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The Year-End Thanksgiving: Rituals and Offerings

As per Vietnamese beliefs, one must offer thanks and return favors at the year-end after seeking blessings at the start of the year. This ritual is performed either at home or in temples. Learn about this year-end thanksgiving ritual and how to perform it!

Administrator

18 July, 2024

The year-end thanksgiving ceremony is a ritual to give thanks to the gods and ancestors for the blessings received throughout the year. It is a time to show gratitude and seek continued blessings for the new year. Join us as we explore the year-end thanksgiving ceremony, along with the rituals and prayers to show our appreciation.

1The Meaning of the Year-End Thanksgiving Ceremony

As mentioned earlier, the year-end thanksgiving ceremony is a time to express gratitude to the gods and ancestors for the blessings received during the year. It reflects the spiritual belief of the Vietnamese people in “borrowing and repaying,” maintaining a balance between receiving and giving.

With this beautiful meaning, at the beginning of the year, the householder performs a prayer for peace and absolution at the temple, and at the end of the year, they return to the same place to express their gratitude and register for peace and absolution for the coming year. Additionally, it is believed that showing gratitude where one has received blessings brings peace of mind and a smooth start to the new year.

The Meaning of the Year-End Thanksgiving Ceremony

2What Is Included in the Year-End Thanksgiving Ceremony?

The offerings for the year-end thanksgiving ceremony do not need to be extravagant, but they must be sincere, neatly arranged, and clean. Essentially, the offerings include:

Incense and candles
Fresh flowers: chrysanthemums, lilies
Fruits: apples, mangoes, dragon fruits, etc.
Sweets and cakes

These offerings are presented to the Buddha and Bodhisattvas in the temple, or to the Holy Mother in some shrines. However, when offering to the gods and ancestors, it is customary to include ceremonial paper items such as gold and silver ingots and hats.

For temples and shrines, it is common to offer cooked dishes such as boiled chicken, pork, and steamed glutinous rice at the communal hall.

What Is Included in the Year-End Thanksgiving Ceremony?

Vegetarian offerings: flowers, fruits, and other items. These are suitable for worshipping the Buddha and Bodhisattvas and can also be offered to the Holy Mother.
Non-vegetarian offerings: various dishes such as boiled chicken, duck, pork, and more.
Live offerings: Never use live animals such as chickens, ducks, fish, or turtles as offerings.
Co Son Trang: This includes special vegetarian dishes from Vietnamese cuisine. Avoid using crabs, snails, eels, shrimp, or lemons. If you have glutinous rice, you can cook sweet sticky rice as part of the offerings.
Offerings for the unwed deceased (Cô hồn): These usually include sweets, fruits, incense, and toys, often in small, beautiful packages.
Offerings for the City God and the God of Agriculture: Only vegetarian dishes are used to pray for blessings and the fulfillment of wishes.

For reference: Giáp Thìn 2024 – What’s Included?

3Prayers for the Year-End Thanksgiving Ceremony

Prayer for the Year-End Thanksgiving Ceremony at Home

Today is the 2nd (or 16th) of the month of …. year ….

The householder sincerely offers incense, flowers, fruits, rice, salt, paper money, cakes, and other items to the Gods, Ancestors, the departed souls, and the land gods of this area.

May all the Gods, Ancestors, departed souls, and land gods of this area accept these offerings and bear witness to our gratitude.

NAM MÔ QUAN THẾ ÂM BỒ TÁT (chanted 3 times)

Mô Phật – If there are any shortcomings in these offerings, may all the Gods, Ancestors, departed souls, and land gods of this area kindly forgive us and accept our sincerity.

NAM MÔ QUAN THẾ ÂM BỒ TÁT (chanted 3 times)

(This prayer is recited twice)

When the incense is about to burn out, recite:

NAM MÔ QUAN THẾ ÂM BỒ TÁT (chanted 7 times)

Mô Phật – As this ceremony comes to an end, may all the Gods, Ancestors, departed souls, and land gods return to your places, and may we take back these offerings.

NAM MÔ QUAN THẾ ÂM BỒ TÁT (chanted 3 times)

(Mix the rice and salt and sprinkle them first, then burn the paper money)

Prayer for the Year-End Thanksgiving Ceremony at Home

For reference: – How to Prepare Offerings and Prayers for the Land Gods

Prayer to Show Gratitude to the Three Jewels (Tam Bảo)

Nam mô A Di Đà Phật!

Nam mô A Di Đà Phật! (bow 3 times)

Disciples sincerely bow to the Ten Directions Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Sages, Dharma Protectors, and the Eight Legions of Devas.

Today is the ….. month ….. year …..

We, the believers, are: …………………..

Living at: ………………….

Sincerely offering silver and a prayer scroll to the Ten Directions Constant Abiding Three Jewels.

We sincerely pray to:

– The Buddha Amitabha, the teacher of the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.

