According to Vietnamese customs and traditions, the most important New Year’s Eve ritual in 2021 includes outdoor and indoor offerings. In this article, we suggest two prayer scripts for you to choose from to perform this sacred ritual.
For reference: outdoor and indoor offerings
1 Meaning of New Year’s Eve Ritual
Meaning of the New Year’s Eve Ritual
The New Year’s Eve ritual in Vietnamese families holds two significant meanings. Firstly, it expresses gratitude to the God of Land for protecting the family’s land over the past year. Secondly, it is a way to show appreciation and gratitude towards one’s parents and ancestors for their nurturing and upbringing. On New Year’s Eve, Vietnamese families traditionally prepare two offerings, one for the God of Land outdoors and another for their ancestors indoors, inviting them to join the family in celebrating the New Year.
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2 Offerings for the New Year’s Eve Ritual
Offerings for the New Year’s Eve Ritual
Each family may adjust the scale of their offerings based on their financial situation. However, to ensure a complete and proper offering, families should prepare the following items: Incense, fresh flowers, five types of fruits, cakes, candies, areca nuts, betel leaves, wine, tea, beer, soft drinks, boiled chicken, pork knuckles, sticky rice cakes, sausages, white sticky rice, pickled onions, and other dishes. Additionally, prepare gold and silver paper money, candles, and lamps.
For reference:
3 Prayer Script for New Year’s Eve Ritual
It is not necessary to memorize the prayer. The host can read from the script, but it is recommended to read through it a few times beforehand for fluency. Here is the prayer:
Outdoor Prayer:
Namo Amitabha Buddha (3 times)
We respectfully bow to: The Nine Heavens and the Ten Directions of the Buddha, the Ten Directions of the Buddha. We respectfully bow to the Future Buddha Maitreya Bodhisattva, the Great Savior of the World. We respectfully bow to the Emperor of Heaven, the Goddess of the Earth, and all the deities. We respectfully bow to the former year’s ruling deity, Zhou Wang, the commander of the Heavenly Army, and the judge, Li Cao. We respectfully bow to the current year’s deity, Zhao Wang, the commander of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Generals, and the judge, Qu Cao. We respectfully bow to the Five Directions, the Five Tigers, the Dragon Veins, the Kitchen God, and all the deities. Now, as we bid farewell to the Year of the Rat and welcome the Year of the Buffalo.
We, …, born in …, aged …, living at …, ward/precinct …, commune/ward …, district/town/city …, province/city …, on this sacred New Year’s Eve moment, as the old year passes and the new year arrives, with the three yang energies flourishing and all things renewed. Now, the God of the Year, under the command of the Jade Emperor, oversees the people and protects all living beings, driving away evil spirits. The old deity returns to the heavenly court, leaving blessings and grace. The new deity descends, embodying filial piety and bestowing fortune and prosperity. On this new spring occasion, we, the believers, sincerely prepare incense, flowers, and offerings, respectfully inviting the Buddha and the Saints to accept our humble offerings, and burning this heart incense, sincerely inviting your presence.
We respectfully invite: The God of the Former Year, the God of the Year, the Most Virtuous God, the God of the New Year, the God of the Year, the Most Virtuous God, the City God, the Earth God, the God of Happiness, the God of Blessings, the Five Directions, the Five Soils, the Dragon Veins, the God of Wealth, the Kitchen God of our family, and all the deities governing this place, please descend and enjoy our offerings. We pray for good health, prosperity, and peace in the coming year, for our family to thrive and flourish, for all our endeavors to be smooth, and for us to receive the blessings of Heaven, the Buddha, and all the deities every day. We respectfully offer these gifts and sincerely pray. May the Nine Heavens, the Ten Directions of the Buddha, and all the deities bear witness and bestow their protection.
Namo Amitabha Buddha (3 times, 3 bows)
Outdoor Prayer
Indoor Prayer:
Namo Amitabha Buddha (3 times)
Namo Maitreya Bodhisattva, the Future Buddha Namo Medicine Master Buddha, the Eastern Enlightened One Namo Great Savior of the World, the Bodhisattva We respectfully bow to the Nine Heavens and the Ten Directions of the Buddha, the Ten Directions of the Buddha. We respectfully bow to the Emperor of Heaven, the Goddess of the Earth, the Dragon Veins, the Kitchen God, and all the deities. We respectfully invite our ancestors and all the departed souls of our lineage. As the Year of the Rat passes and the Year of the Buffalo arrives at this New Year’s Eve moment.
We, …, born in …, aged …, living at …, ward/precinct …, commune/ward …, district/town/city …, province/city …, on this New Year’s Eve moment, as we bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new spring, we sincerely prepare incense, flowers, and offerings, respectfully inviting the Buddha and the Saints to accept our humble offerings, and burning this heart incense, sincerely inviting your presence.
We respectfully invite: The City God, the Earth God, the God of Happiness, the God of Blessings, the Five Directions, the Five Soils, the Dragon Veins, the God of Wealth, the Kitchen God of our family, and all the deities governing this place, please descend and enjoy our offerings.
We also respectfully invite our departed ancestors, our forefathers and foremothers, our uncles, aunts, brothers, sisters, and other relatives of our inner and outer families, as well as all the departed souls of our lineage, to please descend and enjoy our offerings. We further invite the departed souls of the previous and current owners of this land, on this New Year’s Eve, to witness the new spring and enjoy our offerings. We pray for good health, prosperity, and peace in the coming year, for our family to thrive and flourish, and for all our endeavors to be blessed. With sincerity, we offer these humble gifts and pray for your blessings.
Namo Amitabha Buddha (3 times, 3 bows)
Indoor Prayer
These are the two perfect prayer scripts for the New Year’s Eve moment in the Year of the Buffalo, 2021. We hope that this article helps you prepare for this sacred transition into a new year filled with luck, happiness, and prosperity.
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