TL;DR: The 15th day of the 7th lunar month has three main rituals, in order: offerings to the Buddha, to the deities and ancestors indoors, and finally to wandering souls outside. Each ritual uses its own prayer text, and the wandering souls ritual must be performed in the evening, before 12 noon on the 15th day of the lunar month. This is a traditional custom, not a mandatory rule; families may simplify according to their circumstances.
What is the 15th day of the 7th lunar month and why are prayer texts needed?
The 15th day of the 7th lunar month, the full moon day, is one of the largest festivals in Vietnamese spiritual life. It brings together two streams of meaning: the Buddhist Vu Lan (Ullambana) festival of filial piety, and the custom of offering to wandering souls, also called cúng thí thực or the Xá tội vong nhân rite in folk belief[1]. The prayer text is the spoken part of the ritual, used to invite ancestors, deities, and spirits to witness the sincerity and receive the offerings.
It should be clear: a prayer text is not a single standard document issued by any authority. Prayers passed down in folk tradition, in old prayer books, and on reference sites all have variants with slight differences in wording. What most families keep is the order of invitation, the names of those invited, and sincerity when reciting.
In the common understanding of traditional prayer books, a prayer has three parts: an opening praising the Buddha and deities, a declaration of the host's name and date, and an invitation with petitions. The name and date section is where the host must fill in their actual information.
When is the 15th day of the 7th lunar month this year?
According to the perpetual calendar, the 15th day of the 7th lunar month in the year Bính Ngọ 2026 falls on Thursday, August 27, 2026 in the solar calendar[2]. In other years, this date changes with the lunar calendar, so hosts should check the calendar for the exact year they perform the ritual rather than remembering a fixed date.
Converting the 15th day of the 7th lunar month to the solar calendar is a calendrical calculation that can be cross-checked with printed calendars or independent tables. Factors such as auspicious hours, incompatible ages, and compatible ages are not calendrical calculations but conventions of astrology.
Some feng shui documents provide tables of auspicious days and hours for the 15th day of the 7th lunar month based on the homeowner's age, noting that one should avoid conflicting heavenly stems before considering earthly branches[3]. This is a school's method, not a rule of ancestor worship. Families who do not follow astrology can still perform the ritual at a convenient time of day.
What prayers make up the 15th day of the 7th lunar month?
The 15th day of the 7th lunar month is not a single prayer but usually three, corresponding to three different rituals: prayer to deities, prayer to ancestors, and prayer to wandering souls[2]. Some Buddhist families also perform a Buddha offering with a separate prayer or sutra recitation, typically a vegetarian tray, incense, flowers, and a five-fruit tray placed at the highest position on the altar[5].
According to the order widely guided in many documents, indoor rituals include offerings to the Buddha, to deities, to ancestors, and finally to wandering souls outdoors[1][5]. This order reflects the concept of hierarchy in worship: the highest first, the closest to the living last.
Prayer to deities
This prayer is used when offering incense at the altar of deities, separate from the ancestor altar. It invites figures such as Hoàng thiên, Hậu thổ, various venerable deities, Đông thần quân, Bản gia Thổ địa Long mạch, the Ngũ phương, Ngũ thổ, Phúc đức tôn thần, Tiền hậu Địa chủ Tài thần, and the deities governing the area[2].
The structure includes: praising the Buddha three times, bowing to the nine directions of Heaven and ten directions of Buddhas, paying respect to the deities, declaring the host's name and residence, noting the date of the 15th day of the 7th lunar month, offering incense, flowers, and offerings, inviting the deities to descend, and praying for family peace, smooth work, and increasing fortune[2]. It ends with three recitations of Amitabha Buddha.
Prayer to ancestors
This prayer is used at the ancestor altar, inviting ancestors on both sides and the deities governing the house and land[2]. A key point is how to address the deceased: if parents are still alive, use the terms Tổ khảo, Tổ tỷ; if parents have passed away, use Hiển khảo, Hiển tỷ[2].
The ancestor prayer also includes an invitation to the Tiền chủ, Hậu chủ, the previous landowners or homeowners, to witness[2]. This detail reflects the Vietnamese concept of living on borrowed land and remembering predecessors.
Prayer to wandering souls
This prayer is quite different in tone from the two above. Instead of inviting revered figures, the wandering souls prayer calls to spirits without shelter, graves, or worshippers to receive offerings[2]. The prayer includes verses describing the scene of lonely souls wandering, hungry and cold, without thin clothing, and an invitation to receive rice, soup, porridge, betel, money, and clothes of various colors[2].
At the end, after the spirits have received the offerings, the host burns votive paper and paper clothes, then respectfully reports to the deities to witness the merit[2]. The information section includes the name of the officiant, spouse, sons, daughters, and residence[2].
Comparison table of the three prayer texts
| Criteria | Prayer to deities | Prayer to ancestors | Prayer to wandering souls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Location | Deity altar | Ancestor altar | Outdoors, before the door or in the yard |
| Invited subjects | Hoàng thiên, Hậu thổ, Thổ địa, Táo quân, various deities | Ancestors on both sides, Tiền chủ, Hậu chủ | Spirits without shelter |
| Timing | Daytime | Daytime | Evening, before 12 noon on the 15th lunar day |
| Typical offerings | Sticky rice, boiled chicken, tea, wine, fruit, fresh flowers | Vegetarian or non-vegetarian feast, incense, flowers, votive paper | Thin porridge, rice balls, rice and salt, cakes, paper money |
| Tone | Respectful, solemn | Respectful, intimate | Compassionate, inviting |
Why must the wandering souls ritual be performed in the evening?
The wandering souls ritual must be performed in the evening because, according to folk belief, spirits fear light and only dare to come for offerings when it is dark[3]. The time often mentioned is the hour of Dậu, around 5 to 7 PM[3].
