Cúng mùng một, ngày rằm (first-day and full-moon offerings)
Also called: Sóc vọng, Văn khấn Thổ Công và gia tiên mùng 1, rằm, Lễ Sóc, lễ Vọng, Cúng rằm, mùng một, Văn khấn mùng một và ngày rằm hằng tháng, Văn khấn mùng 1 ngoài trời
- First and fifteenth of the lunar month
Culture and belief A record of custom.
By custom, on the first day (Sóc) and the full-moon day (Vọng) of each lunar month many households light incense and set out a usually vegetarian offering at the home altar, addressing the household deities and the ancestors.
At a glance
- When it is held
- The first day of the lunar month and the evening of the fifteenth day of every lunar month
- For whom
- Thổ Công (Earth God of the house) and the deities in the house; ancestors
- Where
- Thổ Công altar, Ancestral altar
- Who makes the offering
- head of the household
Each family and each region may do it differently.
The offering tray
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- When
- The first day of the lunar month (lễ Sóc) and the evening of the fifteenth day of the lunar month (lễ Vọng)
| Offering | Quantity | Vegetarian or not | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incense, lamps, candles | |||
| incense | Required | ||
| Flowers | |||
| flowers | 1 vase | ||
| Betel leaves and areca nuts | |||
| betel leaves and areca nuts | Vegetarian | ||
| Fruit | |||
| fruit | 1 plate | Vegetarian | |
| Tea, rice wine, water | |||
| water | 1 cup | Vegetarian | |
| rice wine | 1 jar | ||
| Votive paper | |||
| votive paper and paper money | |||
| Meat and savoury dishes | |||
| Savory offerings: rice wine, boiled chicken, savory dishes | Meat or fish | Not required; usually vegetarian offerings | |
Steps of the rite
- Laying out the offeringsArrange the offerings, light incense
- Reciting the prayerInvoke Thổ Công and the deities first
- Reciting the prayerInvoke the ancestors afterwards
What is avoided
No source we have found describes what is avoided for this rite.
The custom
By custom, the first day of the lunar month is the Sóc day and the fifteenth the Vọng day; on these two days each lunar month many families make offerings to the household deities and the ancestors, praying for the family's health and peace.
Questions
Is the monthly full-moon offering on the 14th or the 15th, and at what time of day?
Many guides, Buddhist guidance among them, record that the Vọng offering is made on the evening of the full-moon day (the 15th), and the Sóc offering on the first day.
Is the first-day offering vegetarian or not?
Usually vegetarian: many guides, Buddhist guidance among them, record that the Sóc and Vọng offerings usually consist of incense, flowers, betel and areca, fruit and votive paper; besides the vegetarian offering, a savory one with rice wine, boiled chicken and other dishes may be added.
Is Thổ Công addressed before the ancestors, or after?
Thổ Công first: one guide notes that whenever offerings are made to the ancestors, Thổ Công is always addressed first, naming all the deities written on the tablet; the prayer to the ancestors for the first day in Buddhist guidance likewise invites the deities (Thành hoàng, Thổ địa, Táo quân) before the ancestors.
Communities and regions
More about Cúng mùng một, ngày rằm (first-day and full-moon offerings)
Sources
- Văn khấn ngày mồng một và ngày rằm hàng tháng (vankhan.vn)
- Văn khấn ngày Mồng 1 tại gia (phatgiao.org.vn)
- Văn khấn Thổ công (vankhan.vn)
- Văn khấn gia tiên ngày rằm, mùng 1 và các dịp quan trọng (voh.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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