The New Year thanksgiving ceremony is held at the end of Tet, also known as the votive offering ceremony. From ancient times, the votive offering ceremony was held on the 3rd day of Tet or the opening day of the 7th day of Tet.
According to the book "Vietnamese Traditional Worship - Rituals and Ritual Practices" (World Publishing House), after arranging offerings neatly on the ancestral altar, the homeowner proceeds to burn incense, light candles, then sits horizontally or kneels in front of the ancestral altar, reading the prayer to burn votive paper.
Below is a gold-burning prayer text for reference, according to the book "Traditional Vietnamese Worship - Rituals and Ritual Practices" (World Publishing House):
Nam Mo Amitābha Buddha
Nam Mo Amitābha Buddha
Nam Mo Amitābha Buddha
I bow to the nine heavens, the ten directions of the Buddhas, the Buddhas of the ten directions
I bow to the gods, the saints, the Holy Mothers
I pray to the divine council governing this place.
I bow to the ancestral councils on both sides of the family, and relatives belonging to the underworld, the predecessors and successors of the land, and the hidden faces and faces here to attend the ceremony together.
The trustee is:... , residing at:...
Today, I will perform the incense offering ceremony on the 3rd day of Tet. I respectfully ask the councils at all levels to receive the offerings and bless and protect my children and grandchildren to be healthy, peaceful and prosperous.
Dear all of you
Spring party is over
Thanksgiving respectfully presented
Welcoming the spirits
Back to the underworld
New Year's Eve
The whole family expects
Lưu phúc lưu ân
Respectfully apologize to the venerable deity
Phù trì phù hộ
Yang Ji Yin Tomb
Every good place
Security descendants
Operate smoothly!
Today we ask to burn votive paper with honey, to offer thanks to the gods, to welcome and send the spirits back to the afterlife. Respectfully ask for blessings, gratitude, and blessings to protect and protect every good place, for children and grandchildren to have everything as they wish, everything peaceful, both fortune and prosperity, and a warm and peaceful family.
Sincere respect and reverence, humble offerings, generous consideration, bow to witness.
Nam Mo Amitābha Buddha!
Nam Mo Amitābha Buddha!
Nam Mo Amitābha Buddha!
Pray to the ancestors 4 times and then read the ritual text:
Spring comes bustling with joy
Warm and harmonious family affection everywhere
Spring comes full of laughter
Children excitedly wait for spring fortune
That flower is also whispering
Spring comes, more pink cheeks, more beautiful
Life just floats like that
Floating according to evil karma to repay debts
Ơn trên con kính lạy Người
Respectfully ask the ancestors to grant grace and blessings.
Coming down to bless your grandchildren.
Calm down and find creativity to add blessings
Spring comes bustling with joy
Spring returns, spring is forever here, O You
May the ancestors smile
Prosperity for children and grandchildren with high minds and talents
A wholeheartedly devoted to the country
A kind and virtuous heart in life
Kind heart, thanksgiving ceremony
A kind heart towards goodness builds many blessings.
After the ceremony is completed, the homeowner will pray 3 times, praying for the ancestors to bless his children and grandchildren. Then, ask permission to collect fortune, divide fortune (property) for his children and grandchildren. At the same time, the homeowner will burn votive paper to thank the ancestors and family gods.
The thanksgiving ceremony is performed solemnly in a corner of a clean garden or yard. The gold money of the family gods will be burned first, and the gold money and ancestors' belongings will be burned later.
If someone in the family has just passed away, the votive paper part must be burned separately. The place to burn votive paper usually has a long sugarcane tree with the meaning of being used as a support for the soul to carry goods to the underworld. However, in reality, few people do this.
Note that homeowners do not need to buy too many votive paper and votive clothes, but should save and limit the harmful effects of burning votive paper such as fire, causing environmental pollution.
