The year-end ceremony is a traditional ritual with profound meaning in Vietnamese culture, taking place at the end of the year to say goodbye to the old year and welcome the new year. This is an occasion for descendants to express their gratitude to their ancestors and gods, for families to gather, share joy, and hope for a peaceful and prosperous new year.
Usually, the year-end ceremony is held on the afternoon of the last day of the year, after the family has finished cleaning, decorating the house and arranging the ancestral altar. The offerings in this ceremony do not focus too much on material value but on the sincerity and solemnity of the homeowner.
After preparing the offering tray, the homeowner reads the following year-end prayer (according to the book "Traditional Prayers of the Vietnamese" - Lao Dong Publishing House):
Namo Amitabha Buddha!
Namo Amitabha Buddha!
Namo Amitabha Buddha!
- I bow to the nine directions of heaven, the ten directions of Buddhas, the Buddhas of the ten directions.
- I respectfully bow to the Emperor of Heaven and the Earth and all the deities.
- I respectfully bow to you, the current ruler of the year, the Supreme God of the Year...
- I respectfully bow to you, the local tutelary god and the great kings.
I respectfully bow to the Five Directions, the Five Elements, the Dragon Veins, the God of Wealth, the Kitchen God, and all the deities who govern this place.
- I respectfully bow to all the ancestors, ancestors, paternal and maternal ancestors...
Today is the twenty-ninth/twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month of the year of the Dragon.
We, the believers, are...
Located at...
Before the court, I respectfully request to present:
Winter is almost over
The end of the year
Spring season is coming soon.
The New Year is coming
Today is the twenty-eighth/twenty-ninth day of the Lunar New Year. We and our entire family prepare offerings, incense, flowers, and sumptuous meals to prepare the New Year's Eve ceremony, to offer to the Heaven and Earth Gods, to pay homage to our ancestors, and to commemorate the spirits. As is customary for the New Year's Eve ceremony, we respectfully ask the Gods, the Ancestors, and the local spirits to descend to their seats, to witness, to enjoy the offerings, and to bless the entire family with peace, prosperity, good health, peace in all things, and family harmony.
We respectfully offer our humble offerings before the altar, asking for your protection and blessing.
Namo Amitabha Buddha!
Namo Amitabha Buddha!
Namo Amitabha Buddha!
Good date and time to read the year-end prayer 2025:
The year-end worship ceremony usually takes place on the last day of the year, but families can also choose a day near the end of the year to worship. According to the 2025 Perpetual Calendar, the good hours on December 29 (January 28, 2025) to worship the year-end are: Ty (11pm-1am), Dan (3am-5am), Mao (5am-7am), Ngo (11am-1pm), Mui (1pm-3pm), Dau (5pm-7pm).
