Cúng sao hội mùng 8 tháng Giêng (star worship gathering on the 8th day of the first lunar month)
Also called: Cúng sao mùng 8, Cúng sao giải hạn mùng 8 tháng Giêng, Hội sao, Cúng sao đầu năm
- Festivals through the year
Culture and belief A record of custom.
In folk practice, the 8th day of the first lunar month is regarded as the gathering day of the stars; those who believe they meet a star of ill fortune in the year hold a star offering rite at home or go to a pagoda to present a sớ cầu an (petition for peace and safety). Domestic newspapers note that this custom does not originate from Buddhist liturgy but from folk belief.
At a glance
- When it is held
- Evening of the 8th day of the first lunar month on the lunar calendar, usually from 21 to 23 o'clock
- This year (2026)
- Next year (2027)
- For whom
- Ngọc Hoàng Thượng đế (Jade Emperor), Tử Vi Đại đế (Great Emperor of the Purple Star), Nam Tào (Southern Dipper), Bắc Đẩu (Northern Dipper) and nine tinh quân (star lords governing one's fate)
Each family and each region may do it differently.
The offering tray
Region:
Nationwide
- When
- The 8th day of the first lunar month, by custom the gathering day of the stars; source guides say the offering is made in the evening, from 21 to 23 o'clock
- Where the offerings are set
- Outdoors (yard, rooftop, balcony); where there is no outdoor space, the offering is made indoors. Many people hold the rite at a pagoda
| Offering | Quantity | Vegetarian or not | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incense, lamps, candles | |||
| Hương (nhang) (incense) | |||
| Nến (đèn cầy) (candles) | for an offering for the whole household, 3 candles; for an individual offering, the number of candles follows each star | La Hầu (Rahu) 9, Kế Đô (Ketu) 20 or 21, Thái Dương (Sun) 12, Thái Âm (Moon) 7, Mộc Đức (Jupiter) 20, Vân Hớn (Rahu's tail) 15, Thổ Tú (Saturn) 5, Thái Bạch (Venus) 8, Thủy Diệu (Mercury) 7 | |
| Flowers | |||
| Fresh flowers | 3, 5 or 7 flowers | Some guides note that yellow chrysanthemums are commonly used | |
| Fruit | |||
| Ngũ quả (five-fruit tray) | Vegetarian | ||
| Betel leaves and areca nuts | |||
| Betel leaves and areca nuts | 5 fruits, 5 leaves | Vegetarian | |
| Tea, rice wine, water | |||
| Rượu (rice wine), water | Vegetarian | ||
| Votive paper | |||
| votive paper and paper money | Some guides note 10 sheets of votive paper money | ||
| Rice and salt | |||
| Rice, salt | Vegetarian | ||
| Objects | |||
| Bài vị (spirit tablet) written on coloured paper according to each star | |||
South
Southeast, TPHCM, Hóc Môn, Folk practice
- When
- Evening of the 8th day of the first lunar month
- Where the offerings are set
- At a pagoda (the article describes chùa Đông Linh, Hóc Môn)
| Offering | Notes |
|---|---|
| Objects | |
| Sớ cầu an (petition for peace and safety) | The person asking for the star rite to be carried out wears the petition on the head |
| Incense, lamps, candles | |
| Đèn cầy (candles) | |
Steps of the rite
Used across Vietnam, Folk practice
- Prepare the offerings, arrange the candles according to the star
- Light incense, recite the prayer text or read the sớ (petition)
- After the rite, burn the votive paper money, the prayer text and the spirit tablet together
Southeast, TPHCM, Hóc Môn, Folk practice
- The person asking for the star rite to be carried out (called nhương chủ in the article) comes to the pagoda on the evening of the 8th
- Present the petition, wear the sớ cầu an (petition for peace and safety) on the head
Where the sources differ
- Day of the offering: one guide notes that the early-year giải hạn (rite to ward off misfortune) is usually held on the 8th day of the first lunar month; Dân trí newspaper notes that most begin from the 8th, some places hold the rite from the 4th or 6th day of Tết, and it may be held monthly on the 8th, 18th and 28th days of the lunar calendar
- Number of candles for the Kế Đô star: the same guide notes 20 candles in the section on arranging candles and 21 flames in the section on how to bow
Communities and regions
Sources
- Văn khấn sao Hội mùng 8 tháng Giêng 2026 (hoatieu.vn)
- Cách cúng sao mùng 8 tháng Giêng 2026 (hoatieu.vn)
- Lễ vật cúng sao hội mùng 8 tháng Giêng (hoatieu.vn)
- Mùng 8 cúng sao cầu năm mới an lành (dantri.com.vn)
Part of the open datasets Types of Vietnamese offering rites and Vietnamese offering procedures, licensed CC BY 4.0.
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