Cúng giỗ thường (yearly death-anniversary offering)

Culture and belief A record of custom.

About this rite: when it is held and for whom

Also called: Cát kỵ, Chính kỵ, Húy nhật, Đám giỗ, Kỵ nhật, Văn khấn ngày giỗ thường, Giỗ chồng, Văn khấn ngoài mộ ngày giỗ

By custom, giỗ thường is the yearly anniversary of a death, counted in the lunar calendar from the third year on, after the first and second anniversaries. In folk practice the family prepares offerings, addresses the household deities first, then invites the deceased and the ancestors; many families also announce the rite the day before (tiên thường).

When
The date of death counted by the lunar calendar, from the third year onward; by custom there is a tiên thường (advance offering) rite on the day before
For whom
The deceased for whom the giỗ (death anniversary) is held; ancestors on both the paternal and maternal sides; the household deities (Thổ Công (Earth God of the house), Táo quân (Kitchen Gods)) are addressed first

Prayer text to the ancestors on the main giỗ day (Cát Kỵ)

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

What this prayer says

Prayer text to ancestors on the main giỗ day (Cát Kỵ), recited before the altar after addressing the deities, inviting the deceased of the giỗ and ancestors on both sides to receive the offerings and asking for protection so that descendants may be safe and well, and the household prosperous.

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.

6 more blanks

Other texts for Cúng giỗ thường (yearly death-anniversary offering)

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 main day of the giỗ (death anniversary) by the lunar calendar; on the day before there is the tiên thường rite (cáo giỗ, announcing the death anniversary)
Where the offerings are set
The ancestors' altar; for the tiên thường rite there is also a visit to the grave to invite the deceased
Who makes the offering
The person presiding over the giỗ (the household head, the eldest son)

Offerings

OfferingNotes
Incense, flowers, fruit, phẩm oản (offering cakes)Required
Vàng mã (votive paper)
Trầu (betel), rượu (wine)
Savory offering tray: xôi (steamed sticky rice), chicken, various rice and soup dishes
Pig's head or cow's headthe source notes this is used to worship Thổ Công (Earth God of the house) on the day of the giỗ

Steps

  1. From the morning of the tiên thường day, clean the altar and arrange the offerings of the head of the household and of those sending offerings
  2. Address Thổ thần (Earth God), Táo quân (Kitchen Gods), Long mạch (Dragon Vein) first, then address the ancestors, both on the tiên thường day and on the main giỗ day
  3. On the tiên thường day, go to the grave of the deceased to perform the inviting rite and tidy the grave
  4. Guests come, place their offerings on the altar, then perform 4 bows and 3 vái (bows with joined hands), and the head of the household returns the rite
  5. After three rounds of incense, perform the farewell rite, burn the prayer text, burn votive paper, take down the offerings, and invite relatives to the giỗ meal

Things to avoid

  • From the time of cáo giỗ (announcing the death anniversary) until the end of the next day, incense is kept burning on the altar at all times
  • The feast is offered first once cooked; before the offering no one may touch it

Used across Vietnam, Buddhist

When
The main day of the giỗ (death anniversary)
Where the offerings are set
The altar at home
Who makes the offering
Chủ sám (the person presiding over the rite in the house)

Offerings

OfferingNotes
Vegetarian food offeringsthe version from the pagoda: do not offer food that one has killed oneself or had others kill

Steps

  1. Insert incense, kneel, join palms, and the presiding person reads the address
  2. Make offerings in four tiers: the Buddhas; Bodhisattvas and the Holy Sangha; the devas and spirits; and the departed souls
  3. Chant three mantras, dedicate the merit, and take down the offerings

Things to avoid

  • Do not kill living beings for the offering

More about Cúng giỗ thường (yearly death-anniversary offering)

Nhật Nguyệt articles on the rite, the custom and how to prepare.

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

Sources

  • Văn khấn ngày Giỗ Thường (vankhan.vn)
  • Văn khấn Gia Tiên ngày Lễ Cát Kỵ (tuvi.vn)
  • Văn khấn Thờ cúng gia tiên (vankhan.vn)

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

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