Cúng thôi nôi, đầy năm (first-birthday ceremony, full-year ceremony)
Also called: Đầy tuổi tôi, Cúng đầy năm, Cúng đầy tuổi, Lễ thôi nôi
- Life-cycle rites
Culture and belief A record of custom.
By custom, when the child is one year old and leaves the cradle; the parents make offerings to thank the Bà Mụ (Midwife Goddesses) as in the đầy tháng (first-month ceremony), prepare a feast to present to the ancestors, then lay out objects for the baby to choose in order to guess the future occupation. The three regions differ more in the offering tray than in the prayer text.
At a glance
- When it is held
- The day the baby turns 12 months old by the lunar calendar; many places move it 2 days earlier for girls and 1 day earlier for boys
- For whom
- 12 Bà Mụ (Midwife Goddesses) and Bà Mụ Chúa (the chief Midwife Goddess); ancestors; thổ công (Earth God of the house), đất đai (local earth deity), Thành hoàng bổn cảnh (village tutelary deity)
- Where
- Ancestral altar, Thần Tài altar, Bàn Thiên (outdoor altar to Heaven), Buddha altar, Kitchen
Each family and each region may do it differently.
The offering tray
Incense, lamps, candles
- Hương (incense sticks)
- Nến (candles)
Flowers
- Hoa tươi (fresh flowers)
Tea, rice wine, water
- Trà (tea)
- Rượu trắng (white rice liquor)
- Nước sạch (clean water)
Fruit
- Mâm ngũ quả (five-fruit tray)
- Trái cây (fruit)
Xôi (steamed sticky rice) and cakes
- Xôi (sticky rice)
- Chè (sweet dessert soup)
- Bánh hỏi (woven rice vermicelli)
- Bánh kẹo (cakes and sweets)
Meat and savoury dishes
- Gà luộc (boiled whole chicken)
- Heo quay (roast pig)
Betel leaves and areca nuts
- Trầu cau (betel leaf and areca nut)
Rice and salt
- Gạo (rice)
- Muối (salt)
Votive paper
- Bộ giấy cúng Mụ (paper set for the Midwife Goddesses)
- Tiền vàng (votive paper money)
Objects
- Mâm thôi nôi (objects for the baby to choose)
Nationwide
- When
- When the baby is exactly 12 months old, counted by the lunar calendar; some guides record the manner 'girls back 2, boys back 1'
- Customary hour
- 7 to 9 a.m., or early afternoon
- Who makes the offering
- The baby's parents
| Offering | Quantity | Vegetarian or not | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xôi (steamed sticky rice) and cakes | |||
| Lễ cúng Mụ (offering to the Midwife Goddesses) as in the đầy tháng (first-month ceremony): xôi (steamed sticky rice) and chè (sweet soup), each 12 small portions and 1 large portion | Vegetarian | For boys, chè đậu trắng (white bean sweet soup); for girls, chè trôi nước (floating rice-ball sweet soup) | |
| Meat and savoury dishes | |||
| Boiled chicken, roasted suckling pig, bánh hỏi (fine rice vermicelli sheets) | Meat or fish | ||
| Tea, rice wine, water | |||
| Five kinds of fruit, flowers, incense, candles, rice, salt, tea, wine, water, cakes and candies, trầu têm cánh phượng (betel leaves folded in phoenix-wing shape) | Vegetarian | ||
| Offering to ancestors: betel leaves and areca nuts, tea and wine, votive paper and incense, flowers and fruit | Vegetarian | According to some guides | |
| Votive paper | |||
| Set of votive paper for the thôi nôi (first-birthday ceremony) with the baby's name and date of birth | 1 set | ||
| Set of hình thế (paper effigies) for male or female, with the baby's name and date of birth | 1 set | Burned after the offering (according to some guides) | |
| Objects | |||
| Tray of objects for the baby to choose | One guide gives: for boys, lay out bow and arrows, paper and pen; for girls, lay out knife and scissors, needle and thread. Many current guides list books, pens, stethoscopes, mirrors and combs, money | ||
North
| Offering | Quantity | Vegetarian or not | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meat and savoury dishes | |||
| Boiled chicken | 1 | Meat or fish | |
| Fruit | |||
| Plate of five kinds of fruit | 1 plate | Vegetarian | |
| Xôi (steamed sticky rice) and cakes | |||
| Chè đậu trắng (white bean sweet soup) and xôi (steamed sticky rice) | 12 bowls of chè (sweet soup), 12 plates of xôi (steamed sticky rice) | Vegetarian | Offered to the 12 Bà Mụ (Midwife Goddesses) |
| Cháo (rice porridge) | 1 large bowl and 3 small cups | Vegetarian | Offered to the 3 Đức Thầy (three Master deities) |
| Tray for Thần Tài (God of Wealth) and Thổ Địa (Earth God): fruit, white bean sweet soup, xôi gấc (steamed sticky rice with gac fruit), 3 glasses of water, cakes and candies, betel leaves and areca nuts, glutinous rice wine, boiled chicken | Meat or fish | ||
