The Full Moon of January is one of the significant days for the Vietnamese, requiring thorough preparation. So, what offerings are needed for the Full Moon of January? Let’s refer to the article below.
Rituals for the Full Moon of January
The Full Moon of January, the first full moon of the new year, is traditionally known as Lantern Festival. On this day, Vietnamese people often visit temples to pray for peace and health throughout the year. This is an important occasion of the year, so our ancestors have a saying: “Worshipping the Buddha all year round is not as good as on the Full Moon of January.”
The preparation for the offerings on the Full Moon of January is always done meticulously with two main rituals: Offerings for the Buddha and offerings for ancestors.
On this festive day, each Vietnamese family can offer vegetarian food, incense, fruits, or a tray of meat dishes, sticky rice, and soup humbly presented to their ancestors.
Depending on economic conditions and customs, the offerings for the Full Moon of January may vary by family and region, but they all express the sincere gratitude of descendants towards their ancestors, deities, and to pray for a year of peace and good fortune.
Essential offerings for the Full Moon of January include incense, flowers, and joss paper. (Illustrative image).
According to ancient beliefs, this is an auspicious time to pray for peace for the entire year. Buddhists often offer vegetarian dishes on this day, though depending on their beliefs, some families may offer to the Buddha, some to the Earth God, and others to the God of Wealth. However, a tray of offerings for ancestors is indispensable to thank them for the blessings and to ward off misfortune for the new year.
Cleaning the Altar
On the Full Moon of January, families usually clean the altar. When doing this, it’s important not to move the incense holder. Before cleaning, you should light an incense stick to ask the ancestors for permission to clean the altar in preparation for the Full Moon offerings. The cleaning should be done carefully and meticulously to avoid breaking any altar items or offerings.
When lighting incense, according to Prof. Dr. Nguyen Chi Ben, former Director of the Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts, it is customary to light an odd number of incense sticks, as odd numbers symbolize the spiritual realm. You should only light between 1 to 3 sticks on each incense holder.
When lighting incense, it’s essential to dress appropriately; avoid shorts, tank tops, or disheveled clothing. Especially during the prayers, one should be sincere and show respect to the Buddhas and ancestors.
Offerings for the Buddha on the Full Moon of January
Many families believe that the Full Moon of January is a day to avoid killing, hence they eat vegetarian food to pray for luck and to ward off misfortunes for the year. The offerings typically include fruits, sticky rice, various bean dishes, and stir-fried vegetables without added seasonings. Nowadays, many people also include water glutinous rice balls as a symbol of wishing for a smooth and happy year ahead.
The vegetarian feast can consist of 10, 12 up to 25 dishes. A special feature of the vegetarian offerings is the presence of colors representing the five elements. Red symbolizes fire, green symbolizes wood, black symbolizes earth, white symbolizes water, and yellow symbolizes metal. Eating vegetarian food is a way to seek balance and tranquility of the soul.
Offerings for Ancestors on the Full Moon of January
On this day, it is natural that an offering tray must be present. Depending on the family’s circumstances, the host should prepare accordingly. It’s essential to focus on the seriousness and sincerity of the offerings rather than just the quantity.
For families not following Buddhism, the offerings for ancestors usually consist of meat dishes, quite similar to the offerings during Tet. The meat offerings typically include 4 bowls and 6 plates. For wealthier households, there may be more. The 4 bowls can consist of bamboo shoot soup, fish balls, vermicelli, and mushroom soup. The 6 plates can include chicken or pork, sausage or meatloaf, fried spring rolls, stir-fried vegetables, sticky rice or square sticky rice cake, and a bowl of dipping sauce.
The offerings on the Full Moon of January must also include various flavors. The salty flavor from the dipping sauce, the spiciness of chili, the sourness of pickled onions, and the sweetness from cakes all create a complete offering tray, wishing for warmth, peace, and to ward off any misfortunes that may come in the new year.
Suggestions for the Lantern Festival offering tray:
Meat Offerings
- Boiled pork shoulder: 250 grams.
- Bamboo shoot soup: 1 bowl.
- Stir-fried mixed vegetables: 1 plate.
- Spring rolls: 1 plate.
- Stir-fried vegetables: 1 plate.
- Sausage: 1 plate.
- Sticky rice with gac fruit: 1 plate.
- Fruits: 1 plate.
- Other items: Betel leaves, areca nuts, wine, candles, incense, fresh flowers, joss paper.
Especially, the offering tray must include water glutinous rice balls. The significance of eating water glutinous rice balls during the Lantern Festival is to wish for everything in the coming year to go smoothly and successfully.
Vegetarian Offerings
In addition to the meat offerings, some families also prepare vegetarian offerings for the Full Moon of January. The dishes on the Buddha’s offering tray include:
- Fruits.
- Various bean dishes.
- Sticky rice.
- Stir-fried vegetables without seasonings.
- Water glutinous rice balls.
- Vegetarian dishes can vary from 10, 12 to 25 items.
Prayers for the Full Moon of January
Namo Amitabha Buddha!
Namo Amitabha Buddha!
– I bow to the nine directions of Heaven, the ten directions of the Buddhas, and all Buddhas in the ten directions.
– I respectfully bow to the Emperor of Heaven and the Earth, and all deities.
