Prayer text for the ancestors (on the occasion of the lễ tân gia)

Lễ tân gia (housewarming ceremony). After the nhập trạch (moving into a new house) ceremony, once the family has moved into the new house

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

Culture and belief A record of custom.

What this prayer says

Ancestor prayer in the tân gia (housewarming) ceremony, bowing to the inner and outer ancestors and reporting that the family has newly moved in, set up the altar and lit the fire, asking them to witness the sincere heart and protect the family so the household may prosper and all matters go smoothly. It is read before the ancestor altar in the ancestor-invocation part.

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.

2 more blanks

How it differs from the common version

Same words of announcement to the ancestors; this version adds the sentence "Con kính lạy Tổ Tiên nội ngoại", splits the name and address into two lines, adds the passage "Nay chúng con làm lễ Tân gia, cúi xin các cụ..." and ends with "Anh linh chiếu giám, cảm niệm ơn dày. Tâm nguyện lòng thành cúi xin chứng giám" instead of "Chúng con lễ bạc tâm thành".

The common version: Prayer text for the ancestors (on the occasion of the lễ tân gia)

Offerings and how the rite is done

Offerings, steps and things to avoid for Lễ tân gia (housewarming ceremony)

Other texts for Lễ tân gia (housewarming ceremony)

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

Sources

  • Văn khấn Gia tiên lễ Tân gia (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.