Lễ khai trương (opening ceremony)
- Work and trade
- 7 prayer texts
- Offerings and steps
Culture and belief A record of custom.
About this rite: when it is held and for whom
Also called: Khai trương đầu năm, Mở hàng, Cúng mở hàng đầu năm, Khai trương hồng phát
According to old belief, a shop or workshop stands on land governed by the Thổ thần (Earth God), so when opening for business the owner sets out an offering to present to the deities and asks for trade to go smoothly. At the start of the year, many places choose a day to reopen for business and also perform this ceremony.
- When
- The day of opening a new shop, company, or workshop; the day of reopening for business after Tết
- For whom
- Quan Đương niên Hành khiển (the presiding officer deity of the year), Thành hoàng bản cảnh (the village tutelary deity of the locality), Ngũ phương Ngũ thổ (the Five Directions and Five Earths), Long mạch (the dragon vein), Tài thần (God of Wealth), Táo quân (Kitchen Gods), Thổ địa (Earth God); tiền chủ (former owner), hậu chủ (later owner)
Prayer text for the opening of a shop
- Used across Vietnam
- Folk practice
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.
Showing the version used across Vietnam.
2 more blanks
Other texts for Lễ khai trương (opening ceremony)
Versions by region, by tradition and for each part of the rite.
- Folk practicePrayer text for the opening of a shop (tuvi.vn version)
- Folk practiceSimple opening prayer for small trade
- Folk practiceOpening prayer for a new shop or company (version of báo Thế giới và Việt Nam)
- Folk practicePrayer text for opening a shop or arranging goods, starting a workshop (outdoor altar, offering to the Hành khiển deity)
- BuddhistPrayer text for the opening at the start of the year (Buddhist version, Sino-Vietnamese pronunciation)
- Folk practicePrayer text for khai xuân, prayer text for the first shop opening of the year
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 opening a new shop or company; or the day of reopening for business after Tết, with the day and hour chosen in advance
- Where the offerings are set
- In front of the shop, with the offering tray facing the main door or the large road (according to docungtamlinh.com.vn); if also invoking the Quan Hành khiển, an additional altar is set up outdoors (according to vankhan.vn)
- Who makes the offering
- The shop owner, the director
Offerings
| Offering | Quantity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Incense, flowers | Required | |
| Fruit, phẩm oản (steamed rice cakes) | Thế giới và Việt Nam newspaper: at least 5 kinds of fruit | |
| Vàng mã (votive paper) | ||
| Betel leaves and areca nuts | ||
| Cakes and candies | ||
| Savory offering tray: xôi (steamed sticky rice), chicken, rice, soup | Optional. vankhan.vn: "if you have it, prepare a savory feast; if not, incense, flowers, and fruit offerings" | |
| Bộ tam sên (the three offerings): boiled pork, eggs, boiled shrimp or crab | According to Thế giới và Việt Nam newspaper, docungtamlinh.com.vn | |
| Roast suckling pig or boiled chicken | ||
| Salt, rice | 1 plate of each | |
| Water, tea, xôi (steamed sticky rice) | 3 cups of each | |
| Đèn cầy (candles) | 2 sticks |
Steps
- Set out the offering tray, offer a cup of water
- Light three or five incense sticks, bow three times, read the prayer text
- When the incense has burned about two thirds, bow in thanks, burn votive paper, scatter rice and salt
- Invite someone to make the first purchase to open the business
Things to avoid
- On the opening day, by custom avoid sweeping rubbish outward, avoid breaking things, avoid quarreling (according to docungtamlinh.com.vn)
Used across Vietnam, Buddhist
- When
- The opening day at the start of the year
- Where the offerings are set
- The incense table is placed in the middle of the company's or house's frontage, facing outward
- Who makes the offering
- The head of the household or the head of the company
Offerings
| Offering | Quantity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Flower vase | 1 vase | placed on the right |
| A plate of five-colored fruit | 1 plate | placed on the left |
| Incense, lamps | ||
| Teapot and cups | 1 pot, 5 cups | |
| Chè (sweet soup) | 5 cups | |
| xôi (steamed sticky rice) | 5 plates | |
| Tray of rice, cakes, candied fruit | 1 tray | |
| Rice and salt | 1 plate | |
| Plain rice porridge | 1 bowl |
Steps
- Light 3 incense sticks, hold both hands up level with the forehead, and pray
- Pour tea 3 times, each time reciting one title and bowing once
- Read the dedication of merit
More about Lễ khai trương (opening ceremony)
Nhật Nguyệt articles on the rite, the custom and how to prepare.
- Tet and seasonal ritesChoosing an opening day for the Đinh Mùi 2027 Lunar New Year: where the custom comes from and what people weigh up
- Folk taboosFolk taboos when opening a business: What you need to know
- Date and hour selectionChoosing Year-End Dates: Year-End Gathering, Altar Cleaning, Debt Repayment, and New Year Opening
- Life-cycle ritesHow to perform a proper opening ceremony offering for shops and companies
The wording is kept exactly as published by the source. The dotted italic words are blanks for you to fill in.
Sources
- Văn khấn lễ khai trương cửa hàng (vankhan.vn)
- Bài cúng khai trương (docungtamlinh.com.vn)
- Văn khấn lễ khai trương cửa hàng (tuvi.vn)
- Văn khấn khai trương (baoquocte.vn)
- Văn khấn lễ động thổ hoặc khánh thành nhà ở, cửa hàng cửa hiệu (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.Open