Tet Ong Cong Ong Tao (December 23rd of the lunar calendar) this year falls on Tuesday, February 10, 2026 Gregorian calendar.
According to feng shui expert Nguyen Song Ha, worshiping Ong Cong and Ong Tao should be performed from December 20th of the lunar calendar (February 7th of the solar calendar) to December 23rd of the lunar calendar (February 10th of the solar calendar).
Some prime hours to perform the worship ceremony on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month include 5:10 AM - 6:50 AM (December 20th); 5:10 AM - 6:50 AM (December 21st); 7:10 AM - 8:50 AM (December 22nd); 5:10 AM - 6:50 AM (December 23rd).
On the day of worshiping Ong Cong and Ong Tao, Vietnamese families should show sincerity and prepare carefully. Homeowners also need to pay attention and abstain from some issues to bring good luck and avoid bad things.
First, before performing the ritual, the homeowner needs to keep their body clean, and their mind is comfortable and natural. The main performer must dress neatly, wear clean, polite, and discreet clothes...
One day before worshiping, you should not eat items belonging to the four sacred animals such as dog meat, cat meat, snake meat, blood pudding of soft-shell turtles, turtles, carp, shrimp paste, shrimp paste...
You should not worship Ông Công Ông Táo too early or too late. According to the suggestion of feng shui experts, worshiping Ông Công Ông Táo this year should be done from December 20th of the lunar calendar. The ritual also needs to be performed before 12 noon on December 23rd of the lunar calendar. After the worship is completed, the homeowner is allowed to cover the altar and trim the incense sticks.
Offerings depend on the conditions of each family, culture, and local customs. The offering tray does not need to be elaborate but must be clean, tidy, with fresh ingredients, away from used items and leftover food.
Cleaning the altar and pruning the incense sticks are done after the worship ceremony. But the homeowner needs to clean the altar thoroughly with warm and clean water before performing the ceremony. The worship process is carried out gently, avoiding breaking and damaging objects and supplies.
When performing, the homeowner only uses odd numbers such as 3, 5, 7, 9. When the incense burns 2/3, everyone asks for permission to lower the offering ceremony to burn votive paper, this helps Mr. Cong and Mr. Tao receive full sincerity from the family. At the same time, you should limit money and gold, avoiding waste.
An important thing to note when worshiping Ông Công Ông Táo is to release carp properly. In areas with clean water, use your hands to tilt the mouth of the bag or fish container slowly, let the fish swim out on their own.
Avoid throwing fish from above, or choosing places with polluted water sources.
