Ceremony to pray for examinations and official career
Also called: Cầu thi cử đỗ đạt, Văn khấn đi thi, Lễ sĩ tử dâng hương, Cáo miếu khi được sắc, bằng
- Life-cycle rites
Culture and belief A record of custom.
By custom, before an exam, candidates or their parents burn incense to ask the ancestors for protection, and some people go to a văn miếu (Temple of Literature) or a đền (temple) to offer incense and pray for progress in their studies. The articles found all describe the custom at Văn Miếu - Quốc Tử Giám and đền Ngọc Sơn in Hà Nội.
At a glance
- When it is held
- Before the exam day or on the morning of the exam day; at the beginning of the year with the custom of asking for calligraphy
- For whom
- Household deities and ancestors at home; Đức Khổng Tử (Confucius), Văn Xương Đế Quân (God of Literature), and the sages and examination laureates at the Temple of Literature and temples
Each family and each region may do it differently.
The offering tray
Region:
Nationwide
- When
- Before the exam day or on the morning of the exam day
- Where the offerings are set
- Ancestor altar
- Who makes the offering
- The candidate or parents, grandparents praying on their behalf
| Offering | Vegetarian or not | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Incense, lamps, candles | ||
| Incense, flowers, tea, fruit, a betel leaf and areca nut | Vegetarian | Optional. One guide says: prepare them if you can, it is also fine if you cannot |
| Meat and savoury dishes | ||
| Savory offering or sweet offering | Meat or fish | Depending on the household |
North
Red River Delta, Văn Miếu - Quốc Tử Giám, đền Ngọc Sơn, Hà Nội, Folk practice
- When
- Before and during the exam season; at the beginning of the year there is the custom of asking for calligraphy
- Where the offerings are set
- The altar of Đức Khổng Tử (Confucius) and Tư nghiệp Chu Văn An at Văn Miếu; đền Ngọc Sơn
- Who makes the offering
- Pupils, students and parents
| Offering | Vegetarian or not | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Xôi (steamed sticky rice) and cakes | ||
| Bánh đậu xanh (mung bean cake), betel leaves and areca nuts, votive paper money | Vegetarian | According to some guides |
| Objects | ||
| One pen, one notebook, one electric light bulb wrapped in red paper | According to some guides: after the ceremony, take the pen and notebook to the exam, and fit the light bulb into the desk lamp | |
Steps of the rite
Used across Vietnam, Folk practice
- Burn incense at the ancestors' altar first, and only after finishing the prayer burn incense at the other altars
- Read the prayer text, stating the candidate's name and age, the exam, and the exam location
- Bow three times, then insert the incense sticks
Red River Delta, Văn Miếu - Quốc Tử Giám, đền Ngọc Sơn, Hà Nội, Folk practice
- Offer incense and read the prayer text before the altar
- Look at the steles of Tiến sĩ (doctoral laureates), ask for calligraphy
- Thanking ceremony, burning votive paper; take the pen and notebook home to use
Where the sources differ
- Where the ceremony should be held: one guide notes that đền Ngọc Sơn suits candidates before the exam, while Văn Miếu suits those who have already passed coming to give thanks; VietNamNet and báo Pháp luật Việt Nam describe pupils going to Văn Miếu to offer incense right before the exam
Communities and regions
Sources
- Bài văn khấn đi thi đỗ đạt, may mắn cho sĩ tử (voh.com.vn)
- Bài khấn thi cử đỗ đạt (hoatieu.vn)
- Văn khấn cầu thi cử, đỗ đạt tại Văn Miếu - Quốc Tử Giám (vietnamnet.vn)
- Về trường đại học đầu tiên của Việt Nam cầu may trước kỳ thi tốt nghiệp THPT (baophapluat.vn)
Part of the open datasets Types of Vietnamese offering rites and Vietnamese offering procedures, licensed CC BY 4.0.
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