– The Buddha Shakyamuni, the teacher of the Saha world.

– The Buddha Bhaisajyaguru, the teacher of the Eastern Pure Lapis Lazuli Land.

– The Thousand-Handed, Thousand-Eyed Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, the Five Hundred Names, the seeker of sounds to relieve suffering.

– The Dharma Protectors and Devas.

May you have compassion and bless us with …………………. (success, wealth, absolution, peace, etc.).

May you accept these offerings and our sincere prayer, bearing witness to our wishes for safety, the fulfillment of our prayers, the dissipation of obstacles, the increase of wealth and fortune, the health and harmony of our family, and all things going smoothly.

We are ordinary people with faults and mistakes. We humbly ask the Buddhas and Saints to forgive us and grant us safety, blessings, and the fulfillment of our wishes and prayers.

With sincerity, we bow and pray.

Nam mô A Di Đà Phật!

Nam mô A Di Đà Phật! (bow 3 times)

Prayer to Show Gratitude to the Three Jewels (Tam Bảo)

For reference: – Offering Prayers to the Three Jewels at the Temple in 2022

Prayer to Show Gratitude to the Communal Hall (Công Đồng)

Nam mô A Di Đà Phật!

Nam mô A Di Đà Phật! (bow 3 times)

– I bow to the Nine Directions of Heaven, the Ten Directions Buddhas, and the Ten Directions Buddhas.

– I bow to the Jade Emperor, the King of Heaven.

– I bow to the Three Palaces of the Holy Mother.

– I bow to the Three Palaces Communal Hall, the Four Palaces Myriad Spirits.

– I bow to the Four Palaces Inspectors.

– I bow to the Chầu bà Thủ Mệnh.

– I bow to the Four Palaces Holy Emperor.

– I bow to the Four Palaces Holy Maiden.

– I bow to the Four Palaces Holy Boy.

– I bow to the community of the Gods, the Officials, the Eighteen Gates of the Forest, and the Twelve Gates of the Sea.

– I bow to the Chầu gia.

We, the believers, are: ………

Along with our family members: …………….

Living at: …………….

Today is the ….. month ….. year …..

We sincerely offer our prayers and wish for good health, longevity, peace, prosperity, and success in our endeavors. May we be blessed with good fortune, safety, and harmony.

Nam mô A Di Đà Phật!

Nam mô A Di Đà Phật! (bow 3 times)

Prayer to Show Gratitude to the Communal Hall (Công Đồng)

Prayer to Show Gratitude to the City God (Thành Hoàng)

Nam mô A Di Đà Phật!

I bow to the Nine Directions of Heaven, the Ten Directions Buddhas, and the Ten Directions Buddhas.

I sincerely bow to the Emperor of Jade, the Queen Mother of the West, and the Gods and Goddesses.

I sincerely bow to the Kim Niên Đương cai Thái tuế chí đức Tôn Thần.

I sincerely bow to the Bản cảnh Thành Hoàng chư vị Đại Vương.

We, the believers, are: …………

Living at: ………………………

Today is the …… month ….. year …………..

We sincerely offer incense, flowers, fruits, and other items to show our gratitude. We pray for your compassion and protection, granting us good health, blessings, wealth, and peace. May our wishes be fulfilled, and may we be blessed with good fortune.

With sincerity, we bow and pray.

Nam mô A Di Đà Phật!

Prayer to Show Gratitude to the City God (Thành Hoàng)

For reference:

Prayer to Show Gratitude to the Three Palaces of the Holy Mother (Tam Toà Thánh Mẫu)

Nam mô A Di Đà Phật!

Nam mô A Di Đà Phật! (bow 3 times)

– I sincerely bow to the Hiệu Thiên chí tôn kim quyết Ngọc Hoàng Huyền cung cao Thượng đế.

– I sincerely bow to the Hoàng Thiên Hậu Thổ chư vị Tôn thần.

– I sincerely bow to the Cửu trùng Thanh Vân lục cung công chúa.

– I sincerely bow to the Đức thiên tiên Quỳnh Hoa Liễu Hạnh Mã Hoàng Công chúa, sắc phong Chế Thắng Hoà Diệu đại vương, gia phong Tiên Hương Thánh Mấu.

– I sincerely bow to the Đức đệ nhị đỉnh thượng cao sơn triều mường Sơn tinh công chúa Lê Mại Đại Vương.

– I sincerely bow to the Đức đệ tứ khâm sai Thánh Mẫu, tứ vi chầu bà, năm tòa quan lớn, mười dinh các quan, mười hai Tiên cô, mười hai Thánh cậu, ngũ hổ Đại tướng, Thanh Hoàng Bạch xà đại tướng.

We, the believers, are: ……………

Living at: …………….

Today is the ……. month …… year ……

We sincerely offer our prayers and wish for good health, longevity, peace, prosperity, and success in our endeavors. May we be blessed with good fortune, safety, and harmony.