Offering on the first day of Tết

Culture and belief A record of custom.

About this rite: when it is held and for whom

Also called: Cúng Tân niên, Cúng Nguyên đán, Cúng mồng một Tết, Cúng đầu năm

By custom, on the morning of the first day of Tết the family sets an offering tray, first prays to the deities, then invites the ancestors to enjoy the first offering of the year. The tray differs between the North, the Central and the South.

When
Morning of the first day of the first lunar month
For whom
Deities, Thổ Công (Earth God of the house) in the house and ancestors; some households also offer to the heavens outside

Prayer text to the Ancestors (first day of Tết)

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

What this prayer says

Prayer text to ancestors on the first day of Tết, in which the tín chủ (the person making the offering) presents offerings, incense and flowers and respectfully invites the ancestors along with the former and later owners of the land to come and receive the offerings, asking for protection so that the descendants may have a peaceful and healthy new year and all matters go smoothly. Recited after the prayer to the deities, before the ancestors' altar.

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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Other texts for Offering on the first day of Tết

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
Morning of the first day of the first lunar month, around 7 to 11 o'clock
Where the offerings are set
Altar of the deities (Thổ Công) and altar of the ancestors; some households also place a tray in the front yard
Who makes the offering
Head of the household or eldest son

Offerings

OfferingNotes
Incense, lamp or candle, tea, white wine, five-fruit trayRequired
Savory tray: boiled chicken, xôi (steamed sticky rice), bánh chưng (square sticky rice cake), giò chả (Vietnamese ham and sausage) and other Tết dishes

Steps

  1. Arrange the offerings on the two altars
  2. Light incense at the altar of the deities, pray to the deities and Thổ Công first
  3. Light incense at the altar of the ancestors, pray to the ancestors
  4. When the incense has burned about two thirds, give thanks and take down the offerings

Things to avoid

  • Avoid arguing and raising the voice
  • Do not sweep the house or take out the rubbish
  • Avoid breaking things

Northern Vietnam, Folk practice

Offerings

Offering
Bánh chưng (square sticky rice cake), xôi gấc (steamed sticky rice with gấc fruit), boiled chicken, fried spring rolls, thịt đông (meat aspic), pickled scallions, giò chả (Vietnamese ham and sausage), bamboo shoot soup or bóng soup
Five-fruit tray in the style of the region

Central Vietnam, Folk practice

Offerings

Offering
Roast pig, roast chicken, nem lụi (grilled skewered pork), meat soaked in fish sauce, shredded chicken salad, rimmed lean meat
Five-fruit tray in the style of the region

Southern Vietnam, Folk practice

Offerings

Offering
Braised pork with duck eggs, bitter melon soup stuffed with meat, Chinese sausage, sweet and sour pickled kiệu (pickled scallions), shredded chicken salad, bánh tét (cylindrical sticky rice cake)
Five-fruit tray in the style of the region

Used across Vietnam, Buddhist

Steps

  1. Insert incense, kneel, join hands, the chanter recites
  2. Read the prayer text; may also make a charitable offering
  3. Chant the true words to transform food and water, universal offering
  4. Dedication of merit
  5. 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

  • Lễ Tết Nguyên đán (Lễ đầu năm mới) (vankhan.vn)
  • Văn khấn mồng 1 Tết Bính Ngọ 2026 theo Văn khấn cổ truyền Việt Nam (baohatinh.vn)
  • Bài cúng mùng 1 (docungtamlinh.com.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.