Cúng tất niên (year-end offering)

Also called: Cúng 30 Tết, Cúng rước ông bà, Lễ rước ông bà, Cơm tất niên, Tất niên công ty, Tất niên xóm (Nam Bộ)

Lunar New Year (Tết)

Prayer text for Cúng tất niên (year-end offering)5 texts, kept in Vietnamese, with an English summary.

By custom, on the last day of the year the descendants prepare a tray of rice to inform the deities and ancestors that the old year has ended and to invite the grandparents back to enjoy Tết. In the South and the Central region this offering is also called cúng rước ông bà (offering to welcome back the ancestors); the dishes on the tray differ among the three regions.

At a glance

When it is held: The 30th day of the twelfth lunar month (the 29th in a short month), at noon or in the afternoon; some households hold the offering early, from the 28th or 29th
For whom: The deities of the house and the ancestors; the tray placed outdoors is offered to Thổ Địa (Earth God), the deities and wandering spirits with no place to rely on
Where: Ancestral altar, Courtyard or outdoors

Each family and each region may do it differently.

The offering tray

A wooden table with an incense pot, an oil lamp, a vase of red carnations, a dish of jujubes and rose apples, a plate of steamed buns, leaf-wrapped cakes and vegetarian dishes. — The year-end (tất niên) offering tray in a family home on the 29th of the twelfth lunar month, 2024.Photo: Phương Huy, Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)

A dark wooden table with fried prawns, slices of pork roll, fried spring rolls, meat dishes, salad, a bowl of rice, a teapot, a stack of bowls, a pile of votive paper and betel leaves. — The year-end offering tray for the ancestors in a home in Đông Hà, 2017.Photo: Phương Huy, Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

Region:NationwideNorthCentralSouth

Nationwide

Folk practice

When: Noon or afternoon of the 30th day of the twelfth lunar month (the 29th in a short month); households holding a large feast may make the offering from the 28th or 29th
Where the offerings are set: The offering tray is placed on a small table below the ancestors' altar; flowers, the five-fruit tray and votive paper on the altar; some households set out an additional small tray in the yard or on the veranda
Who makes the offering: The head of the household, usually the eldest person

Offering	Vegetarian or not	Notes
Incense, lamps, candles
Incense, lamps and candles, fresh flowers, the five-fruit tray	Vegetarian	Required
Tea, rice wine, water
Betel leaves and areca nuts, wine, tea, water, rice and salt, votive paper	Vegetarian
Meat and savoury dishes
A tray of savory dishes following the Tết dishes of each region	Meat or fish
Xôi (steamed sticky rice) and cakes
The outdoor tray: xôi (steamed sticky rice) or bánh chưng (square sticky rice cake), sweet soup, incense and flowers, betel leaves and areca nuts	Meat or fish	When there is an outdoor offering

Folk practice, Address to the ancestors

When: Afternoon of the 30th of the twelfth lunar month (29th if the month is short), before the giao thừa offering
Where the offerings are set: Ancestor altar: fresh flowers, a tray of five fruits, some votive paper (possibly also bánh chưng, xôi, chè) on the main altar; the offering tray is placed on a lower table
Who makes the offering: The oldest man in the house lights incense and reads the prayer text, then other members bow in offering

Offering	Vegetarian or not	Notes
Meat and savoury dishes
The offering tray is arranged by number of bowls and plates: four bowls and four plates; a large tray has six bowls and six plates or eight bowls and eight plates	Meat or fish	The article says this was the style of previous years, listing bowls of bamboo shoots, bóng, squid, shiitake mushrooms, vermicelli, mọc, and plates of boiled chicken, giò lụa, chả quế, pickled onions, bánh chưng, braised fish
The offering chicken is tied in the gà chầu posture	Meat or fish
Fruit
Tray of five fruits using common, just-ripe, edible fruits	Vegetarian	Do not use green fruits or artificial fruits
Flowers
Fresh flowers		Do not use artificial flowers
Xôi (steamed sticky rice) and cakes
Vegetarian tray replacing the meat feast: bánh chưng (square sticky rice cake), xôi (steamed sticky rice), chè (sweet soup)	Meat or fish	Optional

North

When: Noon or early evening of the 29th or 30th of the twelfth lunar month, the last day of the year

Offering	Vegetarian or not
Meat and savoury dishes
Boiled chicken, bánh chưng (square sticky rice cake), giò chả (Vietnamese sausage and pork roll), fried spring rolls, xôi gấc (red sticky rice)	Meat or fish
Bamboo shoot soup or bóng soup, pork trotter stewed with bamboo shoots, glass noodles, mọc (pork balls)	Meat or fish

