In Vietnamese folklore, there are certain taboos to follow when worshiping the Kitchen God to ensure that the ceremony is performed correctly. Modern life has introduced some new taboos to preserve the meaning of the ritual, such as releasing carp after worshiping the Kitchen God.
Here are some things to avoid:
Worshiping the Kitchen God too early
According to feng shui experts, worshiping the Kitchen God should not be done too early, and it is imperative to avoid worshiping on the full moon day of the lunar December. Families should worship the Kitchen God as early as possible, starting from the 20th of December (equivalent to January 30th in the Gregorian calendar) until the 23rd of December.
12:00 on the 23rd of December is the time when the Kitchen God returns to heaven. Only one day a year can the Kitchen God listen to the reports of the Gods, so the Kitchen God needs to ascend to the celestial palace at the right time to be able to participate. Those who ascend early have to wait until the appointed day, and those who ascend late cannot participate.
According to tradition, the head of the household should not trim the candles, clean the worship space, or the altar before worshiping the Kitchen God. These tasks should only be done after worshiping the Kitchen God.
Setting up the worship table arbitrarily
If the household has an altar for the Kitchen God in the kitchen, it is possible to set up the worship table there, but there still needs to be a worship table for the Kitchen God in the main altar because according to folk beliefs, the Kitchen God is the Earth God, who governs the land in the house and should not be worshiped in the kitchen.
In addition, from a spiritual perspective, the ritual should be performed in a clean and solemn place in the house. The kitchen is a place for cooking, no matter how clean it is, it is still a shared living space and lacks solemnity.
The main altar of the family is where the deities are worshiped, and setting up the worship table here demonstrates the homeowner’s respect for the deities. When worshiping, it is advisable to place the carp next to the worship area.
Worshiping with hell money
When worshiping the Kitchen God, the homeowner should not burn hell money because it is completely wrong in terms of meaning. The Kitchen God is a divine being, not a departed soul.
During this time, many families are willing to spend millions of dong (Vietnamese currency) to buy gold paper and burn it for the Kitchen God, believing that if they offer a full worship table with a lot of money and gold, they will receive many blessings from the Kitchen God and be forgiven for any wrongdoings in the year. In reality, this not only wastes money, but also affects the environment.
Throwing carp from a high place
Releasing carp has a humane meaning, but only when it is done correctly so that the fish can survive and thrive when released. If one does not care about their survival and releases them in a polluted environment or throws them brutally, then this ritual loses its meaning and can even be considered a sin.
When releasing carp, slowly tilt the mouth of the nylon bag or fish container into the water, allowing the fish to swim out on their own. Or you can place the carp in the palm of your hand and gently release it into the water. The movements should be gentle but quick. Absolutely do not stand on the bridge or high points and throw the fish, or release the fish recklessly into dirty water.
Avoid offering duck, chicken, goose…
When preparing the worship table for the Kitchen God, depending on the circumstances, the homeowner can choose to have either a vegetarian or non-vegetarian feast. A vegetarian feast consists of incense sticks, water, and fruits. A non-vegetarian feast consists of traditional dishes such as sausage, pork trotters, sticky rice, and other traditional dishes.
Because it is an important festival, many families often prepare a grand feast with a variety of dishes. However, dishes made from duck, chicken, goose, buffalo, goat, dog, squid, etc. are believed to be inappropriate for the Kitchen God’s feast.
In addition to these taboos when worshiping the Kitchen God, you should also note:
– The person directly performing the Kitchen God worship ceremony must maintain cleanliness. During the ritual, they must be neatly dressed, modestly covered, and avoid wearing shorts, tank tops, short skirts, etc.
– Maintain a happy mindset during the ceremony to generate positive energy.
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