TL;DR: Seeing off the ancestors after Tet is the rite of sending ancestral spirits back to the underworld after their Tet visit with descendants, usually held on the third or seventh day of Tet. The three regions name and perform it differently: the North calls it hóa vàng, the Center calls it tiễn ông bà, the South calls it cúng tất, but all share the meaning of gratitude and farewell.
What Is Seeing Off the Ancestors After Tet and Why Does This Custom Exist?
Seeing off the ancestors after Tet is the rite of sending ancestral spirits back to the underworld after the days they were invited to celebrate Tet with their descendants. The custom stems from the belief that during Tết Nguyên đán (Lunar New Year), ancestors are welcomed home by their descendants to gather around the Tet meal, and when Tet ends, a ceremony must be held to see them back to their places[1].
The rite is held when the spring festivities have ended, usually on the third or seventh day of Tet (ngày khai hạ)[1]. Cultural researcher Phạm Đình Hải likens the hóa vàng offering to a farewell meal, seeing off the deities and ancestral spirits back to their places after Tet ends[2].
Why Do the Three Regions Use Different Names?
It is one custom, but each region has its own name for it. According to cultural speaker Hồ Nhựt Quang (Club for Research and Honoring of Southern Vietnamese Culture), the North calls it cúng hóa vàng tổ tiên, the Center calls it cúng tiễn ông bà, and the South is used to calling it cúng tất. Many places also call it cúng đưa ông bà or lễ tạ năm mới (New Year thanksgiving rite).
How Is Hóa Vàng in the North Performed?
Hóa vàng is the common name in the North for the rite of seeing off ancestors after Tet. Families prepare an offering tray for the deities and ancestors, then burn votive paper to provide travel expenses and goods for the ancestors' return to the far realm[1][2].
According to researcher Phạm Đình Hải, when burning votive paper, about 90% is burned for the deities and ancestors as travel expenses and capital, while the family keeps the rest on the altar with the implication of asking for blessings[2]. Many families hold the rite on the third day of Tet, marking the end of Tet offerings[2].
In the North, after giao thừa (New Year's Eve) many households keep offering meals to the ancestors every day until the hóa vàng day, usually the third or fourth day. The feast has at least four bowls and four plates, not counting xôi (sticky rice) and dipping sauce; well-off families set six bowls and six plates or eight bowls and eight plates, sometimes stacked in two or three tiers.
What Is Special About Tiễn Ông Bà in the Center?
Tiễn ông bà is the Central name. According to Mr. Hồ Nhựt Quang, the Central offering tray favors dishes that keep well: tightly wrapped bánh tét with mung-bean filling; pickles of dried papaya, white radish and carrot soaked in fish sauce; beef and pork soaked in fish sauce; tré (fermented pork), chả and nem. In Hội An, households hold the cúng đưa ông bà offering around the fourth or fifth day of the first lunar month, which marks the end of Tet.
How Does Cúng Tất in the South Differ from the Other Two Regions?
Cúng tất is the familiar name in the South. According to Mr. Hồ Nhựt Quang, cúng tất is a family and lineage rite: small households hold it on their own, while large clans gather their branches at the nhà từ đường (ancestral hall) to cook together, make the offering and then feast. The day is usually after the third: the fourth, sixth or eighth day; many households avoid the fifth because the 5th, 14th and 23rd days are considered days to avoid. The tray includes chicken rice porridge, rice and soup, braised and boiled dishes, cakes and fruit, pork braised in coconut water eaten with pickled bean sprouts, pickled scallion bulbs and dried shrimp, stewed bitter melon, bánh tét, along with votive items such as paper clothes, hats and sandals for the ancestors.
Comparing the Three Regions Through a Summary Table
| Criterion | North (Hóa vàng) | Center (Tiễn ông bà) | South (Cúng tất) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main name | Hóa vàng | Tiễn ông bà | Cúng tất |
| Common timing | 3rd or 4th day; some families on the 7th | 3rd day; around the 4th or 5th in Hội An | Usually after the 3rd: the 4th, 6th or 8th |
| Core meaning | Farewell, gratitude | Farewell, gratitude | Seeing off the ancestors, end of Tet |
| Typical dishes | Four bowls and four plates or more, xôi | Bánh tét, pickles, meat soaked in fish sauce, tré, nem | Pork braised in coconut water, stewed bitter melon, bánh tét, chicken porridge |
| Distinctive feature | Feast sometimes stacked in two or three tiers | Favors dishes that keep well | Large clans hold it at the ancestral hall |
Where Does Votive Paper in the Ancestor-Farewell Rite Originate?
According to research by Trần Đình Hằng (2015) in Tạp chí Nghiên cứu Tôn giáo (Journal of Religious Studies), votive paper is associated with many rituals that have long been widely practiced in Vietnamese religious life[4]. The author notes that the burning of votive paper recently seems to be overused, from household practice to traditional religious festivals, while regulations to prohibit or limit it are difficult to unify[4].
The study proposes viewing votive paper burning from the perspective of its original values and influencing factors, so that policies aim to reduce the negatives while preserving the core sacred element[4].
Are There Differences in Beliefs About Auspicious Days and Hours?
In folk practice, many households look for an auspicious (hoàng đạo) day and hour for the hóa vàng rite. For Tết Bính Ngọ 2026, the third day of Tet was Thursday, February 19, 2026, a Giáp Tý day; researcher Phạm Đình Hải regarded it as a hoàng đạo day and named the Thìn (7 to 9 a.m.), Tỵ (9 to 11 a.m.) and Dậu (5 to 7 p.m.) hours[2]. For Tết Đinh Mùi 2027, the third day of Tet falls on Monday, February 8, 2027.
Choosing the hour is a folk belief, not a mandatory rule; many households hold the rite when the whole family has gathered.
What Does the Ancestor-Farewell Rite Reflect in Vietnamese Culture?
The ancestor-farewell rite after Tet embodies the principle of uống nước nhớ nguồn, honoring filial piety and gratitude to roots[1]. It is an occasion for descendants to express reverence to ancestors and an opportunity for family reunion after Tet days.
Research by Nguyễn Thị Hà (2023) on Tet in Vietnamese essays after 1986 treats ancestor worship, together with Tet rites and customs, as national cultural imprints reflected in many literary works[5].
How Is the Ancestor-Farewell Custom Related to Community Rituals?
Cúng tất is a family and lineage rite, not a village rite. It should not be confused with the tống ôn, tống gió rite of the South: according to research by Trần Diễm Thùy (2019), in the Mekong Delta this rite is merged into đình or miễu worship and usually held at the end of the kỳ yên festival, when people release small paper boats carrying rice, salt and candles on rivers and canals[3]. The timing of tống ôn varies between provinces, most commonly from the full moon of the first lunar month to the third lunar month, or from the fifth to the seventh lunar month[3].
Nhật Nguyệt's Suggestion: How to Keep the Ancestor-Farewell Rite Both Customary and Suited to Modern Life?
Nhật Nguyệt's suggestion: The ancestor-farewell rite can be kept simple, as long as the whole family is present; what matters is sincerity, not the amount of votive paper or the size of the offering tray. If you burn votive paper, burn a little, in an open spot away from anything flammable; in an apartment building, burn it where the management board designates and watch until the fire is fully out.
