According to the vạn niên calendar, the month of July in the lunar calendar 2024 will last from August 4 (the first day) to September 2 (the 30th day of the lunar month). Among them, the full moon of the seventh month is one of the most important occasions, also known as the Vu Lan or Xá tội vong nhân festival.
According to expert Nguyễn Song Hà, the golden time for worshiping the full moon of the seventh month in the lunar calendar is on the days from July 11 to July 15 in the lunar calendar (August 14 to August 18 in the solar calendar).
Specifically, on July 11 in the lunar calendar (August 14 in the solar calendar), families should arrange the worship in the morning at the following time slots: 7am-9am, 9am-11am, and 3pm-5pm in the afternoon.
The day of Canh Tuất will avoid the years of the Rat, Dragon, Goat, and people whose birth year in the lunar calendar ends with the number 4, such as 1944, 1954, 1964, 1974, 1984, 1994, 2004, and 2014.
On July 12 in the lunar calendar (August 15 in the solar calendar), the worship time in the morning is from 7am-9am and in the afternoon from 1pm-3pm. The day of Tân Hợi will avoid the years of the Snake, Monkey, and people whose birth year in the lunar calendar ends with the number 5, including 1945, 1955, 1965, 1975, 1985, 1995, 2005, and 2015.
On July 13 in the lunar calendar (August 16 in the solar calendar), the host should worship in the morning from 5am-7am and in the afternoon from 3pm-5pm and 5pm-7pm. This is the day of Nhâm Tý, the years of the Horse, Rooster, and people whose birth year in the lunar calendar ends with the number 6, such as 1946, 1956, 1966, 1976, 1986, 1996, 2006, and 2016, are not suitable for worship.
Similarly, on July 14 in the lunar calendar (August 17 in the solar calendar), it is recommended to worship from 5am-7am, 9am-11am, and 3pm-5pm. With the day of Quý Sửu, the years to avoid include the Dragon, Goat, Dog, and people whose birth year in the lunar calendar ends with the number 7, including 1947, 1957, 1967, 1977, 1987, 1997, 2007, and 2017.
On the full moon day of July 15 in the lunar calendar (August 18 in the solar calendar), the host should worship in the morning from 7am-9am, 9am-11am, and in the afternoon from 1pm-3pm. The day of Giáp Dần will not be suitable for people of the Snake, Monkey, and people whose birth year in the lunar calendar ends with the number 8, including 1948, 1958, 1968, 1978, 1988, 1998, 2008, and 2018.
People of the Monkey, Rat, and Dragon should worship the tam tai before worshiping the full moon of the seventh month in the lunar calendar. For this taboo, the host chooses the 13th day to worship, and bows towards the East-North direction.
In addition to the worship of ancestors, many families also set up a table for worshiping living beings. The worship is usually performed in July, recommended at 5pm-7pm, and should be completed before 12pm on July 15 in the lunar calendar.
