Cúng rằm tháng Giêng (offering on the full moon of the first lunar month)
Also called: Tết Nguyên tiêu, Tết Thượng nguyên, Rằm Thượng nguyên, Lễ Thượng nguyên
- Festivals through the year
Culture and belief A record of custom.
By custom, the full moon of the first lunar month is the first full moon of the year, also called Tết Nguyên tiêu or Tết Thượng nguyên. Households usually prepare a vegetarian offering to Buddha and a meat offering to ancestors, and many people go to the pagoda for cầu an (prayer for peace and safety) on this occasion.
At a glance
- When it is held
- On the full moon of the first lunar month of the lunar calendar; the offering to ancestors is usually made at the giờ Ngọ (noon hour)
- This year (2026)
- Next year (2027)
- For whom
- Buddha; the deities of the house (Thành hoàng (village tutelary deity), Thổ địa (Earth God), Táo quân (Kitchen Gods), Thần Tài (God of Wealth)); ancestors on both sides; tiền chủ, hậu chủ (former and later owners of the land)
- Where
- Buddha altar, Ancestral altar, Pagoda
Each family and each region may do it differently.
The offering tray
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Nationwide
- When
- Full moon of the first lunar month; the offering to ancestors is usually made at the hour of Ngọ (11 to 13 o'clock)
- Customary hour
- the hour of Ngọ, 11:00 to 13:00
| Offering | Vegetarian or not | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Vegetarian dishes | ||
| Vegetarian offering tray to Buddha | Vegetarian | Together with incense, flowers, lamps and candles |
| Meat and savoury dishes | ||
| Meat offering tray to ancestors | Meat or fish | Dishes such as the Tết feast: boiled meat, bamboo shoot soup, nem, giò, xôi gấc (steamed sticky rice with gấc fruit) |
| Incense, lamps, candles | ||
| Incense, flowers, votive paper, lamps and candles | ||
| Betel leaves and areca nuts | ||
| Betel leaves and areca nuts, wine | Vegetarian | |
| Xôi (steamed sticky rice) and cakes | ||
| Bánh trôi (chè trôi nước) | Vegetarian | One guide writes that the offering tray must have it, another writes that many places add it |
| Fruit | ||
| Ngũ quả (five-fruit tray) | Vegetarian | |
North
| Offering | Vegetarian or not | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Meat and savoury dishes | ||
| Meat feast tray offered to ancestors in the style of "4 bowls and 6 plates" | Meat or fish | Some guides call it a rule characteristic of the North |
| Fruit | ||
| Five-fruit tray with a bunch of bananas | Vegetarian | The article writes that bananas are the fruit always present on the five-fruit tray of the North |
South
| Offering | Vegetarian or not | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fruit | ||
| Five-fruit tray: mãng cầu Xiêm (soursop), dừa (coconut), đu đủ (papaya), xoài (mango), sung (fig) | Vegetarian | The article writes the meaning "to pray for sufficiency, enough to spend" |
Steps of the rite
- PreparationPrepare two offerings: a vegetarian offering to Buddha and a meat offering to ancestors
- Reciting the prayerLight incense, pray to the deities and ancestors
- The rite may be performed at the pagoda or at home; many people go to the pagoda for cầu an (prayer for peace and safety) on this occasion
Good to know
- Vegetarian or notAccording to Tạp chí Công Thương, each locality and each household prepares the full-moon offering of the first lunar month differently, vegetarian or with meat depending on means and local custom
- According to VnExpress, the offering made at home on this occasion need not be as large or formal as at the end of the year
What is avoided
- One guide writes that on the full moon of the first lunar month one avoids killing living beings, so some households make only a vegetarian offering
The custom
The full moon of the first lunar month is the first full moon of the new year, traditionally called Tết Nguyên tiêu and also Tết Thượng nguyên; a popular saying holds that "a whole year of worshipping the Buddha does not equal the full moon of the first month".
According to VnExpress, in Vietnam the full moon of the first month has drifted away from its original legend and blended Buddhist elements with folk beliefs; it is an occasion to go to the pagoda for cầu an (prayer for peace and safety), and many pagodas also hold a star-related rite to ward off misfortune.
Where the sources differ
- On bánh trôi: one guide writes that the offering tray must have bánh trôi; Báo Pháp luật TP. Hồ Chí Minh and some guides write that many places and many people add bánh trôi nước
- On meat or vegetarian fare: some guides write that ancestors are offered a meat tray; Báo Pháp luật TP. Hồ Chí Minh writes that the offerings are mainly vegetarian; a VnExpress article writes that the offerings at home need not be as large as at the year's end
Questions
When is the full-moon offering of the first lunar month made, and at what hour?
It is made on the full moon (the 15th) of the first lunar month, the first full moon of the year, traditionally called Tết Nguyên tiêu or Tết Thượng nguyên. Many guides note that the offering to ancestors is usually made at the hour of Ngọ, from 11 to 13.
What is needed for the full-moon offering of the first lunar month?
By custom, households prepare two offerings: a vegetarian tray for the Buddha with incense, flowers and candles, and a tray for the ancestors with dishes like those of Tết, with meat or vegetarian depending on the family. Betel and areca, rice liquor, a little votive paper and five kinds of fruit usually go with them; many places add bánh trôi (glutinous rice balls).
Is votive paper money part of the full-moon offering of the first month?
The offerings that many guides list for the full moon of the first month include votive paper, usually only a little, alongside incense, flowers, candles, betel and areca, and rice liquor.
Communities and regions
More about Cúng rằm tháng Giêng (offering on the full moon of the first lunar month)
- Festival customsRằm Tháng Giêng (Tết Nguyên Tiêu): The First Full Moon and Temple-Going Traditions
- Festival customsHow to Arrange the Full Moon of the First Lunar Month Offering Tray for the Family: What to Offer, How Many Trays, How to Place Them
- Tet and seasonal ritesFull Moon of the First Lunar Month - Tet Nguyen Tieu: Why It Is Considered the Most Significant Full Moon of the Year and What to Prepare for the Offering Tray
- Tet and seasonal ritesLantern Festival of the Chinese Community in Cho Lon and the Belief in Thien Hau
Sources
- Văn khấn Lễ Nguyên tiêu (vankhan.vn)
- Văn khấn Rằm tháng Giêng 2024 (hoatieu.vn)
- Mâm cỗ cúng rằm tháng giêng (docungtamlinh.com.vn)
- Nghi lễ cúng rằm tháng Giêng (vnexpress.net)
- Lễ vật cúng Rằm tháng Giêng (plo.vn)
- Những món ăn không thể thiếu trong mâm cỗ cúng Rằm Tháng Giêng (tapchicongthuong.vn)
Part of the open datasets Types of Vietnamese offering rites and Vietnamese offering procedures, licensed CC BY 4.0.
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