When preparing for ancestral worship ceremonies, especially on important festivals or full moon days, it is often necessary to include roasted chicken or a whole roasted pig, pig’s head as well. If setting up a banquet for ancestors to come and enjoy as on the death anniversary or New Year’s Day, if there are dishes like duck, goose, dog, cat, cow, buffalo in the feast, but in the ancestral worship feast, those dishes are usually not included, and the focus is mainly on boiled pork pie, sausage, bamboo shoot soup, salad plate, nem plate, slaughtered chicken, stir-fried vegetables, and shadow pork soup. Why is that?
Why are chickens and pigs considered sacred animals in worship ceremonies?
From ancient times, Vietnamese people have raised buffalos and cows for farming, dogs and cats for guarding the house, pigs, geese, and ducks for meat consumption. Large buffalos and cows cannot be slaughtered regularly and are used for labor, so only seldom are they slaughtered. Therefore, the ancient tradition does not include buffalo and cow offerings.
However, among poultry, ducks, geese, and chickens have been more common than others since ancient times. Moreover, a rooster is a symbol of connection between the divine and humans. The crow of a rooster signifies a new day, waking up everything. Offering a rooster symbolizes the connection between humans and deities, ancestors. The rooster carries strong Feng Shui and spiritual meanings. On the other hand, geese and ducks are clumsy, slow, and do not have the grandeur of a rooster, and their honking sound resembles negative words.
As for pigs, they symbolize wealth, prosperity, and abundance. Worshiping pigs expresses the desire for wealth and represents the act of giving to the deities.
Moreover, buffalo, beef, dog, goose, and duck meat have a strong smell and are not suitable for worship because their smell is considered unclean. Offering pork and chicken to the ancestors as food does not cause allergies as they are commonly consumed meats. On the other hand, many people cannot eat buffalo, beef, dog, goose, and duck meat, so it is not reasonable to place them on the ancestral altar where many gods and ancestors may not be compatible.
That is why in the Vietnamese tradition, only chickens and pigs are chosen as offerings.
Are there any taboos when offering ducks, chickens, geese, pigs, dogs, and cats?
According to traditional beliefs, ducks, geese, cows, buffalos, dogs do not have any Feng Shui significance or spiritual connection as offerings. But if when offering a banquet, there are dishes made from beef, buffalo, duck, or goose on the plate, they are considered as a dish offered to ancestors, not as sacred animals. Therefore, it depends on each family’s perception of whether this is taboo or not. However, the ancestral altar and gods pay great attention to cleanliness and avoid unpleasant smells. Therefore, it is best to be cautious when offering these foods. Furthermore, if the ancestors and deities have not been accustomed to eating these particular dishes, the act of offering may be meaningless, wasteful, and even considered disrespectful. Therefore, it is best not to offer ducks, geese, dogs, and cats if already offering rice, chicken, pig, and fruits.
Worshiping gods and ancestors have more taboos than worshiping Buddha, so you should not go against the tradition and long-standing experience of our ancestors, as it will not create any meaningful significance in the worship ceremony.
This information is for reference purposes only.
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