TL;DR: The traditional death anniversary prayer text usually has four parts: an opening to the Buddha and the deities, the information of the householder, the invitation to the ancestors and to the person being commemorated, and a closing prayer. The way one addresses the deceased by rank rests on the pair khảo (men) and tỷ (women), with the grades cao tằng tổ, tằng tổ, tổ and hiển corresponding to the fifth, fourth and third generations and to one's parents. There is, however, no single standard version: each prayer book prints a different text, and a family chooses the one that fits its own household tradition.
What is a văn khấn ngày giỗ and why is one needed?
A văn khấn ngày giỗ is the ritual speech read before the altar on a death anniversary, used to invite ancestors and the deceased being commemorated to receive the offerings, and to report to the deities who govern the place of worship. In folk belief, however complete the offerings, if descendants do not invite the dead, they do not partake, so the prayer is considered a mandatory part of the rite rather than a secondary formality. Toan Ánh recorded this in his work on old customs: however lavish the feast, however solemn the offerings, if descendants merely place them on the altar without inviting, the ancestors do not come to receive them[2].
Phan Kế Bính in Việt Nam phong tục (first printed in 1915) described the death anniversary of great-grandparents, grandparents and parents as ngày kỵ nhật; the afternoon before is the tiên thường offering, and the next day is the main kỵ[3]. The same book notes that the offerings prepared depend on the rank of the deceased: for a distant anniversary one prepares a chicken, a tray of sticky rice or a few trays of food, first offering to ancestors and then gathering descendants to eat; for the anniversary of parents, custom is usually more elaborate[3].
What parts does a văn khấn ngày giỗ consist of?
A traditional văn khấn ngày giỗ usually has four consecutive parts. The first is the opening rite, including reciting the name of Buddha and bowing to the deities, including Đức Hoàng thiên Hậu Thổ, ngài Đông trù Tư mệnh Táo phủ Thần quân and the Thần linh and Thổ địa who govern the locality[1]. The second presents the tín chủ's details: today's date, the tín chủ's name, and residence[1]. The third is the invitation: respectfully inviting the deities to witness, and respectfully inviting paternal and maternal ancestors and the spirit of the deceased being commemorated to come and receive[1]. The fourth is a prayer for the family's security and prosperity and for all things to go well, ending with a recitation of Buddha's name[1].
Why must one pray to Thổ công before praying to ancestors?
According to the book Văn khấn cổ truyền Việt Nam, in cúng cáo giỗ one must first offer to Công thần Thổ địa and then to ancestors[1]. The book explains this is to report to the Thần linh and Thổ địa at the burial place of the deceased, as well as to the Công thần Thổ địa at home, to permit the soul of the deceased to return and receive the anniversary offerings[1]. Besides inviting the spirit of the deceased being commemorated the next day, one must also invite the spirits of paternal and maternal ancestors[1].
In the ancestor prayer for the death anniversary in this book, after inviting ancestors and the deceased, the tín chủ also respectfully invites ngài Thổ công, Táo quân and the various linh thần to come and witness and receive, then invites the former and later owners of this house and this land to come and receive[1]. Thus the order of prayer is not only Thổ công before ancestors but also includes the spirits of former landowners, reflecting the idea of multiple tiers of deities and spirits present in the place of worship.
How does one address ancestors by rank in a giỗ prayer?
Address by rank is based on the khảo and tỷ pair: for men one prays with the word khảo, for women with the word tỷ[2]. Toan Ánh in his work on old customs listed the ranks as follows: cao tằng tổ khảo is kỵ ông, five generations from the one praying; cao tằng tổ tỷ is kỵ bà; tằng tổ khảo is cụ ông, four generations, the one praying being a chắt; tằng tổ tỷ is cụ bà; tổ khảo is ông, three generations, the one praying being a cháu; tổ tỷ is bà; hiển khảo is father; hiển tỷ is mother[2].
| Rank of address | Gender | Relation to the one praying | Generations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cao tằng tổ khảo | Male | Kỵ | Five generations |
| Cao tằng tổ tỷ | Female | Kỵ | Five generations |
| Tằng tổ khảo | Male | Cụ | Four generations |
| Tằng tổ tỷ | Female | Cụ | Four generations |
| Tổ khảo | Male | Ông | Three generations |
| Tổ tỷ | Female | Bà | Three generations |
| Hiển khảo | Father | Father | Two generations |
| Hiển tỷ | Mother | Mother | Two generations |
Toan Ánh also states that from the sixth generation onward descendants no longer have to hold the anniversary rites[2]. The book Văn khấn cổ truyền Việt Nam uses another name for the anniversary: ngày giỗ is also called Cát kỵ, the anniversary of the deceased from the third year onward, maintained until the end of five generations[1]. The book explains that beyond five generations people believe the soul of the deceased has been liberated or has been reborn, so there is no need to hold the rites further[1].