Central

Folk practice

When: Noon or early evening of the 29th or 30th of the twelfth lunar month, the last day of the year

Offering	Vegetarian or not	Notes
Xôi (steamed sticky rice) and cakes
Bánh tét (cylindrical sticky rice cake, preferred over bánh chưng)	Meat or fish
Meat and savoury dishes
Shredded chicken tossed with rau răm (Vietnamese coriander) instead of a whole boiled chicken	Meat or fish
Giò lụa Huế (Huế pork roll), chả bò (beef sausage), pork soaked in fish sauce, ram cuốn (fried rolls)	Meat or fish
Stir-fried glass noodles, dried bamboo shoot soup, dưa món (pickled mixed vegetables), pickled scallions	Meat or fish
Tôm chua (fermented shrimp), bánh mật (molasses cake)	Meat or fish	Depending on the locality, such as Huế, Quảng Nam, Bình Định
Flowers
Chrysanthemums, vạn thọ (marigolds), gladioli; lamps and candles, betel leaves and areca nuts, tea, wine, votive paper	Vegetarian

Hội An, Folk practice

When: The 30th day of the twelfth lunar month, called the offering to welcome back the ancestors
Where the offerings are set: The ancestors' altar; descendants living separately come to the parents' house or the family shrine to attend the offering

Offering	Quantity	Vegetarian or not	Notes
Tea, rice wine, water
A glass of clear water, usually rainwater		Vegetarian	So that the ancestors may rinse their mouths
Votive paper
Gold and silver paper	many stacks		So that the ancestors have money to spend during Tết
Paper items: khăn xếp (folded turban), black áo dài, white trousers, wooden clogs, black umbrella			So that the ancestors have clothes to wear during the three days of Tết

Huế, Huế, Folk practice

When: The afternoon of the 30th of Tết

Offering	Vegetarian or not	Notes
Meat and savoury dishes
Savoury tray: pork, chicken, xôi, chè	Meat or fish
Votive paper
Red votive paper items		Votive items for the year-end and land offerings in Huế are mainly red, unlike the yellow paper robes of the giao thừa rite

South

When: Morning of the 30th of the twelfth lunar month, around 9 or 10 o'clock, eat at noon (according to Báo Pháp luật Việt Nam); Báo Thanh tra calls this day the ceremony to welcome the ancestors
Customary hour: around 9 or 10 a.m.
Where the offerings are set: Altar of the ancestors; many households also set up an extra tray in the yard

Offering	Vegetarian or not	Notes
Xôi (steamed sticky rice) and cakes
White rice	Vegetarian	Required. After offering to the ancestors, the descendants eat
Bánh tét, bánh phồng, candied fruit, pickled scallions, pickled bean sprouts	Meat or fish
Meat and savoury dishes
Thịt kho tàu (braised pork with eggs), bitter melon soup stuffed with meat	Meat or fish
Boiled chicken, boiled pork, shrimp and pork salad, spring rolls	Meat or fish
Incense, lamps, candles
Incense, lamps, fresh flowers, fruit	Vegetarian	Required. Báo Thanh tra: the minimum offering is four items: incense, lamps, flowers, fruit

Steps of the rite

Used across Vietnam, Folk practice

PreparationClean the altar and the house beforehand
Laying out the offeringsArrange the offering tray and the offerings
Reciting the prayerLight incense, read the prayer text
Burning votive paperWhen the incense has burned about two thirds, give thanks and burn votive paper
Sharing the blessed offeringsThe whole family eats the year-end meal
From the afternoon of the 30th, keep incense burning on the altar throughout the Tết days

Used across Vietnam, Folk practice, Address to the ancestors

PreparationOn the 30th, prepare two trays: one tray for the year-end offering and then dinner, one tray for the giao thừa (New Year's Eve) offering
Reciting the prayerArrange the offerings, light incense, read the prayer text inviting deities and ancestors to come and enjoy Tết
Sharing the blessed offeringsThe whole family bows, then gathers for the year-end meal

Central Vietnam, Hội An, Folk practice

Reciting the prayerCúng rước ông bà (ceremony to welcome the ancestors) on the 30th
At giao thừa (New Year's Eve), offerings are made in the yard or on the veranda, with only flowers, fruit, candied fruit, no wine or meat
After the offering, rice and salt are scattered in the four directions

Huế, Huế, Folk practice

PreparationOn the last day of the year the women cook and make cakes and preserves; the men sweep the house, tidy the altar and prepare the offerings
Reciting the prayerOn the afternoon of the 30th, offer the year-end tray inviting the ancestors home to celebrate Tết

Southern Vietnam, Folk practice

Reciting the prayerOffer a tray of rice to invite the ancestors to join the descendants
Reciting the prayerThe tray in the yard is to offer to those with no one to worship them, soldiers, and compatriots who died
In the afternoon, sweep the house one last time

What is avoided

OfferingsDo not place branches of gold and jade made of votive paper on the altar

The custom

In folk belief, the year-end offering on the 30th of Tết thanks heaven and earth, the deities and the ancestors for protecting the descendants through a year of health and progress; it is also an occasion for the whole family to gather, see off the old year and prepare for the new one.

