Burning incense and reciting prayers is a traditional way to ward off bad luck and misfortune from the old year and welcome in the new. This practice is an essential part of the Vietnamese New Year celebrations, known as Tet. Here is a collection of prayers for this occasion, including those for the home, outdoors, the God of Wealth, the Earth God, and ancestors.
1. Prayer for the Home
Namo Amitabha Buddha (Three times).
We bow to the Buddha of the Future, Maitreya.
• We pay respect to the Gods of the Sky and Earth, and all other deities.
• We invite the City God and all the Great Kings.
• We invite the local Earth God and the Kitchen God. We also invite the Gods of the land, the Long脉 God, and all other Gods who rule over this area.
• We invite our ancestors and all the spirits of our lineage.
As the New Year approaches, we, the [family name], residing at [address], invite you to join us in this special moment. According to tradition, we bid farewell to the old and welcome the new. We offer you our sincere prayers, incense, and offerings, hoping that you will accept them.
We invite the City God and all the Great Kings, the local Earth God, the Kitchen God, the God of Happiness and Virtue, the Five Directions and Five Soils Gods, the God of Wealth, and all the other Gods who rule over this area to descend and enjoy our offerings.
We also invite our ancestors and all the spirits of our lineage to descend and join us in this celebration.
We pray for good health, peace, and prosperity in the coming year. May all our endeavors be blessed with success, and may we find happiness and abundance in our daily lives. May we always be protected and guided by the Gods and our ancestors.
With sincerity and gratitude, we offer these prayers.
Prayer for the Home
2. Outdoor Prayer
Namo Amitabha Buddha (Three times).
We bow to the Nine Skies and the Ten Directions of the Buddha, and to the Buddha of all Ten Directions.
We bow to the Buddha of the Future, Maitreya.
We bow to Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, who saves and relieves suffering beings.
We pay respect to the Gods of the Sky and Earth, and all other deities.
We invite the Gods of the previous year: the Commander, the Military God, and the Judge.
We invite the Gods of the current year: the Commander, the Military God, and the Judge.
We invite the Five Directions, Five Tigers, Dragon Vein, Kitchen God, and all other Gods and Goddesses.
As we stand at the threshold of a new year, bidding farewell to the Year of the Rabbit and welcoming the Year of the Dragon, we, the residents of [address], humbly offer our prayers.
We invite the Old and New Year Gods, the City God and all the Great Kings, the local Earth God, the God of Happiness and Virtue, the Five Directions and Five Soils Gods, the God of Wealth, the Kitchen God, and all other Gods and Goddesses who rule over this land to descend and enjoy our offerings.
We pray for good health, peace, and prosperity in the coming year. May we find happiness and abundance in all four seasons and eight solar terms. May the Gods and Buddhas always bless and protect us.
With sincerity and respect, we offer these prayers and await your blessings.
Namo Amitabha Buddha (Three times, with three bows).
Outdoor Prayer
3. Prayer to the God of Wealth
Namo Amitabha Buddha!
We bow to the Nine Skies and the Ten Directions of the Buddha, and to the Buddha of all Ten Directions.
We pay respect to the Gods of the Sky and Earth, and all other deities.
We bow to the Kitchen God, the God of the Eastern Kitchen, who decides the fate of the family.
We bow to the God of Wealth and all the local Earth Gods and Goddesses.
I, [name], residing at [address], offer my prayers on this New Year’s Eve, which is also the first day of the Lunar New Year. As the cold east wind blows away, we welcome the spring and the blessings of the heavens. All creation celebrates and offers prayers.
On this New Year’s Day, I offer incense, flowers, food, and other offerings to the God of Wealth. I invite you, the honorable God, to descend and accept our offerings. We pray for good health and prosperity for our family. May the City God and the local Gods and Goddesses bless and protect us, bringing us luck and fortune in the coming year. May we be safe from harm and protected from disasters. May our fortunes improve throughout the year, and may all our wishes come true.
Our offerings may be humble, but our hearts are sincere. We pray before your altar, asking for your blessings and protection.
Namo Amitabha Buddha!
Prayer to the God of Wealth
4. Prayer to the Earth God
Namo Amitabha Buddha (Three times).
We bow to the Buddha of the Future, Maitreya.
We pay respect to the Gods of the Sky and Earth, and all other deities.
We invite the City God and all the Great Kings.
We invite the local Earth God and the Kitchen God. We also invite the Gods of the land, the Long脉 God, and all other Gods who rule over this area.
We invite our ancestors and all the spirits of our lineage.
As we stand at the threshold of the new year, 2024, we, the [family name], residing at [address], offer our prayers. According to tradition, we bid farewell to the old and welcome the new. We offer our sincere prayers, incense, and offerings, hoping that you will accept them.
We invite the City God and all the Great Kings, the local Earth God, the Kitchen God, the God of Happiness and Virtue, the Five Directions and Five Soils Gods, the God of Wealth, and all the other Gods who rule over this area to descend and enjoy our offerings.
We also invite our ancestors and all the spirits of our lineage to descend and join us.
We pray for good health, peace, and prosperity in the coming year. May all our endeavors be blessed with success, and may we find happiness and abundance in our daily lives. May we always be protected and guided by the Gods and our ancestors. May the four seasons be free from disasters, and may the eight solar terms bring us good omens.
With sincerity and gratitude, we offer these prayers.
Namo Amitabha Buddha! (Three times).
Prayer to the Earth God
5. Prayer to Ancestors
Namo Amitabha Buddha! (Three times)
– We bow to the Nine Skies and the Ten Directions of the Buddha, and to the Buddha of all Ten Directions.
– We pay respect to the Gods of the Sky and Earth, and all other deities.
– We bow to the God of the Year, the most virtuous Tai Sui.
– We invite the City God and all the Great Kings.
– We invite the local Earth God and all the Gods and Goddesses.
– We invite the Five Directions, Five Soils, Dragon Vein, God of Wealth, Kitchen God, and all other Gods and Goddesses who rule over this area.
– We invite our ancestors and all the spirits of our lineage from the [family name] family.
Today is the 30th of Chạp in the year of the Dragon, 2024. We, the descendants of [name], residing at [address], respectfully offer our prayers.
As the year comes to an end, we prepare for the spring festival with incense, flowers, food, and other offerings. We invite the Gods and Goddesses, our ancestors, and all the spirits to descend and enjoy our offerings. We pray for peace and prosperity for our family, young and old. May our endeavors be blessed with success, and may we find happiness and good fortune in all that we do.
With sincerity and respect, we offer these prayers, asking for your blessings and protection.
Namo Amitabha Buddha! (Three times, with three bows).
Prayer to Ancestors
These are the prayers for the Vietnamese New Year, known as Tet, for the year of the Dragon, 2024. We hope you find them useful!
