What day is the 23rd of Chọp – Kitchen God Tet on the lunar calendar in 2024?
The Kitchen God Tet is one of the important festivals for most Vietnamese families. According to customs, the Kitchen God Tet will be organized on the 23rd of Chọp every year.
According to legend, on this day, the Kitchen God will ride a golden carp to Heaven to meet the Jade Emperor and report on the big and small events of the year. Until New Year’s Eve, the Kitchen God returns to the human world to continue his duty of taking care of the family’s kitchen. On the 23rd of Chọp, families will prepare a meal along with offerings to the Kitchen God to express their gratitude.
According to the perpetual calendar, the Kitchen God Tet this year will fall on Friday, February 2, 2024, in the Great Cold period.
According to feng shui, this day is called the Green Dragon Life. It is an auspicious day for travel and work, bringing good results.
Kitchen God Worship Ceremony
Depending on their conditions, families will prepare offerings for the Kitchen God worship ceremony. These items do not need to be expensive or elaborate, but they should show solemnity, sincere gratitude, and be suitable for the family’s economic situation.
Usually, the offerings include sticky rice, cooked rice, soup, wine, clean water, betel leaves, chicken, pork, fruits, fresh flowers, gold items… Especially, during the Kitchen God worship ceremony, there will be 3 sets of clothes, funny hats; one or three golden carp (nowadays, many households no longer offer live fish but use paper fish instead).
The Kitchen God worship ceremony usually takes place on the 23rd of Chọp and does not need to be performed at a specific time, as long as it is done before 11 pm.
Also, as the Kitchen God is a household deity, the household members can offer personal prayers without the need for a ceremony.
Kitchen God Worship Ritual in Nom (Chinese characters used in Vietnam)
Respectfully down on our knees we address the deity of the Eastern Hearth, the Kitchen God!
Respectfully down on our knees we address the deities of the household, the earth gods, the five directions and five ways of life, the wealth gods along with the five directions and five earths, the household respectfully beseeches the venerable gods!
The representative person is: (name of grandparents, parents, children, grandchildren…) equals the family.
Today is the day when the deity of the Eastern Hearth, the Kitchen God ascends to heaven to receive the mandate of the Jade Emperor. The representative person carries a sincere heart to arrange the offering items, put on the clothes and hats, perform the ceremonial rituals, offer in front of the altar, dedicate to the deities, and burn incense sticks while praying with deep reverence.
We respectfully invite:
The deity of the Eastern Hearth, the Kitchen God to descend before the altar and receive the offerings.
Respectfully invite the deities of the household, the earth gods, the five directions and five ways of life, the wealth gods along with the five directions and five earths, the household respectfully beseeches the gathering deities to descend and receive the offerings.
In accordance with ancient tradition, the deity of the Eastern Hearth, the Kitchen God, is the master of the Five Abodes. We respectfully beg for the deity’s inspection of the worldly realm and bestow blessings. If our family has committed any mistakes or faults in the past year, we beseech the deity for forgiveness (at this point, the head of the family can confess the family’s good and bad deeds, acknowledge the mistakes, repent, and promise to make amends). As the deity returns to heaven serving the Jade Emperor, we sincerely pray for the Jade Emperor’s benevolence, blessings, and the protection of our entire family, young and old, ensuring safety and good fortune!
We humbly present our genuine hearts. We respectfully beseech the divine witnesses!
Caution and accept the honor!
Information is for reference and personal judgment.
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