Offering on the first day of Tết
Also called: Cúng Tân niên, Cúng Nguyên đán, Cúng mồng một Tết, Cúng đầu năm
- Lunar New Year (Tết)
Culture and belief A record of custom.
By custom, on the morning of the first day of Tết the family sets an offering tray, first prays to the deities, then invites the ancestors to enjoy the first offering of the year. The tray differs between the North, the Central and the South.
At a glance
- When it is held
- Morning of the first day of the first lunar month
- This year (2026)
- Next year (2027)
- For whom
- Deities, Thổ Công (Earth God of the house) in the house and ancestors; some households also offer to the heavens outside
- Where
- Thổ Công altar, Ancestral altar, Courtyard or outdoors, Buddha altar, Grave, Pagoda
- Who makes the offering
- Head of the household or eldest son
Each family and each region may do it differently.
The offering tray
Incense, lamps, candles
- Incense, lamp or candle, tea, white wine, five-fruit tray
Fruit
- Mía (sugarcane)
Xôi (steamed sticky rice) and cakes
- Xôi (sticky rice)
- Bánh chưng (square sticky rice cake)
Meat and savoury dishes
- Gà luộc (boiled whole chicken)
- Giò chả (Vietnamese pork sausage)
- Món mặn (savoury dishes)
- Cá (fish)
- Bò (cattle, beef)
Vegetarian dishes
- Dưa hành (pickled shallots)
Nationwide
Folk practice
- When
- Morning of the first day of the first lunar month, around 7 to 11 o'clock
- Customary hour
- around 7:00 to 11:00, finished before 12:00 noon
| Offering | Vegetarian or not | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Incense, lamps, candles | ||
| Incense, lamp or candle, tea, white wine, five-fruit tray | Vegetarian | Required |
| Meat and savoury dishes | ||
| Savory tray: boiled chicken, xôi (steamed sticky rice), bánh chưng (square sticky rice cake), giò chả (Vietnamese ham and sausage) and other Tết dishes | Meat or fish | |
| Bánh chưng (square sticky rice cake), braised fish, giò and chả (pork rolls), pickled shallots, beef | Meat or fish | The book Việt Nam phong tục (1915) says a Tết feast, large or small, must have these dishes |
| Fruit | ||
| Two stalks of sugarcane stood beside the altar | Vegetarian | Some households set them up as walking sticks for the ancestors |
Buddhist
- When
- The 1st, 2nd and 3rd days of 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 | |
North
- When
- The first day of the first lunar month
| Offering | Vegetarian or not | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Meat and savoury dishes | ||
| Bánh chưng (square sticky rice cake), xôi gấc (steamed sticky rice with gấc fruit), boiled chicken, fried spring rolls, thịt đông (meat aspic), pickled scallions, giò chả (Vietnamese ham and sausage), bamboo shoot soup or bóng soup | Meat or fish | |
| Fruit | ||
| Five-fruit tray in the style of the region | Vegetarian | According to Assoc. Prof. Nguyễn Huy Thiệu: green bananas, pomelo or Buddha's hand, red chilli, peach or pear, black grapes, in odd numbers and staggered; bananas, pomelo and mandarin or orange are indispensable |
Central
Folk practice
- When
- The first day of the first lunar month
| Offering | Vegetarian or not | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Meat and savoury dishes | ||
| Roast pig, roast chicken, nem lụi (grilled skewered pork), meat soaked in fish sauce, shredded chicken salad, rimmed lean meat | Meat or fish | |
| Fruit | ||
| Five-fruit tray in the style of the region | Vegetarian | Arranged simply with fruit in season; it still has bananas, custard apples, figs, coconuts, papayas and mangoes |
Hội An, Folk practice, At the grave
- When
- The first day of Tết
| Offering |
|---|
| Incense, lamps, candles |
| Incense |
South
- When
- The first day of the first lunar month
| Offering | Vegetarian or not | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Meat and savoury dishes | ||
| Braised pork with duck eggs, bitter melon soup stuffed with meat, Chinese sausage, sweet and sour pickled kiệu (pickled scallions), shredded chicken salad, bánh tét (cylindrical sticky rice cake) | Meat or fish | |
| Fruit | ||
| Five-fruit tray in the style of the region | Vegetarian | Custard apple, fig, coconut, papaya and mango, read as 'cầu sung vừa đủ xài' (wishing for just enough to spend); pineapple may be added |
| A pair of watermelons | Vegetarian | Placed on the ancestral altar beside the five-fruit tray |
Steps of the rite
Used across Vietnam, Folk practice
- Laying out the offeringsArrange the offerings on the two altars
- Reciting the prayerLight incense at the altar of the deities, pray to the deities and Thổ Công first
- Reciting the prayerLight incense at the altar of the ancestors, pray to the ancestors
- Clearing the offeringsWhen the incense has burned about two thirds, give thanks and take down the offerings
Used across Vietnam, Buddhist
- Lighting incenseInsert incense, kneel, join hands, the chanter recites
- Reciting the prayerRead the prayer text; may also make a charitable offering
- Chant the true words to transform food and water, universal offering
- Dedication of merit
- Clearing the offeringsTake down the offerings
Central Vietnam, Folk practice
- On the first day many people visit the graves and go to the pagoda to pray that the ancestors and deities protect the family
Central Vietnam, Hội An, Folk practice, At the grave