| Betel leaves and areca nuts | |||
| Trầu têm (folded betel), whole betel leaves, areca nut | 12 pieces of betel, 1 leaf, 1 nut | Vegetarian | |
| Votive paper | |||
| Set of male paper effigies with the baby's name and date of birth | 1 set | Burn after the offering | |
| Hài xanh, nén vàng xanh, váy áo xanh (green shoes, green gold ingots, green clothes) | 12 portions | ||
| Tea, rice wine, water | |||
| Small glass of water or wine | 1 glass | Vegetarian | Sprinkle on flowers after the offering |
Central
- When
- Calculated according to the lunar calendar
| Offering | Quantity | Vegetarian or not | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fruit | |||
| Plate of five fruits | 1 plate | Vegetarian | |
| Meat and savoury dishes | |||
| Boiled rooster | 1 | Meat or fish | |
| Xôi (steamed sticky rice) and cakes | |||
| Chè (sweet soup) | 12 small cups and 1 large cup | Vegetarian | For a girl, chè trôi nước (glutinous rice balls in sweet soup); for a boy, white bean sweet soup |
| xôi (steamed sticky rice) | 12 small plates and 1 large plate | Vegetarian | |
| Plain rice porridge | 12 small cups and 1 large cup | Vegetarian | |
| Incense, lamps, candles | |||
| Cát tường flowers, candles, incense | 1 vase of flowers, 2 candles, 3 incense sticks | ||
| Betel leaves and areca nuts | |||
| Trầu têm (folded betel), whole betel leaves, areca nut | 12 pieces, 1 leaf, 1 fruit | Vegetarian | |
| Votive paper | |||
| Set of hình thế (paper effigy) for a boy or girl with the baby's name and date of birth | 1 set | Burn after the offering | |
| Green shoes, green dress, trầu cánh phượng (betel leaves shaped like phoenix wings) | 12 portions | Vegetarian | |
South
- When
- According to the lunar calendar, 'girls back 2, boys back 1'; the offering is made around 8 to 9 in the morning or in the evening
- Customary hour
- 8 to 9 a.m., or late afternoon into evening
- Who makes the offering
- The baby's grandparent or father
| Offering | Quantity | Vegetarian or not | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meat and savoury dishes | |||
| Boiled chicken with crossed wings or boiled duck | 1 | Meat or fish | |
| Roast pig | 1 | Meat or fish | Depending on circumstances |
| Bộ tam sên (three offerings): boiled pork, boiled eggs, boiled shrimp or crab | 1 set | Meat or fish | |
| Tray for ancestors, with meat dishes or vegetarian dishes | Meat or fish | Boiled chicken or duck, xôi (steamed sticky rice) or bánh tét (cylindrical sticky rice cake), soup, stir-fried dish, meat dish, white rice | |
| Xôi (steamed sticky rice) and cakes | |||
| Xôi gấc (steamed sticky rice with gac fruit) or xôi đậu xanh (steamed sticky rice with mung beans) | 12 small plates and 1 large plate | Vegetarian | |
| Chè (sweet soup) | 12 small bowls and 1 large bowl | Vegetarian | Usually white bean sweet soup with coconut milk; for a girl, chè trôi nước (glutinous rice balls in sweet soup) |
| Tray for Thần Tài, Thổ Địa, Ông Táo: five fruits, xôi (steamed sticky rice), chè (sweet soup), tam sên (three sacrificial offerings), flowers, betel leaves and areca nuts, tea and wine, rice and salt | Meat or fish | Placed at those two altars | |
| Fruit | |||
| Tray of five fruits: mãng cầu (soursop), dừa (coconut), đu đủ (papaya), xoài (mango), sung (fig) | 1 tray | Vegetarian | |
| Tea, rice wine, water | |||
| Trầu têm cánh phượng (betel leaves trimmed in phoenix-wing shape), white wine, tea, nhang (incense), candles, rice, salt | Vegetarian | ||
| Votive paper | |||
| Paper money, paper shoes and paper clothes | 13 pairs of shoes, 13 sets of clothes | 12 small ones for the 12 Bà Mụ, 1 large one for Bà Mụ Chúa | |
Steps of the rite
Used across Vietnam, Folk practice
- Reciting the prayerOffer to the Bà Mụ (Midwife Goddesses) and read the prayer text as in the đầy tháng (first-month ceremony)
- Reciting the prayerPrepare the feast and make the offering before the ancestors' altar
- Reciting the prayerPray to đất đai (local earth deity) and thổ công (Earth God of the house); the same words are read before the tray for Thành hoàng bổn cảnh (village tutelary deity) and Cửu huyền thất tổ (nine generations of ancestors)
- Test the child: dress the baby neatly, place the baby before the objects, and see which object the baby picks up first
