The Year-End Ceremony (Cúng Tất Niên) is a traditional ritual held on the evening of the 30th of Tet (Lunar New Year), before the New Year’s Eve ceremony.
The offerings for the year-end ceremony do not need to be overly elaborate; they primarily reflect the sincerity and gratitude of the person performing the ritual towards the earth, sky, and deities who have blessed the family over the past year. So, how do you prepare the offerings for the year-end ceremony correctly? Please refer to our article below to learn how to prepare the year-end offerings for the Lunar New Year.
What is Tất Niên?
The year-end ceremony (Cúng Tất Niên or Tất Niên Party) is a beautiful traditional cultural practice of the Vietnamese people. The year-end party marks the end of the old year and welcomes the new year with the hope that good fortune, happiness, and success will come to us. The year-end party is also an opportunity for family members to bond more closely while expressing their heartfelt gratitude to their ancestors who have blessed the family throughout the past year.
During this occasion, all family members gather together, and the year-end meal typically includes traditional dishes. After lighting incense for the ancestors, everyone sits down to enjoy the food and reminisce about the stories from the past year.
As the year comes to an end and Tet approaches, all grievances are put aside to hope for a better new year. The custom of performing the year-end ceremony also reflects the Vietnamese tradition of remembering the source of water and honoring ancestors.
Therefore, regardless of how busy one may be, the year-end offerings must include all family members to feel the harmony between the earthly and spiritual realms.
Essentially, on the 30th of Tet, families need to prepare two trays: one for the year-end ceremony and then a dinner.
Traditionally, the year-end ceremony is held on the evening of the 30th of Tet (or the 29th of Tet if the last month does not have 30 days). Depending on the customs of each region, the offerings for the year-end ceremony may vary based on whether the host invites friends or relatives to join the family.
In essence, families on the 30th of Tet need to prepare two trays: one tray for the year-end offerings and then a dinner, and another tray for the New Year’s Eve offerings. The eldest man in the household lights the incense and recites the prayers, while other family members perform the rituals. The main content is to invite the deities and ancestors to celebrate Tet with the family. To simplify, many families combine the year-end ceremony with the New Year’s Eve ceremony.
In previous years, the offerings of the Vietnamese typically included six bowls consisting of bamboo shoots, glass noodles, squid, mushrooms, vermicelli, and fish cakes, along with eight dishes such as boiled chicken, pork sausage, cinnamon-flavored meatloaf, salted egg, pickled onions, sticky rice cake, pineapple chicken stir-fry, and braised fish. Over time, traditional dishes have been replaced by modern cuisine.
How to Arrange the Offerings
The five-fruit tray, fresh flowers, and paper offerings should be placed on the altar. The savory offerings should be placed on a small table (auxiliary altar) beneath the main altar. Sticky rice cakes and glutinous rice can be placed on the altar or with the savory dish.
When placing the year-end offerings on the ancestor altar, you need to pay attention to how the chicken is presented.
The proper way to present the offerings of chicken is to position the chicken with its head facing the incense bowl. Binding the chicken in a bowing position is appropriate, with its mouth open wide, its two legs kneeling down, and its wings slightly spread. However, many people believe that the chicken should face outward for aesthetic reasons. In reality, this merely beautifies the offerings without carrying much spiritual significance.
After completing the offering tray, the eldest person in the household will light the incense and recite the year-end prayer to invite the deities and ancestors to celebrate Tet with the family. Other members will then perform the bowing ritual.
Below is a sample prayer for the year-end ceremony for your reference.
Prayer for the Year-End Ceremony
Namo Amitabha Buddha!
Namo Amitabha Buddha!
– I bow to the nine directions of Heaven, the ten directions of all Buddhas, all Buddhas of the ten directions.
– I respectfully bow to the Emperor of Heaven and the Earth and all deities.
– I respectfully bow to the Lord of the Year, the Deity of the Year, the Virtuous Lord.
– I respectfully bow to the local deities and all great lords.
– I respectfully bow to the five directions, five lands, the Long Mach, the Deity of Wealth, the Kitchen Gods, and all the deities governing this locality.