- The first day is for visiting graves: descendants put on their best clothes to visit and clean the graves of grandparents and parents
- The elders show the descendants where the ancestors rest and advise them on right and wrong
Good to know
Used across Vietnam, Folk practice
- GuestsMany households ask a kind, easy-going or 'light-souled' person to be the first visitor early on the first morning
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
- SubstitutesWithout tea, plain water is offered; without incense, 'incense of the heart' is offered
Northern Vietnam, Folk practice
- GuestsRight on giao thừa night, many families invite a 'light-souled' person or someone whose age suits the head of the household to be the first visitor
Central Vietnam, Folk practice
- GuestsCentral Vietnam also has the first-visitor custom, asking an elderly, healthy and respected person or a bright child to come first
What is avoided
Used across Vietnam, Folk practice
- SpeechAvoid arguing and raising the voice
- ConductDo not sweep the house or take out the rubbish
- ConductAvoid breaking things
- SpeechOn the first day people guard their words; by custom an ill-omened word is feared to bring bad luck for the whole year
Used across Vietnam, Buddhist
- OfferingsThe offering rite involves no killing of animals and no burning of paper money, votive paper or petitions
Northern Vietnam, Folk practice
- OfferingsFruit with a strong smell, sharp thorns or a rough skin is not placed on the five-fruit tray
- ConductOn the first morning many people do not enter anyone's house, fearing that a 'heavy-souled' visitor brings the host a bad year
Central Vietnam, Folk practice
- OfferingsOranges and mandarins are not placed on the five-fruit tray, following the saying 'cam đành quýt đoạn' (a pun on parting)
Southern Vietnam, Folk practice
- OfferingsBananas are avoided because 'chuối' sounds like 'chúi' (to tumble down); few people display mandarins, pears or apples
The custom
According to the book Việt Nam phong tục (Phan Kế Bính, 1915), the first day of the year is Tết Nguyên đán, the greatest festival of the year. On its morning a feast is offered to the ancestors and also to Thổ Công (Earth God of the house) and Táo quân (Kitchen Gods); large or small, the feast must have bánh chưng, braised fish, giò, chả and pickled shallots.
In folk belief the first day sets the course of the whole year, so people guard their words, avoid sweeping the house or throwing out rubbish, and ask a well-chosen person to be the first visitor.
Where the sources differ
- Time of the offering: Báo Hà Tĩnh gives early morning, roughly 7 to 11 a.m.; one guide says the head of the household makes the ancestral offering at noon on the first day before going to wish Tết greetings
Questions
What time is the offering on the first day of Tết made?
By custom, the offering on the first day is made in the morning, roughly 7 to 11 a.m., finished before 12 noon. In some places the ancestral offering is made at noon on the first day before going out to wish Tết greetings.
What does the offering tray on the first day of Tết include?
The offerings usually include incense, lamps and candles, tea, wine, fresh flowers, a five-fruit tray, betel and areca and a Tết feast. The northern feast has bánh chưng, gấc sticky rice, boiled chicken, fried spring rolls, pork rolls, pickled shallots and bamboo-shoot soup; the central one has roast pork, grilled pork skewers, pork in fish sauce and chicken salad; the southern one has pork braised with duck eggs, stuffed bitter-melon soup, Chinese sausage, pickled scallion bulbs and bánh tét.
How many offering trays are set out on the first day of Tết?
Offerings are made at two places, the altar of the deities and Thổ Công (Earth God of the house) and the ancestral altar, praying to the deities first and then to the ancestors. Many households add a tray in the yard or before the door to give thanks to heaven and earth.
Is votive paper burned after the offering on the first day of Tết?
Sources differ: Báo Hà Tĩnh says that when the incense has burned about 2/3 the head of the household bows in thanks, burns the votive paper and clears the tray; one guide says the lamps and incense are kept until the thanksgiving rite at the end of Tết, and offerings other than perishable food wait for the hóa vàng rite before being taken down.
What is the offering on the first day of Tết?
It is the offering on the morning of the first day of the first lunar month: the family offers a feast to the ancestors and also to Thổ Công (Earth God of the house) and Táo quân (Kitchen Gods), inviting the ancestors to the first offering of the year and praying for a peaceful year.
Communities and regions
Sources
- Văn khấn mồng 1 Tết Bính Ngọ 2026 theo Văn khấn cổ truyền Việt Nam (baohatinh.vn)
- Lễ Tết Nguyên đán (Lễ đầu năm mới) (vankhan.vn)
- Việt Nam phong tục, mục XII Tứ thời tiết lạp, Phan Kế Bính, 1915 (vi.wikisource.org)
- Bài cúng mùng 1 (docungtamlinh.com.vn)
- Khác biệt mâm ngũ quả ba miền (vnexpress.net)
- Sự khác biệt thú vị trong văn hóa Tết 3 miền (dantri.com.vn, 18/01/2017)
- Tết của người Hội An (vnexpress.net)
Part of the open datasets Types of Vietnamese offering rites and Vietnamese offering procedures, licensed CC BY 4.0.
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