In folk tradition, the wandering souls ritual should be completed before 12 noon on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month, because after that the gates of hell close and spirits are not allowed to return to the human realm[3]. This is oral tradition; no religious text specifies the 12 noon rule in this way.
Some guidebooks say the wandering souls ritual can begin from the 10th day of the 7th lunar month, especially in the late afternoon when the sunlight has faded[1]. This understanding allows families to choose a day between the 10th and before noon on the 15th, rather than concentrating everything on one evening.
What is needed for the 15th day of the 7th lunar month offering tray?
The offering tray for the 15th day of the 7th lunar month is divided into two groups: the indoor tray for deities and ancestors, and the outdoor tray for wandering souls[3]. The indoor tray typically has incense, flowers, tea, wine, clean water, fruit, betel, sticky rice, and dishes; depending on family tradition, it may be vegetarian or non-vegetarian[5].
The traditional non-vegetarian tray usually includes sticky rice, boiled chicken, rice, soup, stir-fried dishes, braised dishes or braised fish[5]. According to chef Nguyễn Phương Hải, the non-vegetarian tray on the 15th day of the 7th month does not need to be as full as the old Tet tray with three bowls and six plates, but cannot lack dry dishes such as sticky rice, boiled chicken, spring rolls, salad, stir-fry, and Vietnamese sausage[4].
The wandering souls tray usually includes thin white porridge, rice balls, fruit, cakes, popcorn, roasted corn, sweet sticky rice, rice and salt, paper money, and paper clothes for wandering souls[5]. According to culinary artisan Phạm Thị Ánh Tuyết, the tray may include a plate of rice and salt, 12 bowls of thin white porridge, 5 types of fruit of different colors, 12 pieces of rock sugar, paper clothes for wandering souls, 3 cups of water, 3 incense sticks, and 2 small candles[5].
The numbers 12 bowls of porridge and 12 pieces of sugar in the above guide are one culinary artisan's way of dividing portions, not a general rule. Other families may divide into different numbers of portions, as long as the meaning of distributing to many spirits is kept[5].
Ritual order and notes when reciting prayers
The full order includes: cleaning the house and altar; preparing offerings and trays; lighting incense and reciting prayers; performing in sequence the offerings to the Buddha, deities, ancestors, and wandering souls; finally the farewell ritual, burning votive paper, and scattering rice and salt[5].
The officiant should dress neatly, light incense, and recite clearly[5]. When reciting, the host must fill in their correct name, household members' names, and residence in the blank spaces. This is the only part of the prayer that the family must fill in themselves; it cannot be read verbatim from a template.
For the wandering souls ritual, the offering tray must be placed outdoors, before the main door or in the yard, not inside the house[5]. During the ritual, the main door may be closed or only slightly open; people in the house should limit walking through the area where the tray is placed, and should not argue or take offerings while the ritual is in progress[5].
Some documents advise against performing the 15th day ritual on the 10th lunar day because they consider it the day of Nguyệt Thần Tài, and if one worships Thần Tài on that day, one should worship first and then the 15th day ritual[3]. This is a feng shui school's view, not a rule of ancestor worship.
Offerings should be moderate and things not to do
Some families prepare extra votive paper and paper clothes to offer to ancestors, but offerings should be moderate, avoiding ostentation or burning too much votive paper, which causes waste, pollution, and safety risks[5]. This is practical advice, not a spiritual taboo.
During the 7th lunar month, folk tradition says to avoid killing, doing bad deeds, arguing, and holding weddings or business openings[1]. The reason given is that this month is the month of lonely souls, when wandering spirits are in the human realm, so it is considered an unlucky month[1]. This is folk belief, not Buddhist doctrine.
Conversely, things to do during this occasion include visiting, offering flowers, and burning incense at ancestors' graves; eating vegetarian, doing good deeds, helping those in need; going to the pagoda to pray for peace and joining Vu Lan festival activities; visiting and caring for parents and grandparents[1].
Origin of the rose-pinning ritual on Vu Lan day
The rose-pinning ritual was initiated by Zen Master Thích Nhất Hạnh through his book in 1962[1]. Accordingly, those with living parents pin a red rose on their shirt, and those whose parents have passed pin a white rose[1].
The image of the rose pinned on the shirt has since become a symbol of the Vu Lan filial piety season among Buddhists, with the meaning of reminding each person of gratitude and filial respect[1]. This is a recorded event, not a legend.
This ritual should be distinguished from the 15th day of the 7th lunar month offering according to ancestor worship custom. The rose-pinning ritual is a Buddhist ceremony, usually held at the pagoda, while the home offering on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month belongs to ancestor worship custom. These two streams meet on the same day but have different origins and forms.
Nhật Nguyệt's suggestions: how to recite prayers properly
This section is Nhật Nguyệt's interpretation and suggestions, not the teachings of the I Ching or Buddhist doctrine.
First, do not worry too much about whether your prayer matches the template exactly. A prayer is spoken words in a ritual, not a legal document. What matters is inviting the right subjects, calling the deceased in the family by the right names, and maintaining reverence when reciting.
Second, if the family cannot perform all three rituals, they may simplify. A simple ancestor offering tray with suitable dishes still keeps the spirit of the day[4]. What should be avoided is skipping the day entirely when the family still has an ancestor altar.
Third, the petitions in prayers often ask for family peace, smooth work, and increasing fortune. These are requests, not commitments about outcomes. Reciting the prayer correctly should not be seen as the decisive factor in the family's business or health.
Fourth, for young families unfamiliar with Sino-Vietnamese characters in prayers, they may read a Nôm prayer or compose a prayer in simple Vietnamese. The core is to tell ancestors what you are doing, whom you are inviting, and what you are asking for.
