TL;DR: The burning of votive paper, also called the rite of thanks for the new year or the rite of seeing off the ancestors, is usually performed from the third to the seventh or tenth day of the first lunar month, most commonly on the third day of Tet. The rite includes an offering tray, incense and lamps, votive paper, betel and areca, and two sugarcane stalks; once the incense has burned down, the votive paper is burned to see the ancestors off to the underworld. The offering tray for burning votive paper is essentially a Tet offering tray, varying by region and by each household's circumstances.
What Is the Post-Tet Gold and Votive Paper Burning Ceremony to See Off Ancestors, and Why Must It Be Performed?
The gold and votive paper burning ceremony, also called the New Year thanksgiving rite or the rite to see off ancestors, is the ritual that closes the period of ancestor worship during Tet Nguyen Dan. At the year-end offering on the afternoon of the 30th of Tet, families invite the spirits of ancestors, grandparents, and deceased relatives to celebrate Tet with their descendants[1]. From that moment until the end of Tet, the ancestor altar stays warm with incense and lamps, and descendants offer rice daily. When the spring feast is over, descendants prepare a farewell offering to send ancestors back to the underworld, and that ritual is the gold and votive paper burning ceremony[1].
In the common understanding within Vietnamese ancestor worship, burning votive paper in this ceremony is seen as sending gifts to ancestors so they have enough goods in the spirit world[3]. This is a belief layer, not a scientific proposition, and families practice this rite mainly to express filial piety and gratitude to their roots.
The rite also has an educational aspect, helping younger generations understand and maintain the nation's fine traditions[3]. In other words, the ceremony is both a spiritual ritual and a family occasion, when the whole household gathers to clean the altar and share the offering tray after the rites.
When Is the Gold and Votive Paper Burning Ceremony Held, and Is the 3rd Day of Tet Mandatory?
There is no fixed mandatory date. In practice the ceremony is not fixed to any day but can be held from the 3rd to the 7th day of the first lunar month, depending on convenient time and a fine day that suits the household head's destiny[3]. Most families choose the 3rd day of Tet to perform the ceremony[3].
Some sources extend the window to the 10th day of Tet and call it the New Year thanksgiving rite, usually held from the 3rd to the 10th[2]. This difference reflects the fact that the custom is oral tradition, and each region and family may choose a different day as long as the main Tet offerings have been completed.
For families who choose days by feng shui, in the Bính Ngọ year 2026 the 3rd day of Tet falls on Thursday, 19 February 2026. Auspicious hours for the ceremony on the 3rd are said to be 5-7 a.m., 11 a.m.-1 p.m., 3-5 p.m., and 5-7 p.m.[3]. In addition, the 4th day (20 February 2026) has hours 5-7 a.m., 9-11 a.m., and 3-5 p.m.; the 5th day (21 February 2026) has 7-9 a.m., 9-11 a.m., and 1-3 p.m.[3]. These hours are compiled by news sources according to feng shui notions, not a mandatory rule of the custom.
Table Comparing Timeframes for the Ceremony
| Source/Interpretation | Date Range | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Common folk practice | 3rd to 7th of the first lunar month | Most choose the 3rd[3] |
| New Year thanksgiving rite | 3rd to 10th of the first lunar month | Wider window, depends on family[2] |
| Khai hạ day | 7th of the first lunar month | The source names the 7th, khai hạ day, as a date for the ceremony alongside the 3rd[1] |
How Do the Three Regions Differ in the Ceremony?
The sources for this article record no difference in ritual meaning among the three regions; the difference they mention is the offering tray. The offering tray is basically a Tet tray, varying with each family's means and region[2].
Northern Vietnam
According to culinary artisan Phạm Thị Ánh Tuyết (Hà Nội), the offering tray basically has the full set of giò, nem, ninh, mọc, along with bánh chưng, boiled chicken, and sticky rice[2]. The boiled chicken is often a large, firm rooster with nice legs, arranged carefully[2]. If the host is elaborate, they may add carp cooked in bỗng, since in folk belief carp is the fish that leaps the dragon gate, and offering carp at the start of the year brings luck and prosperity[2].
Central Vietnam
The sources referenced in this article do not record separately the Central offering tray, so no details can be confirmed. What the sources do say is that the tray varies with region and each family's means[2].
