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The Ancient Ritual of Chicken Offerings: Unveiling the Sacred Significance in Vietnamese Culture

In a traditional Vietnamese altar, a dish of salty offerings, "ga cung" or chicken ritual, is always a must-have. However, it is more than just a meal.

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25 February, 2024

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The chicken is a common offering in Vietnamese spiritual culture. Important ceremonies such as openings, holidays, full moon days, and weddings rarely lack a whole chicken in the offering tray. While betel, fruit, tea, sticky rice, water, and alcohol are offered as food and drinks, the chicken holds a deeper meaning.

The Significance of Chicken in Ceremonial Offerings

Is the chicken in the offering tray simply a dish presented to the ancestors? While other foods in the tray signify the host’s sincerity and hospitality, the chicken symbolizes much more. In spiritual culture, the chicken is a vital spiritual creature. When the rooster crows, it awakens the sun. Thus, the chicken connects humans and deities. The rooster’s crow holds immense importance, and offering a chicken expresses people’s wishes for the sun god to bring luck and prosperity.

The rooster also represents strength, vigor, and masculinity, embodying five virtues:

– Literature (Văn): The rooster’s comb and wattles resemble the winged hat of a scholar.

– Martial Arts (Võ): The rooster’s spurs symbolize weapons, representing the warrior spirit.

– Bravery (Dũng): Roosters are always ready to fight to protect their flock, even to the death.

– Benevolence (Nhân): Roosters call their flock when fed.

– Faithfulness (Tín): Roosters crow punctually, regardless of weather conditions.

In a traditional culture that values masculinity over femininity, the rooster embodies these virtues, making it a fitting offering in ceremonial trays, distinct from other birds like ducks or geese.

Selecting and Offering the Chicken

Given its profound significance, Vietnamese people typically offer roosters, rarely hens, and usually keep them whole rather than cutting them into pieces.

The chosen rooster is young and castrated, symbolizing purity and solemnity. It should be neither too young nor too old, and its spurs should not be too long.

Leaving the rooster whole when offering it is aesthetically pleasing and symbolizes the rooster crowing to awaken the sun god and connect with the divine.

When placed on an indoor altar, the rooster should face the incense burner. For outdoor offerings, it should face the sun, looking outward.

To boil a beautiful, intact offering chicken, use a wide pot to avoid turning it over. Bring the water to a boil, then place the chicken in it, reducing the heat to around 80°C to cook it slowly without tearing the skin or making it too soft.

Retain the chicken’s organs and cook them with incense. These organs must belong to the offered chicken to avoid mixing them with those of another bird.

Usually, a rooster is offered to connect with the divine. However, a hen may be chosen on occasions like a fertility ritual, symbolizing reproduction and the continuation of the family line.

This information is for reference and spiritual exploration only.

Frequently asked questions

The chicken, especially the rooster, holds a profound significance in Vietnamese spiritual culture. While offering food and drinks to ancestors is a common practice, the chicken is believed to have a deeper connection to the spiritual realm. It is seen as a vital spiritual creature that connects humans and deities. The rooster’s crow is considered sacred, and offering a chicken is thought to express people’s wishes for the sun god to bring luck and prosperity.

The rooster symbolizes strength, vigor, and masculinity, and it embodies five virtues that are highly valued in traditional Vietnamese culture. These virtues include Literature (Văn), represented by the rooster’s comb and wattles resembling a scholar’s hat; Martial Arts (Võ), symbolized by the rooster’s spurs as weapons; Bravery (Dũng), reflecting the rooster’s protective nature towards its flock; Benevolence (Nhân), as roosters call their flock when fed; and Faithfulness (Tín), depicted by the rooster’s punctual crowing regardless of weather conditions.

Vietnamese people typically offer young, castrated roosters, symbolizing purity and solemnity. The rooster is usually kept whole, as cutting it into pieces is avoided. When preparing the chicken as an offering, it is boiled carefully in a wide pot to preserve its integrity. The organs are retained and cooked with incense, ensuring they belong to the offered chicken to avoid any mixing.

Yes, on certain occasions, such as a fertility ritual, a hen may be chosen to symbolize reproduction and the continuation of the family line. However, roosters are generally preferred for their spiritual significance and their association with the divine.