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The Significance of the 7th Day of Tet Lunar New Year- Official Beginning of a New Year

On the traditional Tet holiday, the 7th day of Tet is the day to lower the New Year pole (Khai ha ceremony). On this day, Vietnamese people lower the New Year pole, marking the end of the Lunar New Year festival and officially beginning a new year.

Administrator

15 February, 2024

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1. What is the 7th day of Lunar New Year? What is the Opening Day?

According to the traditional Lunar New Year customs, the 7th day of the Lunar New Year (some regions choose the 6th day of the Lunar New Year) is the last day of the Tet holiday.

According to the folk customs of Tet, after the gold-plating ceremony on the 3rd day of Tet, the Opening Day ceremony will take place on the 7th day of Tet.

The term “Opening Day” means “lowering the New Year’s tree”. On this day, those who have erected a New Year’s tree before Tet will perform a ceremony to lower the tree. Usually, families will collectively lower the tree on the afternoon of the 7th day to end the Tet holiday and officially start a new year.

Although the tradition of erecting a New Year’s tree before Tet is no longer common, some regions (especially the northern and central regions) still maintain this traditional beauty.

New Year’s tree in Vietnamese traditional culture

Specifically, according to tradition, on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, families will start to erect the New Year’s tree. Depending on each region and time period, the New Year’s tree will be decorated differently (with small circles, additional lanterns or some thorny shrubs…). But no matter how it is decorated, the New Year’s tree always symbolizes bidding farewell to the bad and unlucky things of the old year and welcoming the lucky things into the family in the first days of the new year.

2. The Ceremony of Lowering the New Year’s Tree on the 7th day of Tet.

According to tradition, if a family has erected a New Year’s tree, they must also have a ceremony to lower the New Year’s tree. This practice, according to the wisdom of the ancients, shows the idea of “having a beginning and an end”, expressing respect for deities, in order to receive peace and good fortune.

According to some historical books, before lowering the New Year’s tree, the homeowner needs to place a small table right next to the base of the tree, on top of the table, arrange a plate of five fruits, some incense, flowers, gold coins… After that, they perform a ceremony to inform the heavens and the earth that the family has enjoyed a joyful and happy Tet.

After finishing the ceremony, the family will shake the New Year’s tree to make all the dry leaves fall off. Then, the members of the family will lower the New Year’s tree. If there are talismans or wind chimes on the tree, they will hang or stick them on the front door of the house.

For those families involved in business, the day after lowering the New Year’s tree, they will also perform a ceremony to pray for successful and prosperous business in the new year.

However, later on, as life became more modern, the tradition of erecting a New Year’s tree gradually declined. Nowadays, many families still erect a New Year’s tree, but it is adorned with eye-catching lanterns or expensive lighting systems. At this point, the New Year’s tree has become a mere decoration, no longer associated with as much meaning as in the past.

3. The Ritual of the Ceremony of Lowering the New Year’s Tree on the 7th day of Tet.

What does the worship tray of the Ceremony of Lowering the New Year’s Tree on the 7th day of Tet include? Before performing the ceremony of lowering the New Year’s tree, families need to prepare a full worship tray, including:

The worship tray (depending on the custom, it can be a vegetarian tray or a tray of traditional Tet dishes. Note that the food on the worship tray must be freshly prepared, and not leftovers or “used” food) will include:

Rice wine
Incense
Flowers (5 or 7 flowers, not an even number)
Fruits (five fruits, or 3 or 7 types, not an even number)
Plate of rice
Plate of salt
Gold coins

After arranging the items on the tray and placing it under the New Year’s tree, the head of the family will light incense, make offerings, and ask for permission from the ancestors inside the house before proceeding with the outdoor ritual.

The Opening Day Worship Prayer on the 7th day of Tet

In the book “Vietnamese Traditional Worship Prayers” published by the Ministry of Culture and Information, the Opening Day ceremony on the 7th day of Tet has the following detailed worship prayer:

Namo Amitabha Buddha (3 times)

I respectfully bow to the nine directions of the sky, the ten directions of the Buddha, and the Buddha in the ten directions

I respectfully bow to Heaven, Earth, Long Mach, Tao Quan, and all the deities

I respectfully bow to Heaven, Earth, Tao Quan, and all the deities

I respectfully bow to the Current Heavenly Ruler, the Former Heavenly Emperor, the Earth Deities, Tao Quan, and Long Mach

I respectfully bow to the ancestors, the male and female ancestors, the ancestral spirits inside and outside the family

Today is the 7th day of the first lunar month, the year…

We are… years old…

Currently residing at…

Sincerely preparing offerings of incense, flowers, and other items, to perform the ritual to bid farewell. Respectfully submit: The New Year’s feast is complete, the Lunar New Year has passed, now we burn the gold and silver, offer prayers to the deities, and escort the wandering souls back to the afterlife.

Ask for blessings, grace, protection in activities, and good things in all places. May the descendants have all wishes come true, everything be peaceful, wealth and luck be abundant, and the family be prosperous.

With humble sincerity, offer and present silver, with the amount reviewed closely, humbly ask for certification.

Namo Amitabha Buddha (3 times)