Dr. Dương Hoàng Lộc (Báo Pháp luật Việt Nam, Thanh Niên) notes that people in the South make a bigger year-end offering, while people in the North usually concentrate the rites at the moment of giao thừa (New Year's Eve).

Where the sources differ

Whether the North holds cúng tất niên: Báo Pháp luật Việt Nam quotes Mr. Lộc as saying that the North usually does not hold cúng tất niên, and only makes an offering at giao thừa (New Year's Eve), welcoming the ancestors at the same time, while only the South has tất niên; Báo Hà Tĩnh and some guides describe the cúng tất niên tray of all three regions
How to place the offering chicken: the article says that putting the chicken's head turned toward the incense bowl is correct, and notes that many people turn the chicken's head outward for appearance

Questions

What is the year-end offering (cúng tất niên)?

Cúng tất niên is the offering on the last day of the lunar year, the 30th of the twelfth lunar month (the 29th in a short month). In folk belief it thanks heaven and earth, the deities and the ancestors for protecting the descendants through the year, and is an occasion for the family to gather and see off the old year.

On which day is the year-end offering made?

According to Báo Hà Tĩnh, the year-end offering is usually made on the afternoon of the 30th of Tết, or the 29th if the twelfth month lacks a 30th day; households with a large party may hold it early, on the 28th or 29th. In the Bính Ngọ year the twelfth month is short, so the last day of the year is the 29th, that is 5 February 2027 (5/2/2027).

What is on the outdoor year-end tray?

According to Báo Hà Tĩnh, many families also set a small tray in the yard or on the veranda, with xôi or bánh chưng, chè, incense and flowers, betel leaves and areca nuts, five fruits, votive paper, tea and rượu, for Thổ Địa (Earth God), the deities and wandering spirits with no one to rely on. In the South, according to Báo Pháp luật Việt Nam, the yard tray is offered to the uncared-for dead, fallen soldiers and compatriots who died.

What is on the year-end tray in the Centre?

In Huế, according to Tuổi Trẻ, on the afternoon of the 30th each house sets a savoury tray of pork, chicken, xôi and chè to invite the ancestors home for Tết. Many guides add for the Centre bánh tét, shredded chicken with rau răm, giò lụa, chả bò, ram, stir-fried glass noodles, dried bamboo shoot soup, dưa món, tôm chua and bánh mật, depending on the place.

Does the North make the year-end offering, and what is on the tray?

Sources differ: Dr. Dương Hoàng Lộc (Báo Pháp luật Việt Nam, Thanh Niên) holds that the North usually makes no big year-end offering and concentrates the rites at giao thừa; Báo Hà Tĩnh and some guides still describe a northern year-end tray of boiled chicken, bánh chưng, giò chả, fried spring rolls, xôi gấc, bamboo shoot or bóng soup, glass noodles and mọc.

Is votive paper burned at the year-end offering?

Yes. According to Báo Hà Tĩnh, when the incense has burned about two thirds, the head of the household gives thanks and burns the votive paper, then the family gathers around the year-end meal.

Communities and regions

Rites of the Kinh

More about Cúng tất niên (year-end offering)

Sources

Văn khấn Gia Tiên ngày 30 Tết Bính Ngọ 2026 (baohatinh.vn)
Tất niên là gì? Menu ăn tất niên theo ba miền (mytour.vn)
Cúng tất niên mời ông bà về ăn Tết ngày giao thừa cần chuẩn bị những gì? (baophapluat.vn)
Mâm cơm cúng tất niên (Báo Hà Tĩnh, dẫn lại bài của mega.vietnamplus.vn)
Gợi ý mâm cúng tất niên miền Trung (docungtamlinh.com.vn)
Tết của người Hội An (vnexpress.net)
Giao thừa ở Huế (tuoitre.vn)
Ăn Tết ở miền quê Nam Bộ (thanhtra.com.vn, Báo Thanh tra)
Nghi lễ và thực hành nghi lễ cổ truyền dịp Tết (daibieunhandan.vn)
Mâm cúng giao thừa 3 miền gồm những gì? Chuyên gia văn hóa giải đáp chi tiết (thanhnien.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.