– I respectfully bow to the ancestors, great-grandparents, and all family members…
Today is the 30th of the last month of the year…
The offering family are: …
Residing at: …
Before the altar, I respectfully present:
The winter is about to end
The year is concluding, the month is fading
Spring is just around the corner
The bright new year is approaching.
Today is the 30th of Tet; we and our family members prepare offerings of incense, flowers, abundant food, and perform the year-end ceremony to worship the Heaven and Earth deities, honor our ancestors, and recall the spirits. As per tradition, I humbly ask the deities, ancestors, and local spirits to descend and witness, bless the offerings, and protect our family’s peace and prosperity, good health for all, and harmonious family life.
Namo Amitabha Buddha!
The Year-End Meal Together. (Photo: Phu Thi).
The meal on the last day of the year is usually more sumptuous than usual. Depending on the region, there are specific characteristics such as:
- North Vietnam: The year-end offerings in Northern Vietnam typically include sticky rice cakes, fried spring rolls, pork sausage, boiled chicken, stir-fried chicken entrails with vermicelli, braised meat, and bamboo shoot soup, as well as red sticky rice. Additionally, you can add some simple dishes like pickled onions, salads, or braised meat.
- Central Vietnam: The year-end offerings in Central Vietnam usually consist of sticky rice cakes, Tet cakes, pork sausage, braised meat, beef in caramel sauce, sweet soup, rice cakes, boiled pork, and chicken with Vietnamese coriander. Depending on the cultural identity of each area, the offerings may change or include additional dishes.
- Southern Vietnam: The year-end offerings in Southern Vietnam will include Tet cakes, bamboo shoot soup, braised pork, shrimp and meat salad, spring rolls, and stuffed bitter melon soup. Furthermore, families can adjust the dishes based on their circumstances and family conditions.
If families do not want to offer a savory meal for the year-end ceremony, they can also perform a vegetarian year-end ceremony that still carries the traditional essence of Vietnamese offerings: sticky rice cakes, glutinous rice, and sweet soup.
Each family arranges their offering tray differently; however, the offerings (whether savory or vegetarian) should be placed on the small table underneath. The main altar should only hold fresh flowers, fresh fruits, and a small amount of symbolic paper money. You can also place sticky rice cakes, glutinous rice, or sweet soup on the main altar. Avoid placing “golden branches and jade leaves” (paper offerings) on the altar as they carry unfavorable spiritual energy.
The five-fruit tray for ancestor offerings should include commonly used, edible, and visually appealing fruits that are ripe enough to consume. Unripe fruits and fake (plastic) fruits should not be used for ancestor offerings. The fruit tray should not be placed directly in front of the incense bowl as it obstructs the main energy flow; instead, it should be placed on either side.
Regional characteristics of year-end offerings.
Flowers displayed on the altar should also be fresh flowers; do not use artificial or plastic flowers. Many people often use the phrase “as long as it is sincere, it is fine” to justify their choices, but in practice, they focus on appearance rather than the quality of the fruits and flowers for worship.
Recently, many people have associated feng shui with all aspects, from offerings to the fruit tray, leading to unfounded interpretations. For example, pomegranates with many seeds symbolize abundance and growth; round grapefruits and watermelons symbolize fullness and good fortune; or oranges, which originally mean sweet (sharing both joys and sorrows), are misinterpreted as submissive. Some even delve into unnecessary spiritual practices, such as counting banana bunches with odd numbers or counting branches of Buddha’s hand fruit to ensure they align with the homeowner’s fate. These interpretations are often forced and lacking meaning. Sometimes, excessive reasoning leaves no fruits left for display.
The Significance of the Year-End Offering Ceremony
The year-end offering ceremony, known as Tất Niên, is a ritual that marks the conclusion of the year and prepares for the arrival of the new year. This ceremony is held on the last days of the lunar year, specifically on the 30th day of the lunar month. It is an occasion for family members to reunite, enjoying a warm meal together after a year of hard work. They also come together to prepare for a new year filled with luck and peace.
Nguyễn Mạnh Linh
Head of Feng Shui Architecture Department
Institute of Urban Planning & Architecture – Hanoi University of Civil Engineering
