TL;DR: Families across Vietnam honor the Kitchen Gods on the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month, but each region has its own way of doing so. In the North, offerings are made early, with a live carp placed in a bowl of water beside the tray and later released. The Central region is more elaborate, using paper horses and the custom of replacing the Kitchen God statue. The South follows an older tradition of making offerings in the evening between 20:00 and 23:00, with a set of joss paper items known as 'cranes flying, horses running.'
What are the differences in the Kitchen God offering ceremony between the three regions?
The ceremony to worship Ông Công, Ông Táo on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month is considered an important ritual opening the Lunar New Year (Tết Nguyên đán) for Vietnamese people. According to legend, this is the day when the three Kitchen Gods (Táo ông, Táo bà) ride carp to heaven to report to the Jade Emperor on all the good and bad deeds of the household over the past year. For this reason, families usually clean their homes and kitchens and prepare a solemn offering tray to see the deities off. Although they share the same spiritual meaning, the worship customs of the three regions, North, Central and South, have interesting differences that reflect the distinctive cultural life of each land.
How is the Kitchen God worship custom in the North?
Northerners usually worship Ông Công Ông Táo quite early; many families prepare the offering tray from around the 20th of the twelfth lunar month, and at the latest by noon on the 23rd. People believe that after 12 noon on the 23rd, the Táo have already ascended to heaven and are no longer in the earthly realm to receive offerings. Therefore, the ceremony is usually completed before this time.
The offerings of Northerners include three sets of votive paper, of which two sets are for Táo ông (hats with two fly wings) and one set for Táo bà (a hat without fly wings). Besides votive paper, incense, flowers, oản (conical rice cakes), fruit and betel and areca, the offering tray usually has traditional dishes such as glutinous rice, chicken, giò (Vietnamese pork roll), chả (grilled minced pork), bamboo shoot soup and nem. Many localities also offer xôi chè (sweet glutinous rice with dessert soup), often chè bà cốt made with nếp cái (premium glutinous rice), xôi vò, brown sugar and ginger.
The most distinctive feature of the North is the custom of using carp. Families may offer live carp or paper carp. During the ceremony, the live carp is kept in a basin of water placed right next to the offering tray, so the household can present it to the Táo before taking it away. After the ceremony, the live carp is released into ponds, rivers or streams with the belief that the carp transforms into a dragon, serving as the means to carry the Táo to the heavenly court. The act of release also expresses the household's compassion.
What is different about the Kitchen God worship in the Central region?
The custom of worshipping Ông Công Ông Táo in the Central region is considered the most elaborate of the three regions. The ceremony to see off Táo Quân is usually held exactly on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month. Before that, the household changes the sand in the incense bowl and wipes the Kitchen God altar clean.
Instead of offering carp as in the North, Central people offer a paper horse complete with a full set of saddle and bridle. The offering tray also has mackerel or tuna, fresh flowers and fruit. In particular, the old and new sets of Táo quân statues are placed side by side on the altar. After the ceremony, the household takes down the three old clay Táo statues and welcomes the new statues onto the altar to begin a new working year. The old statues are placed beside the village shrine at the head of the hamlet or under the roots of an old tree at a road junction.
Some areas such as Huế and Hội An also have the custom of erecting a cây nêu (New Year pole) in front of the house or in the communal house yard on the morning of the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month to drive away evil spirits while the Táo are absent, and holding a ceremony to take down the cây nêu on the 7th day of the first lunar month.
What is special about the Kitchen God worship in the South?
According to the old custom of Southerners, the Táo quân offering ceremony usually takes place at night, from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month. Southerners believe that when the whole family has finished dinner and no longer needs to use the kitchen, so as not to disturb the Táo, that is the appropriate time to see the deities off to heaven. Today, due to cultural exchange, many families hold the ceremony from early morning in the area where the cooking stove is placed.
The offering tray of Southerners includes savory dishes such as nem, giò, bánh chưng, pickled scallions and boiled chicken, along with a bowl of chè trôi nước, and a plate of candy made from black sesame and peanuts.
The biggest difference of the South is the set of votive paper known as "cò bay, ngựa chạy" (flying crane, running horse), consisting of paper printed with the image of a galloping horse and a crane with spread wings, without a bamboo frame. This offering set has two parts: one part used in the send-off ceremony and one part used in the ceremony to welcome the Táo back on the 30th of Tết. According to the book "Đặc khảo về Tín ngưỡng thờ Gia thần", Southerners use this paper set with the meaning that the horse carries the Táo by land, then the crane carries the Táo flying back to heaven. This custom originates from the "xá mã, xá hạc" ritual of Taoism and Buddhism, performed last in worship ceremonies.
When do Southerners worship the Táo?
According to old custom, Southerners worship the Táo in the evening, from about 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month. That time is chosen after dinner, when the whole family has finished eating and no longer uses the kitchen, so as not to disturb the Táo before they ascend to heaven. Today, due to cultural exchange, many Southern families hold the ceremony from early morning in the area where the cooking stove is placed, rather than keeping to the old practice.
This way of choosing the time is quite different from the North. Northerners worship early, usually from around the 20th of the twelfth lunar month and at the latest by noon on the 23rd, because they believe that after 12 noon on the 23rd the Táo have already ascended to heaven and are no longer in the earthly realm to receive offerings. Meanwhile, the Central region mostly worships exactly on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month, without insisting that it be finished before noon or that it wait until evening.
Summary comparison table of the three regions' customs
| Criterion | The North | The Central region | The South |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time of worship | From around the 20th of the twelfth lunar month, at the latest by noon on the 23rd (before 12 noon). | Exactly on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month. | According to old custom, in the evening from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. on the 23rd; today many families worship from early morning. |
| Distinctive offerings | Live carp or paper carp (for release). | Paper horse complete with saddle and bridle, mackerel or tuna. | The "cò bay, ngựa chạy" votive paper set (with two parts: send-off and welcome). |
| Distinctive rituals | Burning votive paper after the ceremony, releasing live carp into ponds, rivers and streams. | Changing the sand in the incense bowl, welcoming new Táo quân statues onto the altar, placing the old statues at a shrine or tree root. Some places (Huế, Hội An) also erect a cây nêu. | Worshipping at the end of the day when cooking is finished; using the "cò bay, ngựa chạy" set to see off and welcome the Táo. |
| Offering tray | Glutinous rice, chicken, giò, chả, bamboo shoot soup, nem, xôi chè (chè bà cốt). | A more elaborate and fuller tray with mackerel, tuna, fresh flowers and fruit. | Savory dishes (nem, giò, bánh chưng, pickled scallions, boiled chicken), chè trôi nước, black sesame candy, peanuts. |
Conclusion
Although there are differences in time, offerings and rituals between the three regions, the common point remains the sincere heart of the household toward the deities who oversee the merit and virtue within the home. The variations in the custom of worshipping Ông Công Ông Táo reflect the richness of Vietnamese culture, where each region has its own way of expressing gratitude and praying for a peaceful and lucky new year.
