Borrowing age to build a house is a traditional Vietnamese belief that aims to bring good luck and avoid bad omens during the construction process. While some may consider it a superstition, others firmly believe in its importance, especially when it comes to major construction projects. In this article, we will explore the concept of borrowing age, the procedures involved, and provide a step-by-step guide on how to perform this traditional ritual.
1 Is Borrowing Age for House Construction a Good Idea?
Borrowing Age for House Construction: It is an important concept when building a house, believed to bring good luck and minimize bad luck and misfortunes after construction.
When constructing a house, it is considered unlucky if the owner’s age falls under the “Kim Lau” category during the groundbreaking, foundation laying, or roof raising ceremonies. In such cases, borrowing the age of another person is believed to minimize potential risks and dangers for the owner and their family. The person lending their age takes responsibility before the local deities, “Thổ Công” and “Thổ Địa,” for the soon-to-be-built house.
Calculate the age of the host and the lender to ensure compatibility.
Calculating Kim Lau Age
Here’s how to calculate the borrowing age when the owner is in their Kim Lau year:
Kim Lau Than: The remainder is 1 when the birth year is divided by 9 (affecting the owner).
Kim Lau The: The remainder is 3 when the birth year is divided by 9 (affecting the wife).
Kim Lau Tu: The remainder is 6 when the birth year is divided by 9 (affecting the children).
Kim Lau Luc Suc: The remainder is 8 when the birth year is divided by 9 (affecting pets).
All of the above cases are considered inauspicious.
Calculating “Tuoi Mu” (Lending Age)
“Tuoi Mu” = Construction year – birth year + 1.
The ages that fall under the Kim Lau category are: 12, 15, 17, 19, 21, 24, 26, 28, 30, 33, 35, 37, 39, 42, 44, 46, 48, 51, 55, 57, 60, 62, 64, 66, 69, 71, 73, 75.
Tam Tai (Three Years of Bad Luck) for the 12 Zodiac Animals
Snake, Rooster, and Ox years: Tam Tai occurs during the Rat, Pig, and Ox years.
Pig, Rabbit, and Goat years: Tam Tai occurs during the Horse, Goat, and Snake years.
Tiger, Dog, and Horse years: Tam Tai occurs during the Rooster, Monkey, and Dog years.
Monkey, Dragon, and Rat years: Tam Tai occurs during the Rabbit, Tiger, and Dragon years.
Hoang Oc (Wild Year)
The following ages fall under the Hoang Oc category: 12, 14, 15, 18, 21, 23, 24, 27, 29, 30, 32, 33, 36, 38, 39, 41, 42, 45, 47, 48, 50, 51, 54, 56, 57, 60, 63, 65, 66, 69, 72, 74, 75.
Typically, borrowing age is only considered necessary for entirely new constructions. For renovations, additions, or minor works that do not involve the land, it is believed that waiting for the next year can avoid potential bad luck without the need for borrowing age.
2 Does Lending Your Age Affect You Negatively?
Both the lender and the borrower can expect good fortune.
Borrowing age for house construction does not negatively impact either party. It is simply a way for the owner to avoid potential bad omens and conflicts during construction. Additionally, lending your age to someone during your unlucky year is believed to bring good fortune to the lender in their daily life. The owner can also rest assured that their construction project will not be affected by any bad luck or omens.
3 Guide to Borrowing Age for House Construction
The lender should not lend their age to another person if the previous borrower’s house is not yet completed.
Things to Note When Borrowing Age for House Construction:
- The person lending their age must be in good health and not in their Tam Tai, Hoang Oc, or Kim Lau years, and must not have experienced a recent death in the family.
- The owner should preferably borrow the age of an older man or, if borrowing from a woman, the oldest woman in that family. Borrowing age from a relative, acquaintance, or neighbor can make the process smoother. If borrowing from a family member, it is advisable to choose the oldest man in the family (for example, a son can borrow age from his father) to bring good fortune to the construction.
- The owner should ask if the lender is currently lending their age to another person whose house is not yet completed. If so, it is not advisable to borrow age from that person.
4 Procedures for Borrowing Age for House Construction
Let’s take a look at the procedures for borrowing age for house construction.
How to Borrow Age for House Construction
Groundbreaking ceremony.
First, the lender and the owner will prepare a symbolic document stating the age borrowing arrangement, which will be offered to the deities. During important ceremonies like groundbreaking, roof raising, foundation laying, or roof covering, the lender will act as the owner and perform the rituals.
