Home Featured “The Optimal Duration for Offering Incense and Paying Homage: Striking a Balance...

Explore

“The Optimal Duration for Offering Incense and Paying Homage: Striking a Balance to Avoid Diminishing Blessings”

The act of burning incense and offering prayers is a sacred spiritual ritual for the Vietnamese, but many are unsure about the appropriate time to conclude the ceremony after lighting the incense.

Administrator

16 December, 2024

The Significance of Burning Incense in Rituals

The Significance of Burning Incense in Rituals

Burning incense has been a longstanding tradition in the spiritual worship culture of Vietnamese and some other Asian countries. Burning incense marks the beginning of a spiritual connection and prayer. The smoke from the incense sticks carries the prayers and wishes of the worshipper to the deities and ancestors.

Thus, burning incense holds great significance. The burning incense symbolizes the ongoing connection between the ancestors and their descendants. It is believed that the smoke serves as a bridge between the two worlds.

After preparing the offerings and setting up the altar, the worshipper lights the incense sticks, marking the start of the ritual. Lighting the incense is a crucial step in the ceremony. The burning incense sticks also signal the beginning of the spiritual ritual and act as a gateway to the spiritual realm. Therefore, the timing of lighting and extinguishing the incense is of utmost importance.

When to Extinguish the Incense and End the Ritual?

In traditional rituals, it is believed that one should allow three incense sticks to burn completely before ending the ritual. This is known as “three incense sticks ceremony”. After that, the worshipper can proceed to burn the gold and silver paper, and only then can the descendants receive the blessings and consume the offerings. If there is a feast, it should only begin after this ritual is completed. Each incense stick usually burns for about 10-30 minutes, depending on the type of incense. Incense for purification and fragrance may burn longer. However, incense used for rituals typically burns for 10-30 minutes.

It is considered disrespectful to end the ritual before the three incense sticks have burned out. However, leaving the ritual too late can also have its drawbacks. Usually, after ending the ritual, one would proceed to burn the gold and silver paper. Therefore, it is not necessary to wait for all three incense sticks to burn out before ending the ritual and proceeding with the paper burning. Once the paper burning is completed, the incense sticks would have burned out, and then one can proceed with the feast and enjoy the blessings.

To perform the three incense sticks ceremony, one would light the second incense stick when about two-thirds of the first one has burned out. Similarly, the third incense stick is lit when about two-thirds of the second one has burned.

Today, the ritual has been simplified, and it is not necessary to wait for three incense sticks to burn out. One can end the ritual, burn the gold and silver paper, and receive the blessings after about two-thirds of the first incense stick has burned.

While some families may choose to end the ritual immediately, others may leave the offerings on the altar until the end of the day, and sometimes even longer for dry offerings such as fruits, sweets, and paper money.

However, it is not advisable to end the ritual too early or too late. Leaving the offerings on the altar for too long can attract flies and mosquitoes, causing hygiene issues and disrupting the energy field of the altar. The paper money, if left too long, can become damp and moldy, and being fake currency, it is not conducive to the energy field of the altar. Overripe fruits can attract ants, cockroaches, and flies and are more likely to rot and mold, which is also undesirable.

Therefore, it is best to end the ritual and remove the offerings from the altar after the ceremony is completed. If the prayer or ritual is lengthy and extends beyond the burning of one incense stick, a new incense stick should be lit when the previous one is about to burn out. If the ritual concludes before the first incense stick has burned out, it is acceptable to end the ritual when about two-thirds of the incense stick has burned.

Other Things to Note When Burning Incense

It is advisable to offer vegetarian food or lightly seasoned food with mild flavors. Strong-smelling, pungent, or raw food should be avoided.

When choosing incense, opt for natural, chemical-free incense to avoid harmful fumes.

Be cautious and avoid burning too much incense at once to prevent the risk of fire hazards.

Avoid burning incense in enclosed spaces, and ensure the altar area is well-ventilated and protected from wind and rain.

This information is based on traditional beliefs and practices and may vary depending on regional customs and personal interpretations.