Tet holiday is an important time to enter a new year. Tet holiday worship is the most important worship ritual in the Vietnamese spiritual worship culture. Tet worship is a form of worship at the moment of welcoming a new day, a new lunar year. Tet worship also symbolizes calling the sun god to wake up, bringing new light to humanity, signaling the beginning of a lunar year, bringing favorable weather, smooth business, and good luck.
Cocks are a popular offering in Vietnamese spiritual worship culture. Cocks are often present on the altar, in worship on the full moon, family ancestral worship, and death anniversary ceremonies.
Especially, cocks symbolize the connection between deities and humans. Cocks crow to wake up the sun and welcome a new day.
Meaning of Tet holiday worship and altar offerings
During Tet holiday, families often prepare outdoor altars and an altar for ancestor worship. This ritual aims to say goodbye to the old year, welcome the new year, and invite ancestors to join in the Lunar New Year celebration, asking deities and the sun god for a new year filled with harmonious light, prosperous business, and good fortune.
The ceremony takes place at the moment of the transition from the old year to the new year. In the family altar, the family sets up an altar to invite ancestors to enjoy, offering delicious food with sincere prayers for ancestral peace, a peaceful resting place, and blessings for their descendants’ successful endeavors. The outdoor altar is for praying to deities, calling the sun god to wake up and bring a new day with smooth sailing and favorable winds.
The Tet holiday moment is considered important for knowing whether the new year will be prosperous or not.
Can a hen be used for Tet worship?
Cocks in the Tet holiday altar are extremely important. Cocks symbolize the connection with the divine and the call to the sun. Most families use cocks as offerings.
In this case, the role of the cocks is to crow and welcome the new year, inviting deities and honoring ancestors.
Therefore, hens cannot be used for Tet worship. Hens do not crow, so they will not have the awakening call for the sun.
Therefore, it is considered unlucky to use hens for Tet worship. Without the crowing, the sun god will not wake up, bringing darkness to the world and causing difficulties in life.
Cocks play a particularly important role at this moment due to their crowing. Roosters always wake up and crow punctually to ensure that the sun god shines on humanity every day, bringing good light to people’s lives. Therefore, on important occasions such as welcoming the new year, Tet holidays, Ong Cong Ong Tao ceremony, and grand opening events, roosters must be chosen. Worshiping roosters aims to establish a deep connection with deities and pray for favorable weather. Roosters also symbolize power, strong vitality, and represent masculinity with the five virtues:
– Versatility: Roosters have crests on their heads and two fleshy wattles underneath, resembling the wings of a doctorate hat.
– Martial spirit: Roosters have spurs that represent weapons, symbolizing martial spirit.
– Courage: Roosters are always ready to fight to protect their flock, willing to sacrifice themselves.
– Benevolence: Roosters will call their flock when given a meal of rice.
– Trust: Roosters always crow on time, regardless of rain or cold winds.
Moreover, in Vietnamese culture, men are the heads of the family, so the rooster represents the family head to send prayers to ancestors and deities. Therefore, hens should not be used during this occasion, and roosters should be chosen.
Hens, on the other hand, symbolize fertility and are often offered in ceremonies for blessings in wealth and a large family. In normal occasions, hens are used as altar offerings without distinguishing between roosters and hens. However, during Tet holidays, Vietnamese people are accustomed to using roosters, especially for the Tet holiday altar, as roosters use their crowing to welcome the new day.
Information is for reference purposes only
Choosing hen for incense lighting. When to choose a rooster and when to choose a hen, many people still don’t know.
In conclusion, the ritual of lighting incense with roosters and hens in Vietnamese culture holds immense symbolic significance. It is a way of communicating with the spiritual realm, seeking blessings, and honoring ancestors. This captivating tradition adds depth and charm to Vietnam’s rich cultural heritage.
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