year’s Eve, as ancient beliefs suggest this may reveal ghosts, leading to misfortunes throughout the year.

New Year’s Eve is a sacred moment for our nation, marking the end of an old year and welcoming a new year filled with prosperity and joy. Therefore, the preparation for New Year’s Eve offerings is always done thoroughly by the Vietnamese, including the offerings, rituals, prayers, and things not to do during this night.

Customs on New Year’s Eve

After performing the New Year’s Eve ceremony, our ancestors have their own customs that are still respected and practiced by many, from rural areas to cities.

• Buying Salt on New Year’s Eve: There is a saying that “at the beginning of the year, buy salt; at the end of the year, buy lime”, which is a traditional custom maintained from ancient times. Salt not only symbolizes driving away evil spirits and misfortunes but also represents family bonds and healthy, harmonious relationships. Therefore, after New Year’s Eve, people often buy small bags of salt wrapped in yellow or red paper in local markets.
• Visiting Temples, Communal Houses, and Shrines: After completing the home New Year’s Eve offering, people often go to temples, communal houses, and shrines to pray for blessings and good fortune, asking Buddha and the deities for protection for themselves and their families, and during this time, they often seek omens for the new year.
• Selecting Departure Direction: When going to offer prayers, people choose the right time and direction for departure to encounter good luck throughout the year.

• First Lộc Harvest: After visiting the temple, people have a custom of picking a branch of leaves called “lộc” from the temple gate, symbolizing “receiving the blessings” from Heaven and Earth bestowed by the deities. This branch is then placed in front of the altar until it dries out.
• Incense Blessings: Many people prefer to receive blessings at temples and shrines by lighting a handful of incense, standing before the altar to pray, and then bringing the incense back to place on their home altar. The flame symbolizes prosperity brought from the sacred place, asking for Buddha’s blessings for a prosperous year.
• Housewarming: Usually, a person with a “good spirit” is chosen from the family to leave before midnight, and after the New Year’s Eve ceremony, this person will bring back blessings or “lộc” from the temple. Upon their return, it will be the new year, and this person will “warm the house” for the family, bringing good fortune for the year ahead. If no one in the family has a good spirit, they may ask someone else to come and do this before guests arrive for Tet, to bring easy luck.
• Giving Lucky Money: Naturally, we cannot forget the traditional custom of giving lucky money. According to tradition, adults give lucky money to children in the form of new coins or placed in red envelopes. The amount of lucky money is not important; what matters is the meaning behind the blessings shared among everyone. Children wish for health and longevity for their grandparents and parents, while grandparents wish for health, success in studies, and prosperity for their descendants.

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