For prosperous and high-yielding livestock farming, farmers perform a ritual to worship the Stable Gods. Join us in exploring the traditional ritual and prayers for the Stable Gods in the following article.
1 The Origin of the Stable Gods
According to traditional beliefs, during the Tet Nguyen Dan (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) festival, not only do people celebrate, but also their livestock, including buffaloes and other animals. Thus, the ritual of worshipping the Stable Gods, or the Tet Trâu (Buffalo Tet), came into being.
The worshipping ritual for the Stable Gods is held on the morning of the fourth day of Tet, when the host family prepares offerings to express gratitude to the Stable Gods.
The Origin of the Stable Gods
2 Preparing Offerings and the Ritual for the Stable Gods
Depending on regional customs, the ritual may vary slightly. However, the offerings for the Stable Gods generally include:
- Incense and candles
- A basket
- Paper money, gold, and silver
- Bánh Chưng (square sticky rice cake) and Bánh Tét (cylindrical sticky rice cake) with salted boiled chicken.
Preparing Offerings and the Ritual for the Stable Gods
3 Prayers for the Stable and Livestock
Prayers:
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
……………City, ……………..District, ………………..Commune, ………………….Village, ……………………area of origin.
In the ……………….year of the era, ……….Month, ……….Date
We, ………………….., along with our entire family,
Respectfully offer this ritual to express our gratitude to the Stable Gods for the coming spring.
With sincerity, we present these offerings, including incense, candles, and other items.
We respectfully bow before you, …………………….., and humbly present these offerings.
VỌNG TẠ CHI VỊ
We respectfully invite the presence of the Stable Gods: the Buffalo God, the Pig God, and all other deities.
We invite the Chief God of Buffaloes and Pigs, along with the Six Domesticated Animals God.
We also invite the Ten Types of Guardians to come together and enjoy these offerings.
We pray for your blessings upon the buffaloes, pigs, Six Domesticated Animals, and poultry ……….
May they thrive and bring prosperity throughout the year.
PHỤC VỌNG CÁO VU
Prayers for the Stable and Livestock
Ritual Procedure:
- The host family goes to the buffalo stable and pours liquor into the nostrils of the male buffalo and tea into the nostrils of the female buffalo. They then stick gold and silver paper on the buffalo’s horns.
- After the ritual, some families feed the leftover sticky rice cakes to the buffaloes. The stable is also decorated with colorful papers to celebrate the Tet festival.
- The buffaloes receive lucky money envelopes from their owners. The host family also gives lucky money, rice, or sticky rice cakes to the children who help take care of the buffaloes as a reward for their hard work throughout the year.
4 Notes on the Ritual
When performing the worshipping ritual for the Stable Gods, the host family should keep in mind the following:
- The offerings are simple, as the most important aspect is the sincerity of the host family.
- When offering incense, bow four times, then pour liquor and bow twice more before stepping away. Next, pour water and bow four times, then step away for about a minute before returning to burn the paper offerings.
- After the ritual, give the ritual food to the pigs and chickens to eat. For buffaloes and cows, offer them grass or vegetables.
Notes on the Ritual
Above is the traditional ritual and prayers for the Stable Gods, which we hope will be helpful to you. Thank you for joining us, and we wish you a prosperous and fortunate year ahead.
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