Lễ đổ móng, đổ mái, cất nóc (foundation-pouring, roof-pouring, and roof-raising ceremonies)

Culture and belief A record of custom.

About this rite: when it is held and for whom

Also called: Thượng lương, Lễ gác đòn dông, Cúng đổ mái, Cúng cất nóc

By custom, when the house is built to the stage of pouring the foundation, pouring the roof or raising the roof, the head of the household sets out an offering at the construction site, reports to the deities governing that land and asks that the construction work, the owner and the workers be safe and settled. The roof-raising ceremony is also called lễ Thượng Lương (the ceremony of raising the ridge beam).

When
Before pouring the foundation; on the day of pouring the roof or placing the ridge beam on the roof
For whom
Thổ thần (Earth God), quan Đương niên (the deity in charge of the year), Thành hoàng bản cảnh (the village tutelary deity of the locality), Táo quân (Kitchen Gods), Long mạch (Dragon Vein) and the deities of the construction site; tiền chủ, hậu chủ (former and later owners)

Prayer text for cất nóc (raising the roof ridge) and đổ mái (pouring the roof slab)

  • Used across Vietnam
  • Folk practice

What this prayer says

Prayer for raising the roof and pouring the roof slab, recited by the tín chủ (the person making the offering) during the whole ceremony, offering gifts to the deities governing the area and asking permission to raise the roof, praying for safety for the owner and workers and for smooth work.

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.

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Other texts for Lễ đổ móng, đổ mái, cất nóc (foundation-pouring, roof-pouring, and roof-raising ceremonies)

Versions by region, by tradition and for each part of the rite.

Offerings and how the rite is done

As commonly practised and recorded by the sources. Each family and each region may do it differently.

Used across Vietnam, Folk practice

When
The day of pouring the concrete roof (for a built house) or the day of placing the ridge beam on the roof; the head of the household chooses the day and hour in advance
Where the offerings are set
At the construction site
Who makes the offering
The head of the household; if a person's age falls under Kim Lâu or Hoang Ốc, someone else is asked to stand for the offering (according to tuvi.vn)

Offerings

OfferingQuantityNotes
Boiled chicken1
xôi (steamed sticky rice) or bánh chưng (square sticky rice cake)1 plate
Salt1 plate
Rice1 bowl
water1 bowl
White winehalf a litre
Cigarettes1 pack
Dried tea1 lạng
A set of clothes for the deities, hat, boots in red and a white sword (votive paper items)1 set
Đinh vàng hoa (votive paper items)1 set
Vàng tiền (votive paper money)5 offerings
Red oản (round glutinous rice cakes)5 pieces
betel leaves and areca nuts5 betel leaves, 5 areca nuts
Round fruit5 fruitsof the same kind or different kinds
Yellow chrysanthemums9 flowers

Steps

  1. The head of the household bathes, washes his hair, and dresses neatly
  2. Set up the offerings, light the lamps and incense, bow to the four directions and eight compass points, then turn back to the offering tray
  3. Read the prayer text, stating clearly the work being done (cất nóc, đổ mái)
  4. Burn votive paper, then let the workers proceed

Things to avoid

  • Avoid holding the ceremony on rainy or windy days (according to voh.com.vn)
  • Do not talk or laugh loudly during the ceremony

Used across Vietnam, Buddhist

When
One day before or right before pouring the foundation or the roof slab
Where the offerings are set
On the land of the construction site; for đổ mái, the ceremony is held on the ground, no need to go up to the roof; the direction of the offering table depends on each family

Offerings

OfferingNotes
Pure food offeringsThe text has a separate passage for the case where there is food from animals killed by oneself or by someone one has asked to kill: that part is not offered

Steps

  1. Insert incense, kneel, join hands, the chanter recites
  2. Invite the heavenly beings, the spirits, and the souls of the deceased
  3. Perform the offering of food to the four ranks
  4. Recite three mantras and a verse
  5. Dedication of merit
  6. Take down the offerings

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

Sources

  • Gợi ý mâm cúng và văn khấn cất nóc nhà, đổ mái nhà (voh.com.vn)
  • Văn khấn lễ động thổ, cất nóc, chuyển nhà, sửa nhà (tuvi.vn)
  • Các nghi lễ trong xây dựng (docungtamlinh.com.vn)

Part of the open dataset Types of Vietnamese offering rites and Vietnamese offering procedures, licensed CC BY 4.0.

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