Lễ vía Bà Ngũ Hành (ceremony for the Five Lady Ngũ Hành deities)
Also called: Cúng miễu Bà, Ngũ Hành nương nương, 5 Mẹ Ngũ Hành, Chúa Bà Ngũ Hành, Miếu Năm Cô
- Pagodas, communal houses, temples and shrines
Culture and belief A record of custom.
The custom of worshipping the five Lady Ngũ Hành deities is widespread in Nam Bộ and Nam Trung Bộ, tied to farmers' and seafarers' cầu mùa (prayer for a good harvest) for favorable rain and wind. The lễ vía at the miếu Bà in Nam Bộ includes múa bóng rỗi (medium dance); the dates and offerings differ from place to place.
At a glance
- When it is held
- Each place has its own date: the 18th to the 21st of the first lunar month (Long Thượng, Long An), the 16th to the 18th of the tenth lunar month (Vũng Tàu, Côn Đảo), the 14th of the second lunar month (Tu Lễ, Hội An)
- For whom
- Ngũ Hành Nương Nương (the Five Lady Ngũ Hành deities): the five ladies Kim, Mộc, Thủy, Hỏa, Thổ
Each family and each region may do it differently.
The offering tray
Region:
Nationwide
- When
- The full moon of the first lunar month, the first day of the lunar month, the fifteenth day of the lunar month each month, the beginning of the year, the end of the year, or when the household has an occasion
- Where the offerings are set
- Miếu Ngũ Hành, đền Mẫu, a pagoda that has the altar, or the altar in the home
| Offering | Quantity | Vegetarian or not | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flowers | |||
| Fresh flowers (chrysanthemums, lotus, marigolds) | |||
| Incense, lamps, candles | |||
| Incense sticks and lamps or candles | 5 items | The number five corresponds to the five elements | |
| Betel leaves and areca nuts | |||
| Betel leaves and areca nuts | Vegetarian | ||
| Xôi (steamed sticky rice) and cakes | |||
| Xôi gấc (steamed sticky rice with gac fruit) or xôi đậu xanh (steamed sticky rice with mung beans) | Vegetarian | ||
| Oản (sticky rice cakes) in the color of each deity: white (Kim), green (Mộc), blue (Thủy), red (Hỏa), earth brown (Thổ) | Vegetarian | Optional | |
| Fruit | |||
| Fruit | Vegetarian | ||
| Tea, rice wine, water | |||
| Wine, tea, water | Vegetarian | ||
| Meat and savoury dishes | |||
| Roast pig, boiled chicken, or vegetarian dishes | Meat or fish | Depending on conditions and local custom | |
Central
South Central Coast, miếu Ngũ Hành Tu Lễ (Hội An), lăng Bà Cẩm An (Hội An), Village communal-house rites
- When
- Miếu Ngũ Hành Tu Lễ: once a year on the 14th of the second lunar month. Lăng Bà Cẩm An: the 18th of the first lunar month
- Where the offerings are set
- Inside the miếu and in the miếu courtyard
- Who makes the offering
- Local people; at Tu Lễ the elders of the Trần Thanh clan handle the offerings
| Offering | Quantity | Vegetarian or not | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vegetarian dishes | |||
| Vegetarian tray | one tray | Vegetarian | Required. Offered to Bà, placed inside the miếu (Tu Lễ) |
| Meat and savoury dishes | |||
| Tray with meat dishes | one tray | Meat or fish | Required. Placed outside the miếu (Tu Lễ) |
| Incense, lamps, candles | |||
| Incense, flowers and fruit, cakes, betel leaves and areca nuts | Vegetarian | People offer them on the fifteenth and first days of the lunar month | |
South
Mekong Delta, miếu Bà Ngũ Hành Long Thượng, Cần Giuộc, Long An, Village communal-house rites
- When
- From the 18th to the 21st of the first lunar month
- Where the offerings are set
- Miếu Bà Ngũ Hành Long Thượng (shrine of the Five Lady Ngũ Hành)
- Who makes the offering
- The ban hội hương (shrine management committee) of the miếu; local people and pilgrims come to worship
Southeast, Fishing communities, miếu Bà Ngũ Hành, đình Thắng Tam (Vũng Tàu), miếu Bà Ngũ Hành, Côn Đảo, Village communal-house rites
- When
- The 16th, 17th, 18th of the tenth lunar month
- Where the offerings are set
- Miếu Bà Ngũ Hành in the đình Thắng Tam area; the lễ Nghinh Bà starts from miếu Hòn Bà at Bãi Sau
Steps of the rite
Used across Vietnam, Folk practice
- Clean the place of worship, arrange the offerings
- Light incense sticks, read the prayer text
- Conclude the ceremony, share the lộc (blessed offerings) with relatives
South Central Coast, miếu Ngũ Hành Tu Lễ (Hội An), lăng Bà Cẩm An (Hội An), Village communal-house rites
- The tế ceremony is held once a year according to ancient custom
- At Lăng Bà Cẩm An: the cầu an offering on the 18th of the first lunar month, together with a tế ceremony that includes boat racing and tug of war
Mekong Delta, miếu Bà Ngũ Hành Long Thượng, Cần Giuộc, Long An, Village communal-house rites
- cầu an (prayer for peace and safety) ceremony
- Play music, múa bóng rỗi (medium dance), múa lân (lion dance)
- Offer incense, địa nàng (offering to the earth deity)
- Lễ cúng bế đàng (closing ceremony)
Southeast, Fishing communities, miếu Bà Ngũ Hành, đình Thắng Tam (Vũng Tàu), miếu Bà Ngũ Hành, Côn Đảo, Village communal-house rites
- 6 a.m. on the 16th: lễ Nghinh Bà, carrying the palanquin from miếu Hòn Bà to the main miếu
- Offer giỗ (death anniversary) to the tiền hiền and hậu hiền (founding and later worthies)
- Noon: the main offering to Ngũ Hành
- In Côn Đảo, during those same three days there are the water procession, palanquin procession, and Bà's vía rites
What is avoided
- Do not use spoiled or crushed offerings
- Dress neatly and modestly
Communities and regions
Sources
- Gợi ý cách sắm lễ và văn khấn 5 Mẹ Ngũ Hành (voh.com.vn)
- Lý lịch di tích miếu Ngũ Hành Tu Lễ, Hội An (Trung tâm Quản lý Bảo tồn Di sản Văn hóa Hội An, hoianheritage.net)
- Lệ Xuân, Lăng Bà Cẩm An, Bản tin Bảo tồn Di sản số 01(05) năm 2009 (hoianheritage.danang.gov.vn)
- Về Long An dự lễ hội Vía Bà Ngũ Hành Long Thượng (baophapluat.vn)
- Lễ hội Miếu Bà Ngũ Hành cùng dấu ấn văn hóa tâm linh Vũng Tàu (sunparadiseland.com)
- Miếu Bà Ngũ Hành (Miếu Năm Cô) Côn Đảo (mia.vn)
Part of the open datasets Types of Vietnamese offering rites and Vietnamese offering procedures, licensed CC BY 4.0.
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