Prayer text for the main day of Giỗ đầu

Cúng giỗ đầu (first death-anniversary offering, Tiểu tường). Exactly one year after the date of death, counted by the lunar calendar; the day before there is a lễ tiên thường (offering ahead of the main day)

  • Used across Vietnam
  • Folk practice
  • Address to the ancestors

Culture and belief A record of custom.

What this prayer says

Prayer text to the ancestors, recited on the main day of the giỗ đầu (first death anniversary), bowing to the Thành hoàng (village tutelary deity), the Táo phủ Thần quân, the local deities and Thổ Địa (Earth God) and the ancestors; the tín chủ (the person making the offering) prepares offerings, burns incense and invites the spirit of the deceased together with the ancestors on both sides and the former and later owners of the land to come, witness, partake and protect the descendants so they may be at peace and the household may prosper.

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

Fill in before the rite

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Your regional custom

Showing the version used across Vietnam.

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Offerings and how the rite is done

Offerings, steps and things to avoid for Cúng giỗ đầu (first death-anniversary offering, Tiểu tường)

Other texts for Cúng giỗ đầu (first death-anniversary offering, Tiểu tường)

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

Sources

  • Văn khấn chính Lễ Tiểu Tường, Giỗ Đầu (tuvi.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.