- Burning votive paperBurn votive paper and paper clothes; keep the toys for the baby; the whole family shares the offerings
Northern Vietnam, Folk practice
- Reciting the prayerOffer to ancestors, the 12 Bà Mụ (Midwife Goddesses) and Đức Ông
- Reciting the prayerOffer to Thần Tài (God of Wealth) and Thổ Địa (Earth God); at the heaven altar and the Buddha altar, present flowers, fruit, xôi (steamed sticky rice), and sweet soup
- Let the baby pick objects: books, pen, stethoscope, packet of xôi (steamed sticky rice), mirror and comb, gold, money
Central Vietnam, Folk practice
- Reciting the prayerOffer to the Midwife Goddesses, read the thôi nôi (first-birthday ceremony) prayer text
- Burning votive paperFather or mother holds the baby's hand and bows three times; after three incense sticks have burned, give thanks, burn votive paper, sprinkle wine while burning
- Reciting the prayerPray to the local land and Thổ Công (Earth God of the house); the same words are read before the tray for Thành hoàng bổn cảnh (village tutelary deity), Cửu huyền thất tổ (nine generations of ancestors) and deceased grandparents
- Let the baby choose objects
Southern Vietnam, Folk practice
- Laying out the offeringsArrange three trays: the tray for the 12 Bà Mụ and 3 Đức Ông in the middle of the house, the tray for Thần Tài, Thổ Địa, Ông Táo, and the tray for ancestors
- Reciting the prayerThe ritual master lights 3 incense sticks and reads the prayer text
- When the incense is nearly burnt out, arrange the tray of objects and let the baby crawl over and choose one item
- Burning votive paperWhen the incense has burnt out, burn votive paper, and the whole family partakes of the offerings
Good to know
- According to Giác Ngộ newspaper, for twins folk belief doubles the offering to the 12 Bà Mụ: two tables side by side, or one table with 24 bowls of chè, 24 plates of xôi and 24 plates of betel and areca
What is avoided
- ConductOn this day keep the household cheerful, avoid loud voices
The custom
According to Giác Ngộ newspaper, the thôi nôi offering (to the 12 Bà Mụ) is a long-standing folk belief: when the baby turns one, the family first reports the new member to the ancestors, then thanks the 12 Bà Mụ for caring for the baby, and expresses its hopes for the child's future.
Phan Kế Bính (1915) records that testing the child at one year old came from the Chinese 'thí nhi' feast; wealthy Vietnamese families adopted it but laid out only a few items such as a seal, a bow and arrows, brush and ink, and a plough, matching the four callings of letters, arms, farming and study, to see what the child would do later in life.
Questions
What is the thôi nôi offering?
Thôi nôi is the rite when the child turns one; 'thôi nôi' means leaving the cradle. According to Giác Ngộ newspaper, the family makes offerings to the 12 Bà Mụ, first to report the new member to the ancestors, then to thank the Bà Mụ for caring for the baby.
What is needed for the thôi nôi offering?
According to Giác Ngộ newspaper, the basic offering to the 12 Bà Mụ is 12 cups of chè, 12 plates of xôi, 12 plates of betel and areca, a vase of flowers, a plate of fruit, cakes, tea, wine, incense and lamps. Some regions add substitute figures, a boiled chicken with crossed wings, roast pork for Đức Ông, green paper shoes and gold ingots; the family also prepares flowers, fruit, chè and xôi for the ancestors.
How is the thôi nôi offering performed?
By custom, the parents thank the Bà Mụ as in the đầy tháng rite, prepare a feast to present to the ancestors, then let the baby pick from objects laid out. Phan Kế Bính (1915) calls this testing the child: a boy is shown a bow and arrows, a brush and paper, a girl a needle, thread, a knife and scissors, to see what the child will do later in life.
Communities and regions
Sources
- Văn khấn lễ cúng mụ (Đầy cữ, đầy tháng, đầy năm) (vankhan.vn)
- Lễ vật và bài văn cúng thôi nôi cho bé trai, bé gái (docungtamlinh.com.vn)
- Bài cúng thôi nôi cho bé trai và bé gái (hoatieu.vn)
- Cúng thôi nôi (giacngo.vn)
- Việt Nam phong tục, Thiên I, mục I. Cha mẹ với con, Phan Kế Bính 1915 (vi.wikisource.org)
- Lễ cúng thôi nôi miền Bắc (docungtamlinh.com.vn)
- Cách cúng thôi nôi miền Trung (docungtamlinh.com.vn)
- Cách cúng thôi nôi miền Nam (docungtamlinh.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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