The Ceremony of Offering to the Kitchen Gods is a traditional ritual of the Vietnamese that is usually conducted before noon on the 23rd day of the last lunar month. Why is this the case, and what preparations are needed for the offering to the Kitchen Gods?
We can perform the offering on the 23rd, or if time is limited, we can do it from the 21st to the 23rd of the last lunar month.
Offerings and Ritual Items
Typically, the offerings consist of simple items such as cakes, candies, and tea, with the hope that the Kitchen Gods will speak sweetly and share good news. It is not necessary to prepare a full feast, and if a savory meal is made, it should be placed on a smaller table below the altar.
The offerings to the Kitchen Gods usually include three hats for the Kitchen Gods, with two for the male and one for the female. These paper offerings will be burned after the ceremony. In fact, it is not essential to use these paper offerings; it is perfectly fine not to prepare them.
Many families with children offer a boiled chicken to the Kitchen Gods. This chicken should be of a type that has just started to crow (meaning it is newly grown) to imply a wish for the child to grow up with strength, intelligence, and vigor like the robust rooster.
To provide the Kitchen Gods with a means to travel to the heavens, in the North, it is common to offer a live carp (or goldfish) placed in a bowl of water, symbolizing the idea of “the fish transforming into a dragon” to escort the Kitchen Gods back to heaven. After the offering, the fish is released into a pond or river. In many places, it is misunderstood to use fried fish for the offering, which is not correct. Moreover, people should not follow the trend of releasing fish by purchasing a bowl of fish, crabs, snails, or turtles.
The carp offered to the Kitchen Gods is usually red carp. When selecting fish, choose healthy ones. To check, touch the water’s surface; if the fish swims quickly and vigorously, it is suitable. When bringing the fish home, place it in a clean bowl or basin of water, being careful not to repeatedly scoop it from one place to another. When releasing the fish in ponds, lakes, or rivers, choose a spot with clean water. Note that when releasing the fish, you should do so at the water’s edge and not throw or fling them from a height.
In Central Vietnam, people also offer a paper horse complete with saddle and bridle.
In Southern Vietnam, only hats, clothes, and paper shoes are offered.
Nowadays, many families often prepare a well-arranged feast on the Kitchen Gods’ Festival. (Photo: Hoàng Hà)
The colors of the hats, clothes, and shoes offered to the Kitchen Gods also change each year based on the five elements as follows:
- In a metal year, yellow hats, clothes, and shoes are offered.
- In a wood year, white hats, clothes, and shoes are offered.
- In a water year, green hats, clothes, and shoes are offered.
- In a fire year, red hats, clothes, and shoes are offered.
- In an earth year, black hats, clothes, and shoes are offered.
Placement of Offerings
The ceremony is usually held at the family altar for deities and ancestors, rather than placing offerings on the Buddha altar or setting up a separate altar for the Kitchen Gods. In some places, especially in the South, there is a tendency to create a separate altar for the Kitchen Gods in the kitchen. This is unnecessary and should be avoided, as having multiple altars for different deities can lead to disputes and disharmony among family members, causing children to be unruly or creating other emotional disturbances. When the incense burns down to two-thirds, it is time to burn the paper offerings and release the fish.
Timing
Traditionally, it is believed that the ceremony must be conducted before noon on the 23rd day of the last lunar month so that the Kitchen Gods can report in time. However, this is not strictly necessary, as according to legend, the Kitchen Gods ascend to heaven only in the evening. We can perform the offering on the 23rd, or if time is limited, we can do it from the 21st to the 23rd of the last lunar month.
Note: When praying to the Kitchen Gods, the focus is not on seeking wealth or abundance, but rather on asking them to report good news and to refrain from speaking ill.
Favorable times for the Kitchen Gods ceremony in 2024:
On the 23rd of the last lunar month (February 2, 2024, Gregorian calendar): The day falls on the Year of the Wood Ox, under the auspicious sign of Kim Đường. Favorable time slots include Dần (3 AM – 5 AM), Mão (5 AM – 7 AM), Tỵ (9 AM – 11 AM), Thân (3 PM – 5 PM), Tuất (7 PM – 9 PM), Hợi (9 PM – 11 PM).
Things to Avoid When Offering to the Kitchen Gods
Regarding the timing of the offering to the Kitchen Gods, feng shui expert Nguyễn Song Hà suggests that families should not offer too early, ideally starting from the 20th day of the last lunar month (December 20, Gregorian calendar) until the 23rd.
Additionally, do not clean or rearrange the altar space before offering to the Kitchen Gods. Families must complete the offering first before undertaking any cleaning or rearranging.
It is also important to note that the person performing the ritual must maintain personal cleanliness. When conducting the ceremony, one should dress appropriately, neatly, and modestly, avoiding shorts, sleeveless shirts, or short skirts. During the prayer, maintain a joyful and happy demeanor to create positive energy in the ceremony and spiritual practice.
In recent years, many families have bought carp on the Kitchen Gods Festival and released them into ponds or lakes. One important note is not to buy carp and then release them carelessly into polluted water sources, which will cause the fish to die. If releasing carp, choose a clean environment to ensure the fish can survive.
Prayer to the Kitchen Gods 2024
The offering usually takes place before noon on the 23rd day of the last lunar month. Here is a common prayer for the Kitchen Gods.
Namo Amitabha Buddha!
We bow to the nine directions of Heaven, to the ten directions of the Buddhas, to the Buddhas of the ten directions.
We respectfully bow to the Eastern Kitchen God, the God of Destiny.
The faithful (we) are: ……………
Residing at:…………
Today, on the 23rd day of the last lunar month, we sincerely prepare incense, flowers, fruits, clothing, and hats to respectfully present to the honored deities. We light a stick of incense with all our sincerity.
We respectfully invite the Eastern Kitchen God to preside over our offerings.
We humbly request the honored deity to forgive any transgressions from the past year.
May the honored deity bestow blessings and protect our entire family, young and old, with abundant health and prosperity, and may all be well.
We offer our humble gratitude and sincerely pray for your protection.
Namo Amitabha Buddha!
Nguyễn Mạnh Linh
Head of Feng Shui Architecture Department
Institute of Urban Planning & Architecture – Hanoi University of Civil Engineering
