This year, Ong Cong Ong Tao Festival falls on Wednesday, January 22, 2025 (solar calendar).According to feng shui expert Nguyen Song Ha, Vietnamese families can worship Ong Cong Ong Tao from the 19th day of the 12th lunar month (January 18, 2025) - 23rd day of the 12th lunar month (January 22, 2025).
The golden hours for worshiping Ong Cong Ong Tao are as follows: 7:10 a.m.
to 8:50 a.m.
(December 19); 5:10 a.m.to 6:50 a.m.(December 20); 7:10 a.m.to 8:50 a.m.(December 21); 7:10 a.m.to 8:50 a.m.(December 22) and 5:10 a.m.to 6:50 a.m.(December 23).When worshiping Ong Cong Ong Tao, the homeowner should pay attention and avoid the following issues to show respect and bring good luck.Before performing the ritual of worshiping the Kitchen Gods, the homeowner must keep his body clean and his mind relaxed.The performer must wear neat, polite, discreet, and non-revealing clothes...
In particular, one day before, you should avoid eating foods of the four sacred animals such as dog meat, cat meat, snake meat, turtle blood pudding, carp, shrimp paste, shrimp paste, etc. Do not make offerings too early or too late.
Feng shui experts suggest that making offerings to Ong Cong Ong Tao should absolutely avoid the 15th day of the 12th lunar month, and should be done from the 19th day of the 12th lunar month.The ritual should also be performed before 12 noon on the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month.After making offerings to Ong Cong Ong Tao, clean the altar and trim the incense sticks.
Offerings are prepared according to the conditions of each family and the local culture of the region.Although they do not need to be elaborate, they must meet the criteria of cleanliness and tidiness.Note that the homeowner must use new items, stay away from used items and leftovers.
Before making offerings, the homeowner must clean the altar with warm, clean water.When making offerings, do it gently, avoiding breaking or damaging offerings and utensils.
Currently, the burning of votive paper and underworld money is restricted.Ong Cong Ong Tao are gods, not "dead people", so there is no need to prepare the above items, to avoid waste and to not be in accordance with spiritual meaning.
When worshiping Ong Cong Ong Tao, the homeowner must not burn even numbers of incense, only odd numbers such as 3, 5, 7, 9.The homeowner must wait until the incense has burned 2/3, then ask permission to lower the offering to burn votive paper.This helps Ong Cong Ong Tao receive the full sincerity of the family.
On December 23, when releasing carp, it is important to pay attention to releasing it correctly.Use your hand to tilt the mouth of the bag or container containing the fish slowly, so that the fish can swim out on its own.Absolutely avoid throwing fish from high places, do not release fish in places with polluted water sources.
