Prayer text for the well god at the start of the year (first day of the first lunar month)

First-of-the-year well offering. On giao thừa (New Year's Eve) night or the morning of the first day of Tết; in some places, the third day of Tết

  • Used across Vietnam
  • Folk practice

Culture and belief A record of custom.

What this prayer says

Prayer to the well deity recited during the year-opening well offering on the first day of the first lunar month, presenting offerings, incense, flowers, tea and fruit to the local deities, the earth god and dragon vein, and the deities governing this place, asking that the family have clear water, a peaceful new year, favourable rain and wind, and all things as wished.

The prayer below is kept in Vietnamese, the language it is read aloud in during the rite.

Fill in before the rite

Your name and address appear in the prayer below and are kept on this device only.

Your regional custom

Showing the version used across Vietnam.

How it differs from the common version

Only bows to "các vị thần linh bản xứ, thổ thần long mạch"; the date is fixed as the first day of the first lunar month; the head of the household's name is placed in square brackets "[tên gia chủ]"; prays for "nước trong hoài hoài, nguồn nước dồi dào"; ends with "Khẩn cáo" and "A di đà phật x3".

The common version: Well offering text for giao thừa night, no. 1

Offerings and how the rite is done

Offerings, steps and things to avoid for First-of-the-year well offering

Other texts for First-of-the-year well offering

The wording is kept exactly as published by the source. The dotted italic words are blanks for you to fill in.

Sources

  • Bài cúng Giếng đêm Giao thừa, đầu năm (hoatieu.vn)
  • Bài cúng giếng đầu năm (docungtamlinh.com.vn)

Part of the open dataset Vietnamese offering prayers (văn cúng), licensed CC BY 4.0.

More prayer textsDeath anniversaries, Tết, the home, business, life-cycle rites and regional rites.