Why must the name of the dead be prayed very softly?
Toan Ánh recorded an important rule: when praying the name of the dead, one must murmur very softly in one's mouth to show respect, because people of old never uttered the name of someone they respected[2].
Also according to Toan Ánh, the giỗ prayer must include the tên tục, tên hiệu and tên hèm of the deceased[2]. The author explains that tên tục is the name used while alive, tên hiệu is a sobriquet, and tên hèm is the tên thụy, the name a dying person gives themselves so that descendants may pray it later[2]. Praying all these names is seen as a way of precisely identifying the one invited to receive the offerings.
Variants and points of disagreement among sources
The sources are not entirely consistent on ritual details. The book Văn khấn cổ truyền Việt Nam presents the prayer to Thổ thần, Táo quân, Long mạch and the Thần linh separately from the ancestor prayer on the death anniversary, in which the prayer to the deities respectfully invites the tiên linh, gia tiên and the spirits of the inner clan who are worshipped to come and receive[1]. Toan Ánh emphasises the order of inviting ancestors to partake and the distinction of the ranks kỵ, cụ, ông bà, cha mẹ in the prayer[2].
On the time of offering, Phan Kế Bính records the tiên thường offering on the afternoon before, with the next day being the main kỵ[3]; the book Văn khấn cổ truyền Việt Nam also says that for a major anniversary (that of grandparents, parents, spouse) one day before the anniversary there should be a cúng cáo giỗ, also called ngày tiên thường[1]. The two sources agree on both the name tiên thường and the timing.
On the scope of the anniversary rites, Phan Kế Bính also records a special custom: students observed tâm tang for their teacher for three years, mourning in the heart without wearing mourning dress; after that, on the anniversary of the teacher or the teacher's wife each year, fellow students had to prepare offerings and bring them to the rite. If the teacher's family declined and had no one to continue the rites, the fellow students would gather at the house of the Trưởng tràng to perform the rites for the teacher and his wife, maintaining the observance until the end of their lives[3]. This is a scope of anniversary rites outside the family, showing that the rite is not limited to blood relations.
The rite of burning votive paper and the end of the anniversary
According to Toan Ánh, only when the votive paper is burned is the anniversary considered finished[2]. Burning votive paper is also called nấu vàng, that is, burning the vàng mã, vàng nghìn or vàng giấy sent by descendants or brought by guests[2]. The author also notes that one must include the pieces of cloth and rolls of coloured paper symbolising the cloth that descendants bought as offerings during the anniversary, which are burned together with the votive paper[2].
When burning the votive paper, descendants pour a cup of ritual wine onto the fire; according to the elders, this cup of wine is meant to transform the paper votive goods in this world into real gold and real objects in the underworld[2]. People also often warm a carrying pole or a stick to carry the votive paper to the underworld[2]. After burning the votive paper, the incense and lamp on the altar need not be kept burning, because the soul of the deceased has returned to the underworld to continue life in the Yellow Springs until the anniversary next year[2].
During the anniversary, after the giỗ prayer is finished, one must lower the y môn, the altar curtain, so that the ancestors may receive the offerings[2]. Toan Ánh also records the folk saying đói ngày giỗ cha, no ba ngày Tết to reflect the hardship of the household head and descendants throughout the anniversary day, with return courtesies and receiving guests, sometimes with no time even to eat[2].
Nhật Nguyệt's suggestions for composing a family prayer
When composing a prayer for the family, one may base it on the four-part structure above and adjust it to the specific circumstances. If the family has a tradition of worshipping Buddha, keep the Buddha recitation at the beginning and end; if only ancestors are worshipped, the Buddhist part may be omitted and the homage to deities and Thổ địa kept. The tín chủ's details should clearly state the lunar date, the name of the one praying, and the address of the place of worship. The invitation should clearly distinguish the main deceased being commemorated from paternal and maternal ancestors, using the correct khảo and tỷ pair according to gender and rank. The prayer may change with the family situation but should keep the general wish for security, prosperity and all things going well.
