TL;DR: The year-end offering (cúng tất niên) thanks the ancestors and deities at the end of the year and invites the grandparents home for Tet, usually on the 30th day of the 12th lunar month (the 29th if the month is short). Many families burn a little votive paper at this offering after giving thanks; the hóa vàng rite that sends the grandparents off is separate, held from the 3rd to the 7th day of Tet, most often on the 3rd. The tray can be set indoors or outdoors, depending on each family's conditions and local custom.
What is the year-end offering, and why are there two rites, tất niên and hóa vàng?
The year-end offering (cúng tất niên) is the Vietnamese end-of-year rite that marks the close of the old year and preparation for the new, and is also an occasion for descendants to thank ancestors and pray for health, prosperity, and happiness[1]. It is usually held on the last day of the lunar year: the 30th day of the 12th lunar month in a full year, or the 29th in a short year[2]. Many families and workplaces may hold it a few days earlier for convenience[1].
The hóa vàng rite (burning votive paper), also called the send-off for the grandparents, sends the ancestors back to the eternal realm after days of reunion with their descendants[4]. Thus cúng tất niên and the hóa vàng rite are two different rites in the same chain of Tet rites: tất niên is the year-end thanksgiving that invites the grandparents home for Tet, while hóa vàng is the send-off.
Does the year-end offering include burning votive paper?
Many families do burn a little votive paper within the year-end offering itself. Báo Hà Tĩnh newspaper describes the practice: the main altar holds fresh flowers, a five-fruit tray and a small, symbolic amount of votive paper; when the incense has burned about two thirds, the head of the household gives thanks, burns the votive paper, and then the family gathers for the year-end meal. Betel, areca and votive paper are also among the offerings families prepare before the year-end offering[1].
The hóa vàng rite that sends the grandparents off is a separate matter, held in the last days of Tet: usually from the 3rd to the 7th day, with most families choosing the 3rd day[4]. The votive paper placed on the altar during the Tet days is burned in this rite.
On which day and at what time is the hóa vàng rite usually performed?
The hóa vàng rite is not fixed to a single day. It can be held from the 3rd to the 7th day of the lunar Tet, depending on convenience and fine weather; some households pick a day suited to the household head's destiny[4]. The 3rd day of Tet Bính Ngọ fell on Thursday, 19 February 2026[4]; the 3rd day of Tet Đinh Mùi falls on Monday, 8 February 2027.
Choosing an auspicious day and hour for hóa vàng is a folk belief, not a mandatory rule. Many families choose a time when all the descendants can gather.
Should the year-end offering tray be placed indoors or outdoors?
The year-end offering tray can be set indoors or outdoors, depending on each household's wishes and conditions and on local culture[3]. The indoor rite welcomes the grandparents and ancestors home for Tet[2]: the five-fruit tray, incense and flowers go on the altar, while the savory tray goes on a secondary altar or a lower small table set in front of the main altar[3]. Many families also set a small tray in the yard or on the veranda for the deities and for wandering spirits with no one to rely on; companies and shops have their own outdoor year-end prayer text[1].
Before the offering, families usually clean and rearrange the altar and prepare a five-fruit tray, incense, fresh flowers, and candles[1]. The tray may be savory or vegetarian depending on conditions, but should be arranged fully and solemnly[1].
How does the year-end tray differ among the three regions?
The year-end offering tray differs clearly by region, depending on local produce[3]. The main features are:
| Region | Typical dishes | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| North | Gấc sticky rice, bánh chưng, pickled onions, nem, giò thủ, boiled chicken, thịt đông[3] | Thịt đông is a northern specialty, rarely seen elsewhere[3] |
| Central | Usually at least 7 dishes: bánh tét or bánh chưng, a stew, boiled pork with tôm chua (fermented shrimp), braised shrimp and pork, bò kho, fried fish, nem chua, ram, gỏi[3] | Thịt muối or thịt ngâm mắm (salted or fish-sauce-cured pork) is a must; each household sets it differently[3] |
| South | Thịt kho trứng (pork braised with eggs), bitter melon soup stuffed with pork, bánh tét, gà xé phay, dried shrimp with củ kiệu, candied fruits and cakes[3] | Thịt kho trứng stands for round heaven and square earth; bitter melon soup carries the wish that the old year's hardships pass[3] |
According to culinary artisan Ánh Tuyết (Hanoi), the old tradition required four bowls and four plates for the offering tray; wealthier or official households had six bowls and six plates, even eight bowls and eight plates. This is not a mandatory custom, however, and the amount prepared depends on each family's circumstances[3].
Why is there a custom of burning votive paper in the year-end offering and hóa vàng?
The custom of burning votive paper has deep roots in Vietnamese religious life, tied to many rites widely practiced for a long time[5]. According to researcher Trần Đình Hằng (2015), votive paper is tied to many rites, but recently the burning of votive paper has been abused from families to traditional religious festivals, making regulations to ban or limit it hard to unify nationwide[5]. The author holds that when building policies, the aim should be to reduce negatives while preserving the core sacred element, in various appropriate forms and degrees accepted by society[5].
In the hóa vàng rite, burning votive paper is seen as an act of "sending gifts" to ancestors, with the wish that ancestors have sufficient goods in the spiritual world[4]. This rite also has an educational aspect, helping descendants understand and maintain a fine tradition[4]. However, a distinction should be made between preserving cultural beauty and abusing votive burning, which causes expense and environmental harm.
Notes when making the year-end offering and hóa vàng
- Timing of the year-end offering: Usually the last day of the year (the 30th or 29th of the 12th lunar month); families or workplaces may choose a day near the year's end[1][2].
- Offerings: Five-fruit tray, incense, fresh flowers, candles, betel and areca, votive paper[1]. The tray may be savory or vegetarian depending on conditions[1].
- Prayer text: Usually includes addressing the ancestors, stating the date, inviting the grandparents to receive the offering, praying for the descendants' health in the new year, and giving thanks[2].
- Hóa vàng: At the year-end offering many families burn a little votive paper after giving thanks; the hóa vàng send-off is held from the 3rd to the 7th day of Tet[4]. Choose an open, safe place to avoid fire or explosion.
- Cleanliness and safety: Clean the altar and arrange the offering tray neatly and solemnly[1].
