Offering to report absence from home during Tết
Also called: Xin về quê ăn Tết, Văn khấn về quê ăn Tết, Không ăn Tết tại nhà
- Lunar New Year (Tết)
Culture and belief A record of custom.
People returning to their hometown, going away, or going to the pagoda during Tết burn incense to report to the deities and ancestors of their current residence that the house will be empty and no Tết offerings will be made there.
At a glance
- When it is held
- One or two days before leaving home, or on the morning of departure, in the twelfth lunar month
- For whom
- The deities of the current residence and the ancestors
- Where
- Ancestral altar, Buddha altar
Each family and each region may do it differently.
The offering tray
Incense, lamps, candles
- Hương (incense sticks)
- Nến (candles)
Flowers
- Hoa tươi (fresh flowers)
Tea, rice wine, water
- Trà (tea)
- Rượu trắng (white rice liquor)
- Nước sạch (clean water)
Fruit
- Mâm ngũ quả (five-fruit tray)
Meat and savoury dishes
- Mâm mặn (savory tray: boiled chicken, xôi, giò chả) or a vegetarian tray
Votive paper
- Vàng mã (votive paper offerings)
Folk practice
- When
- One or two days before departure, or on the morning of departure
| Offering | Quantity | Vegetarian or not | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incense, lamps, candles | |||
| Incense, fresh flowers, lamps and candles | Required. Incense sticks in odd numbers | ||
| Fruit | |||
| Mâm ngũ quả (five-fruit tray) | Vegetarian | ||
| Tea, rice wine, water | |||
| Tea, wine, water | three to five cups of each | Vegetarian | |
| Votive paper | |||
| Vàng mã (votive paper) | |||
| Meat and savoury dishes | |||
| Mâm mặn (savory tray: boiled chicken, xôi, giò chả) or a vegetarian tray | Meat or fish | Not required | |
Buddhist
- When
- Before the family leaves home for Tết
| Offering | Vegetarian or not | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Xôi (steamed sticky rice) and cakes | ||
| For the Buddha: incense, flowers, tea, fruit and food (xôi, sweet soup or a bowl of white rice) | Vegetarian | Prepared in full or as circumstances allow |
| Incense, lamps, candles | ||
| For the devas and deities: the same offerings as for the Buddha | Vegetarian | |
| Tea, rice wine, water | ||
| For the ancestors: flowers, fruit and a bowl of rice, a cup of water, a cup of milk, or a tray of vegetarian food or food with the three kinds of pure meat | Vegetarian | |
Steps of the rite
Used across Vietnam, Folk practice
- PreparationBathe and dress neatly
- Reciting the prayerArrange the offerings, burn incense, read the prayer text reporting the absence from home
- Burning votive paperWhen the incense has burned about two thirds, bow in thanks and burn votive paper
- Tidy the altar before locking the door and leaving
Used across Vietnam, Buddhist
- Lighting incenseInsert incense, kneel, join hands, the chanter recites
- Reciting the prayerReport the day of departure and the reason for the absence
- Recite the mantra and dedicate the merit
- Clearing the offeringsTake down the offerings
Good to know
Used across Vietnam, Folk practice
- Housing (apartments, rented homes)People in rented rooms or apartments use the shortened prayer text and a simple offering
- SubstitutesWith little time to prepare, a plate of xôi with a slice of pork roll is enough
Used across Vietnam, Buddhist
- Housing (apartments, rented homes)Offerings are not set low on the floor or the ground; if they cannot go on the altar, another suitable place is used
What is avoided
Used across Vietnam, Folk practice
- ConductWhile the prayer text is read, private chatting and phone use are avoided
Used across Vietnam, Buddhist
- OfferingsThe offering rite involves no killing of animals and no burning of paper money, votive paper or petitions
The custom
By custom, the house one lives in is watched over by the local deities and the spirits of the ancestors, so people who leave home for several days at Tết burn incense to report their absence, ask the deities' permission and invite the ancestors to come home with them.
The pagoda's prayer text covers returning to one's hometown, travelling, or going to the pagoda to practise during Tết, whenever the family cannot make the offerings at home.
Where the sources differ
- Offerings: Báo Hà Tĩnh lists incense and flowers, lamps and candles, a five-fruit tray, tea, wine and water, votive paper, and a savoury or vegetarian tray; VOH lists a five-fruit tray, for the Buddha a bowl of white rice and a cup of clear water, for the devas and deities a bowl of white rice and a cup of tea, and vegetarian rice for the ancestors
Questions
When is the offering before going back to one's hometown for Tết made?
It is done one to two days before setting off or on the morning of departure. When the incense has burned about 2/3, one bows to ask permission to take down the offerings, burns the votive paper and tidies the altar before locking the door and leaving.
What is prepared for the offering before going home for Tết?
The offering is simple: incense, fresh flowers, lamps and candles, a five-fruit tray, three to five small cups each of tea, wine and clean water, a little votive paper and a savoury tray (boiled chicken, xôi, pork rolls) or a vegetarian tray. With little time, a plate of xôi with a slice of pork roll is enough.
How do people in rented rooms or apartments pray before going home for Tết?
People in rented rooms or apartments use a shortened prayer text: they tell the deities of their current home (Thổ Công, Thổ Địa, Táo quân) and the ancestors that the place will be empty over Tết, say where they are going and pray for a safe journey; the offering can be simple.
Communities and regions
Sources
- Văn khấn xin về quê ăn Tết 2026 (baohatinh.vn)
- Gợi ý mâm cúng và văn khấn về quê ăn Tết đầy đủ, chi tiết nhất (voh.com.vn)
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