For the groundbreaking ceremony, 5-7 days later, the lender will personally dig 5 to 7 holes to determine the best direction for the house.
During the rituals, the owner should stay away, and only when the house is completed should they choose an auspicious day for the housewarming ceremony to “redeem” the house.
The following order should be followed when performing the age-borrowing ritual:
Offerings for the groundbreaking ceremony include: A tray of five types of fruit, incense, fresh flowers, sticky rice, one boiled chicken, one boiled pig’s head, one boiled fish, paper votive money, three betel leaves and areca nuts, a dish of salt, and rice.
After the age-borrowing ceremony, the lender, acting as the owner, will burn the votive money and spread the rice and salt on the ground. They will then proceed with the groundbreaking. Simultaneously, they will bring three jars of rice, salt, and water to offer to the Kitchen God.
Prayer for Age Borrowing Ceremony
Prepare the offerings before the owner’s prayer.
The following prayer will be recited during the ceremony, specifically during the groundbreaking and foundation-laying rituals:
Nam Mo A Di Da Phat!
Nam Mo A Di Da Phat!
Nam Mo A Di Da Phat!
– I bow to the Nine Directions of Heaven, the Ten Directions of the Buddha, and the Ten Directions of the Buddha.
– I respectfully bow to the Huang Tian Hou Tu deities.
– I respectfully bow to the Quan Dang Nian.
– I respectfully bow to the local deities.
The believers are: ……
Living at: ……
Today is the … day of the … month of the … year. We, the believers, sincerely prepare offerings of betel and areca nuts, incense, flowers, tea, and fruit, and light a stick of heart-incense to offer to the deities. Today, we, the believers, start building … (if it is a roof-raising, read “roof-raising”, if it is a gate-building, read “gate-building”, if it is a house-moving, read “house-moving”) to live in. Now that we have chosen a lucky day and month, we respectfully inform the deities and ask for permission to start construction. We sincerely offer these gifts to the deities and invite them to accept them: the Kim Nien Duong Thai Tu Tai Chi Duc Ton Shen, the Ban Canh Thanh Hoang Chu Vi Dai Vuong, the Ban Xu Than Linh Tu Dia, the Dinh Phuc Tao Quan, the Di Chu Long Mach Ton Shen, and all the deities who govern this area.
We pray that the deities will descend to the altar and witness our sincerity, accept our offerings, and bless us with good fortune, smooth construction, and safety for the workers. We also pray for the fulfillment of our wishes and the peace of our minds. We also inform the previous and future owners and the wandering souls who may be present in this area, inviting them to enjoy the offerings and bless us and the workers with harmony and swift construction.
Our offerings may be small, but our hearts are sincere. We respectfully invite the deities to accept our offerings and bless us.
Nam Mo A Di Da Phat! (3 times)
5 Procedures for Housewarming and Redeeming the House
Housewarming ceremony.
Before performing the housewarming and redeeming rituals when borrowing age for house construction, the owner should prepare the following items: bedding, a mirror, rice, an incense bowl for ancestors, water, and a burning stove from the old house.
The steps are as follows:
Step 1: The wife holds the mirror and is the first to enter the house. Following her, the owner carries the incense bowl of the ancestors, and the children carry the burning stove, rice, and bedding. If there is no man in the family, the wife should carry the incense bowl of the ancestors, and the children should carry the rest of the items.
Step 2: When the auspicious hour arrives, the owner brings jewelry, money, and other valuables into the wardrobe.
Step 3: Bring the items into the house one by one and arrange them neatly.
Step 4: Finally, arrange all the items neatly. Note that pregnant women and people born in the Tiger year should not help the owner with the move.
During the rituals, the lender will continue to act as the owner, offering incense to the deities and reporting the completion of the house. Finally, the owner and the lender will prepare a symbolic document to “buy back” the house from the lender at a higher price, which will be offered to the deities.
6 Borrowing Age for House Construction in 2021
According to feng shui experts, the best ages for building a house in the year of the Buffalo (2021) are: 1991 – Tan Mui, 1988 – Mau Thin; 1982 – Nham Tuat; 1979 – Ky Mui; 1970 – Canh Ty; 1964 – Giap Thin; 1963 – Quy Mao; 1955 – At Mui; 1954 – Giap Ngo; 1952 – Nham Thin.
These are the procedures and things you should know about borrowing age for house construction. Join us to explore more useful information!
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