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Worshiping New Year’s Eve in the Year of Wood Horse 2024: Auspicious Time, Traditional Ritual, and Proper Offerings

In accordance with the traditional customs of the Vietnamese people, on the last day of the year, families will prepare a special meal to show their sincere respect and gratitude to their grandparents and ancestors.

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11 February, 2024

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New Year’s Eve Worship Day, the best time

New Year’s Eve worship can be performed on the 30th day of the lunar December (if it is a leap year) and the 29th day of the lunar December (if it is a non-leap year).

For the year 2024, you can set up the New Year’s Eve worship tray on December 30th (lunar calendar), which corresponds to February 9th, 2024 (solar calendar). The worship ceremony is usually held in the afternoon or evening.

However, families can set up the New Year’s Eve worship tray earlier, not necessarily on the 29th or 30th of Tet.

What is the best time for New Year’s Eve worship?

New Year’s Eve worship is usually held in the evening of the 30th day of Tet (in a leap year). This year is a leap year, so families usually worship on the 30th day of Tet. According to many experts, the auspicious date and time for New Year’s Eve worship at home or in the office that you can choose are:

On the 26th day of the lunar December (which is February 5th, 2024 in the solar calendar), which means the day of Kỷ Hợi, the month of Ất Sửu, the year of Quý Mão. Auspicious hours on the 26th day of the lunar December: Ất Sửu (1-3 AM), Mậu Thìn (7-9 AM), Canh Ngọ (11 AM – 1 PM), Tân Mùi (1-3 PM), Giáp Tuất (7-9 PM), Ất Hợi (9-11 PM).

On the 29th day of the lunar December (which is February 9th, 2024 in the solar calendar), which means the day of Nhâm Dần, the month of Ất Sửu, the year of Quý Mão. Auspicious hours on the 29th day of the lunar December: Canh Tý (11 PM – 1 AM), Tân Sửu (1-3 AM), Giáp Thìn (7-9 AM), Ất Tị (9-11 AM), Đinh Mùi (1-3 PM), Canh Tuất (7-9 PM).

On the 30th day of the lunar December (which is February 9th, 2024 in the solar calendar), which means the day of Quý Mão, the month of Ất Sửu, the year of Quý Mão. Auspicious hours on the 30th day of Tet: Nhâm Tý (11 PM – 1 AM), Giáp Dần (3-5 AM): Thanh Long, Ất Mão (5-7 AM), Mậu Ngọ (11 AM – 1 PM), Kỷ Mùi (1-3 PM), Tân Dậu (5-7 PM).

In general, no matter when New Year’s Eve worship takes place, it represents the welcoming of the Kitchen God, ancestors to celebrate the Lunar New Year with descendants, and expresses the warmth, unity, and harmony of the family. But it is best to worship on the last day of the year to adhere to the customs passed down by our ancestors.

What is included in the New Year’s Eve worship tray?

The items included in the New Year’s Eve worship tray depend on the economic conditions of each family and the cultural customs of each region.

Let’s explore how the New Year’s Eve worship tray is prepared at the end of the year in three regions.

New Year’s Eve worship tray in the Northern region

The New Year’s Eve worship tray in the Northern region must have 4 bowls, 4 plates; 6 bowls, 6 plates; or 8 bowls, 8 plates, depending on the conditions of each family.

Four bowls include: Braised pork with bamboo shoots, bánh bóng thả (a Vietnamese dish made from sticky rice balls), glass noodles, ear mushroom bowls. The four plates of the worship tray include: gio lua (Vietnamese sausage), cinnamon-flavored meat pies, chicken meat on bamboo skewers, pork meat.

New Year’s Eve worship tray in the Central region

The New Year’s Eve worship tray in the Central region does not require a specific number of 4-4, 6-6, or 8-8 bowls and plates like the Northern region’s worship tray. The typical dishes in the Central region’s New Year’s Eve worship tray include: Bánh tét (a cylindrical rice cake), pickled pork, gio lua, chicken meat, pork meat, dried bamboo shoot soup, stir-fried glass noodles,…

New Year’s Eve worship tray in the Southern region

The New Year’s Eve worship tray in the Southern region is diverse and includes many dishes. The New Year’s Eve worship tray in the Southern region includes dishes such as: Bánh tét, simmered duck eggs in sauce, bitter melon soup, bone-in bamboo shoot soup, shredded chicken salad, shrimp and meat salad, fried spring rolls,…

New Year’s Eve Worship Prayer on Giap Thin 2024

The standard New Year’s Eve worship prayer is recorded in cultural documents. Here is a worship prayer excerpt from “Traditional Vietnamese Worship Prayers” – Cultural Information Publishing House.

Nam Mô A Di Đà Phật! (3 times)

– I respectfully bow to the nine skies, ten directions of Buddhas, all Buddhas in the ten directions.

– I respectfully bow to the celestial emperor, the earthly emperor, all deities.

– I respectfully bow to the celestial archivist Jin Nian Duang Tài Tuế, the gods of great virtue and dignity.

– I respectfully bow to the royal kings of protective lands and great lords.

– I respectfully bow to the local spirit of the soil.

– I respectfully bow to the Five Directions, Five Earths, dragons, gods of wealth, the Kitchen God, and all the ruling spirits in this land.

– I respectfully bow to the venerable ancestors Cao Tằng Tổ Khảo, Cao Tằng Tổ Tỷ, divine beings of the lineage…

Today is the 30th day of the lunar December of the year…

As the disciples, we are…

Residing at…

We humbly present: The winter is ending, the year is coming to an end, the spring season is approaching, the new year is coming.

We, together with all our relatives, prepare offerings, prosperous meals, New Year’s Eve rituals, offering worship to the Heavenly and Earthly Deities, paying tribute to the Ancestors, and remembering all the spirits.

As usual, except for the offering of sautéed meat, we respectfully ask the deities, the provenance and posterity of the gods and spirits, to descend and partake in the offerings, to protect the well-being and prosperity of our entire family, from the young to the old, and bring good fortune and auspiciousness to all matters, always be healthy, and have a harmonious family.

We sincerely beseech the gods and ancestors, asking for their ongoing protection and assistance.

Nam Mô A-di-đà Phật (3 times, 3 bows).