Southern Vietnam
The sources referenced in this article also do not record separately the Southern offering tray. Many Southern families use bánh tét instead of bánh chưng on the Tet tray.
Table Comparing the Three Regions
| Element | Northern Vietnam | Central Vietnam | Southern Vietnam |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main dishes | Giò, nem, ninh, mọc, bánh chưng, boiled chicken, sticky rice[2] | Local Tet tray | Local Tet tray, often with bánh tét |
| Extra elaborate dish | Carp cooked in bỗng[2] | Depends on family | Depends on family |
What Is Needed for the Offering Tray?
A customary offering tray includes a rice tray with Tet dishes such as bánh chưng, giò chả, chicken, sticky rice, bamboo shoot soup, and regional specialties[3]. Votive paper is also needed, including paper money, clothes, and paper houses, prepared to send to ancestors[3]. Incense, lamps, and candles are indispensable, symbolizing guiding light and spiritual connection[3]. Betel and areca, wine, and fruit are traditional offerings showing respect[3].
A special point when performing the ceremony is that the host must prepare two sugarcane stalks. In folk belief, the two stalks serve as a carrying pole for ancestors to carry gold, and also as a weapon against demons trying to steal the paper money[2]. This is a folk meaning, not a rule from any ritual text.
Regarding the amount of votive paper, culinary artisan Phạm Thị Ánh Tuyết (Hà Nội) notes that paper money and goods should be symbolic only, not too much[2]. When preparing the tray, one should consider the number of eaters and everyone's taste to portion appropriately and avoid waste[2].
What Are the Steps for a Proper Ceremony?
After preparing the offering tray, the host lights incense and performs the prayer to see off ancestors. When the incense burns out, the host joins hands and bows three times to ask permission to burn the votive paper[3].
When lowering the offerings, the host should lower the offerings to deities first, then to ancestors[3]. The burning place should be clean and airy, avoiding chaos and haste. Offerings should be burned separately, not lumped together carelessly[3].
For burning votive paper, deities are burned first, ancestors after. Paper for those who died within the year is burned last[3]. After the paper money and sớ trạng have burned out, the host should sprinkle a little wine. By tradition, this helps ancestors receive the offerings from descendants[3]. The offering tray can be shared by the family after the rite[3].
Some Notes When Performing
Today, burning votive paper is advised to be limited to avoid waste, protect the environment, and reduce fire risk[3]. The most important thing is that the altar always has incense smoke throughout the three days of Tet, and the prayers must be performed with the host's sincere heart[3].
What Is Special About the Prayer Text?
The traditional prayer text opens with Nam Mô A Di Đà Phật three times, then pays respects to Hoàng Thiên hậu Thổ and all venerable spirits, to the current-year deity, the local Thành Hoàng, the Thổ địa, Táo quân, Long mạch, Tôn Thần, and to paternal and maternal ancestors[3].
The main content states: today is the day and month of the first lunar month of which year, the believer's name, residence, sincerely preparing incense, flowers, offerings, wine, and rites, presenting before the altar. It respectfully reports that the spring feast is over and asks to see the ancestral spirits back to the underworld[3]. The petition asks for blessings and grace, protection, for the living and the dead, for all places to be well, for descendants to have peace, and for the family to prosper[3].
These prayer texts belong to oral ritual literature, recorded in traditional prayer books and widely circulated. Families may use the version according to their local custom, not necessarily one single version.
Why Is the Ceremony Still Maintained Today?
The Tet ancestor worship custom of Vietnamese people not only reflects filial piety but also carries deep meaning about the bond between generations, between the living and the dead[3]. The ceremony is the closing point of the Tet ritual chain, from the offering to Ông Công Ông Táo on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month, the year-end offering on the afternoon of the 30th, offerings on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, until sending ancestors back to the underworld.
In modern life, many families still keep this rite as a way to teach descendants about their roots, even if the tray is simplified or the amount of votive paper reduced. This expresses the principle of remembering the source when drinking water, honoring filial piety and gratitude to roots[1].
Nhật Nguyệt's suggestion: if your family cannot prepare a large tray, you can keep the ritual of lighting incense, praying, and burning votive paper symbolically. The core of the ceremony is sincerity, not the quantity of offerings. For families in apartments or places with restrictions on burning votive paper, you can burn at designated places or switch to home offerings, as long as the meaning of farewell and gratitude is kept.
