Cúng động thổ (groundbreaking)
Also called: Khởi công, Động thổ mượn tuổi, Động thổ khoan giếng, Lễ động thổ, Cúng Thần Đất, Văn khấn động thổ
- House and land
Culture and belief A record of custom.
In the old view, before building a house one asks the Earth deity for permission to dig. After the prayer the owner strikes the first blows with a hoe, and only then do the builders begin.
At a glance
- When it is held
- Before digging the foundation to build a house, a date and hour are usually chosen
- For whom
- Thổ thần (Earth God), Thái Tuế of the year, Thành hoàng (village tutelary deity), the deities governing the land plot; the former owner and the later owner
- Where
- The offering tray is placed on the land plot
- Who makes the offering
- The head of the household; guides for the South add the custom of "mượn tuổi" (another person performs the offering on one's behalf)
Each family and each region may do it differently.
The offering tray
Incense, lamps, candles
- Hương (incense sticks)
Fruit
- Trái cây (fruit)
Xôi (steamed sticky rice) and cakes
- Xôi (sticky rice)
Meat and savoury dishes
- Gà (chicken, preparation unspecified)
- Tam sinh (three sacrificial animals)
Votive paper
- Vàng mã (votive paper offerings)
Nationwide
- When
- The date and hour chosen before digging the foundation
| Offering | Quantity | Vegetarian or not | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meat and savoury dishes | |||
| Chicken | 1 | Meat or fish | Required |
| Tam sinh (three sacrificial offerings) | Meat or fish | Old custom; nowadays simplified | |
| Xôi (steamed sticky rice) and cakes | |||
| xôi (steamed sticky rice) | 1 plate | Vegetarian | Required |
| Incense, lamps, candles | |||
| Incense, flowers and fruit, votive paper | Vegetarian | Required | |
North
| Offering | Vegetarian or not |
|---|---|
| Meat and savoury dishes | |
| Boiled rooster | Meat or fish |
| Bộ tam sên (set of three offerings) | Meat or fish |
| Xôi (steamed sticky rice) and cakes | |
| bánh chưng (square sticky rice cake), bánh dày (round sticky rice cake) | Meat or fish |
| Betel leaves and areca nuts | |
| Betel leaves and areca nuts | Vegetarian |
| Fruit | |
| Mâm ngũ quả (five-fruit tray) | Vegetarian |
Central
| Offering | Vegetarian or not |
|---|---|
| Meat and savoury dishes | |
| Boiled chicken | Meat or fish |
| Pork | Meat or fish |
| Xôi (steamed sticky rice) and cakes | |
| xôi (steamed sticky rice) | Vegetarian |
| Traditional cakes | Vegetarian |
| Fruit | |
| Seasonal fruit | Vegetarian |
South
| Offering | Vegetarian or not |
|---|---|
| Meat and savoury dishes | |
| Roast pig | Meat or fish |
| Bộ tam sên (set of three offerings) | Meat or fish |
| Xôi (steamed sticky rice) and cakes | |
| bánh tét (cylindrical sticky rice cake) | Meat or fish |
| xôi (steamed sticky rice) and chè (sweet soup) | Vegetarian |
| Fruit | |
| Tray of seasonal fruit | Vegetarian |
Steps of the rite
- Reciting the prayerLight incense and bow to the four directions and eight orientations, then turn to the offering tray and pray
- The head of the household holds a hoe and strikes the first blows
- After that the workers begin to dig
Good to know
- Researcher Phạm Đình Hải (VnExpress) says the custom of mượn tuổi (borrowing an age) for house-building dates back to old times: a relative of a suitable age performs the start-of-construction and groundbreaking formalities on the owner's behalf
What is avoided
- TimingAvoid bad days according to the calendar used for choosing days
- TimingAccording to Việt Nam phong tục (1915), house-building avoids Thiên hỏa and Địa hỏa days and the Kim lâu age, and looks for Thiên ân and Thiên hỉ days; researcher Phạm Đình Hải (VnExpress) says avoiding the Kim lâu age when building is recorded in old books and Nguyễn-dynasty woodblock prints
- TimingViệt Nam phong tục (1915) records that building gates and houses is avoided at the very end of the year
The custom
Phan Kế Bính's Việt Nam phong tục (1915) records that before building a house people checked whether the year suited their age, chose a favourable direction, and carefully picked the day to fell timber and the hour to raise the frame; at the start of the year any new undertaking such as động thổ (groundbreaking) or the first outing called for choosing the day even more.
Researcher Phạm Đình Hải (VnExpress) says that avoiding the Kim lâu age and having a favourable "trạch" when building a house are recorded in old books and Nguyễn-dynasty woodblock prints; the custom of mượn tuổi (borrowing an age), in which a relative of a suitable age performs the start-of-construction and groundbreaking formalities for the owner, dates back to old times.
Questions
What is động thổ mượn tuổi (groundbreaking with a borrowed age)?
It means asking someone whose age suits house-building, usually a parent, sibling or other relative, to carry out the start-of-construction and groundbreaking formalities for the owner. Researcher Phạm Đình Hải (VnExpress) says the custom dates back to old times; one guide notes that the groundbreaking prayer stays the same, only the person leading the rite changes.
How is the groundbreaking offering performed?
Before praying, the owner lights incense and bows to the four directions and eight points, then turns to the offering tray to pray; afterwards the owner strikes the first blows with a hoe, and only then do the builders dig (according to some guides). Việt Nam phong tục (1915) records that building a house required checking whether the year suited one's age and choosing the day and hour.
Communities and regions
More about Cúng động thổ (groundbreaking)
- Life-cycle ritesHow to Perform the Groundbreaking Ceremony for Building a House Properly
- Folk taboosFolk Taboos for Groundbreaking, House Construction, and Housewarming
- Folk traditional practicesPractical Guide: How to Choose Auspicious Dates and Times for Weddings and Groundbreaking in Vietnamese Folk Belief
Sources
- Văn khấn lễ động thổ (vankhan.vn)
- Lễ vật và bài văn cúng động thổ (docungtamlinh.com.vn)
- Việt Nam phong tục, Phan Kế Bính (1915), thiên III, mục XXXVIII: Cư sở (vi.wikisource.org)
- Việt Nam phong tục, Phan Kế Bính (1915), thiên III, mục XXXI: Xem ngày kén giờ (vi.wikisource.org)
- Việt Nam phong tục, Phan Kế Bính (1915), thiên III, mục XXXII: Các việc kiêng kỵ (vi.wikisource.org)
- Bi hài xem tuổi làm nhà (vnexpress.net)
Part of the open datasets Types of Vietnamese offering rites and Vietnamese offering procedures, licensed CC BY 4.0.
More ritesDeath anniversaries, Tết, the home, business, the life cycle, village and ethnic rites.Open