– I respectfully bow to the local guardian deities, the Earth God, the Kitchen Gods, and all deities.
– I respectfully bow to my ancestors, both paternal and maternal.
The faithful (we) are: ………………………………………..
Residing at:………………………………………. ……………………..
Today is the Full Moon of January in the year… coinciding with the Lantern Festival, we, the faithful, with sincere hearts, have prepared incense and offerings to present in front of the altar.
We respectfully invite the local guardian deities, the great lords, the Earth deities, the Kitchen Gods, and all deities to please hear our invitation, descend before the altar, witness our sincerity, and accept our offerings.
We respectfully invite our ancestors and all departed souls from our paternal and maternal sides to hear our humble prayers and to witness our sincerity in accepting our offerings.
The faithful also respectfully invite our forefathers, all the spirits of the past to come to enjoy the offerings, witnessing our sincerity and blessing our family with peace and happiness throughout the year.
When Should You Make Offerings for the Full Moon of January?
Many people make offerings for the Full Moon of January quite early (from the 12th to the 13th of the lunar month), some do it in the morning while others do it in the evening, but that is due to their lack of knowledge about the precise time for offerings.
Unlike other regular holidays, Vietnamese people will conduct offerings for the Full Moon of January on the actual full moon, which is the 15th of the lunar month.
The reason for making offerings on the full moon is that it is believed to be the brightest moon of the year. During this time, the Buddha descends to bless and protect all beings, and sincere prayers are sure to be fulfilled, bringing luck and peace throughout the year.
It is best to make offerings for the Full Moon of January early in the morning or around noon.
For very busy families, they can arrange to make offerings on the 14th of the lunar month. The timing for offerings is not too strict, as long as it is before 7 PM on the 15th of January.
The best time frame: The Noon hour (11 AM – 1 PM), preferably at high noon. People believe that this is the time when the deities descend, witnessing the sincerity of the host.
What Day is Lantern Festival 2024?
This year there is an interesting coincidence: The first day of the Year of the Dragon also falls on the first day of the second month of the solar calendar. Therefore, the Full Moon of January in the Year of the Dragon falls on February 24, 2024, which is a Saturday.
Notes When Offering for the Full Moon of January
Do not use artificial flowers or fruits: Many families use artificial flowers and fruits on the altar for aesthetics, as they are visually appealing, durable, and do not spoil. However, displaying artificial flowers or fruits on the altar or the offering tray is discouraged, as worship should be sincere; thus, fresh flowers and fruits should be used for offerings to the deities and ancestors.
Do not use imitation vegetarian dishes: Many families avoid killing on the Full Moon and often choose vegetarian offerings for the Buddha and ancestors, wishing for peace and good fortune throughout the year, which is commendable. However, the host should ensure that the offerings are purely vegetarian.
Do not burn excessive joss paper: The main focus of the Full Moon of January is to pray for a healthy, prosperous, and fulfilling new year. However, Buddhism does not advocate burning joss paper, as it not only wastes resources but also pollutes the environment. Thus, worshippers should present their sincere hearts rather than just filling the offering tray to excess or burning too much joss paper, causing waste.
Do Not Move the Incense Bowl: On the full moon of the first month, families typically clean their altars. During this process, it is important not to move the incense bowl. Before cleaning, one should light an incense stick to ask the deities and ancestors for permission regarding the cleaning of the altar in preparation for the full moon offerings.
Avoid Offering Pig’s Head: According to traditional beliefs, the offering feast for the full moon of the first month can include both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. However, if the host decides to prepare a non-vegetarian feast, it is advised not to include a pig’s head. Generally, families prepare offerings for the full moon of the first month that resemble those for the Lunar New Year, featuring traditional dishes such as chicken, pork, sausages, and bamboo shoots. It is believed that offering a pig’s head is not auspicious, as it involves taking life at the start of the year, which may negatively impact the family’s fortune throughout the year; therefore, it is best to avoid it.
Do Not Use Counterfeit or Illegitimate Money: Vietnamese families often place real money on the altar during offerings, symbolizing a wish for wealth and good fortune. However, it is important to ensure that this money is earned honestly. Absolutely refrain from offering counterfeit money or money obtained through illegal or unethical means.
Lighting Incense on the Full Moon of the First Month: Lighting incense is an integral part of the rituals and ceremonies for worshipping deities and ancestors, embodying a beautiful aspect of Vietnamese traditional culture that expresses reverence towards ancestors and divine beings for their protection and assistance over time. But how many incense sticks should be lit on the full moon of the first month? On full moon days, hosts typically light 3 incense sticks. The significance of the 3 sticks includes: the heart of incense (the sincerity of the host), the precept of incense (following the teachings of the Buddha), and the determination of incense (a commitment to remain steadfast). These 3 incense sticks are also referred to in Buddhism as “Tam Bao Hương.” The term “Tam Bao” refers to the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, where Dharma represents the Buddhist teachings, and Sangha pertains to the monastic community. The number 3 holds various interpretations: it can represent the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha), the Three Realms (Desire Realm, Form Realm, and Formless Realm), the Three Times (Past, Present, and Future), and the Three Uncontaminated Studies (Moral Conduct, Concentration, and Wisdom).
Lighting 3 incense sticks can bring blessings, provide protection for those in the home, and mitigate misfortunes.
