What is Bao Sai Bat Huong?
Bao Sai Bat Huong is a very important ritual that usually takes place on the 23rd of Tet or the Eve of Lunar New Year’s Day. Bao Sai Bat Huong is the ceremony of fixing the incense altar. It is the time when the homeowners perform rituals to clean the ancestral altar, clean the incense bowl, trim the incense, and add/replenish ashes to the incense bowl after one year. This ritual only takes place once a year and is very important, usually done in full ceremony.
When is Bao Sai Bat Huong in 2024?
According to the lunar calendar, in 2024, the 23rd of Tet falls on February 2nd, 2024 in the Gregorian calendar. This day is considered the best day, the Day of Tư Mệnh Constellation, to trim the incense and fix the ancestral altar.
However, according to the beliefs of many families, it is not necessary to perform the ritual on the 23rd of Tet. Homeowners can choose any auspicious day to clean the ancestral altar. Some other auspicious days to perform Bao Sai Bat Huong in 2024 include:
– The 21st day of the lunar month, during the Thìn hour (7am – 9am).
– The 22nd day of the lunar month, during the Thìn hour (7am – 9am).
– The 26th day of the lunar month, during the Thìn hour (7am – 9am).
When performing Bao Sai Bat Huong, homeowners should take note of the following:
– Prepare all necessary items, including clean water, clean cloth, ginger wine, betel leaves, fresh flowers, etc.
– Take a clean bath before starting the ritual.
– Maintain a peaceful and sincere mindset during the ritual.
– After finishing Bao Sai Bat Huong, light a candle to invite the ancestral spirits to witness the ceremony.
Steps to clean the ancestral altar, Bao Sai Bat Huong:
Step 1 – Preparation:
– Use a high, wide table covered in red fabric or red paper to place the worship items. The table must be clean and covered in red fabric or red paper to set the worship items down. Do not clean the items directly on the altar.
– Use a new clean basin or a basin specifically for cleaning the ancestral altar. The basin should contain ginger wine or warm water infused with the aroma of five types of fragrant leaves.
– Use a new clean cloth to clean the altar and worship items. One wet cloth and one dry cloth.
Step 2 – Light incense to ask for permission to clean the worship items and altar:
– The homeowner buys the necessary worship items and lights incense according to the prescribed ritual. Wait until the incense burns out before starting to perform Bao Sai and clean the altar.
Step 3 – Perform the cleaning and Bao Sai ritual:
– The homeowner carefully lowers each worship item onto the table, avoiding breakage or damage.
– Clean the incense bowl first and then proceed to clean the other worship items, not the other way around.
– When cleaning the incense bowl, it is believed to be appropriate to use a small spoon to scoop out each spoonful of ash before cleaning the bowl, rather than dumping all the ashes out, as it is considered unlucky.
– After cleaning with ginger wine or five-fragrant water, dry the worship items naturally.
– While waiting for the worship items to dry, clean the altar.
– Finally, when both the altar and worship items are dry, rearrange the worship items back to their original positions on the altar.
Afterwards, the homeowner can light incense on the newly cleaned altar as an acknowledgement to the spirits and ancestors and report that the ceremony has been completed. This step is optional.
Notes on trimming the incense:
If the incense bowl is too full, homeowners should trim the incense to make the altar more open, reducing the risk of fire when lighting incense.
According to folk beliefs, odd numbers symbolize the living realm, while even numbers symbolize the spiritual realm. When trimming the incense, it is suggested to leave odd numbers of 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, etc.
After trimming, the incense sticks should be burned and the ashes scattered at the roots of trees in the garden. They should never be thrown away or placed in inappropriate places.
Important notes:
– Do not use cold water to clean the altar.
– If the home has an altar for Buddha, Buddha statues, or Buddha photos, do not use wine to clean them. Instead, use warm water to clean the Buddha altar first before cleaning the ancestral altar.
– Before performing the Bao Sai ritual, the homeowner should take a clean bath, wear traditional clothes, and open all the doors in the house.
– When removing ashes from the incense bowl, it is advisable to leave 1/3 of the base (sand, ashes) and not replace it completely.
– It is recommended to keep at least 3 sticks of last year’s incense.
– Newly-married daughters-in-law should not perform Bao Sai Bat Huong for their birth parents.
– Newly-married sons should not perform Bao Sai Bat Huong for their in-laws.
– The homeowner must perform the Bao Sai ritual themselves and not hire someone else to do it.
– When performing Bao Sai, do not squat, chew betel, or eat. Be respectful and solemn.
Cleaning the ancestral altar and performing Bao Sai Bat Huong is not only an expression of the sincerity and filial piety of the Vietnamese people but also a way to show gratitude to the ancestors, deities, and spiritual beings. According to folk beliefs, it brings new vitality and fortune to homeowners in the new year.
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