Prayer text for Tết Nguyên đán (Lunar New Year) (Buddhist version, recited on the 30th of the twelfth lunar month)

Cúng tất niên (year-end offering). The 30th day of the twelfth lunar month (the 29th in a short month), at noon or in the afternoon; some households hold the offering early, from the 28th or 29th

  • Used across Vietnam
  • Buddhist

Culture and belief A record of custom.

What this prayer says

Prayer text for Tết Nguyên đán (Lunar New Year) in the Buddhist version, recited on the 30th day of the twelfth lunar month, paying homage to the Three Jewels of the Ten Directions and to paternal and maternal ancestors, presenting pure offerings and praying for peace and prosperity, the elimination of illness, and deliverance from disasters, with dedication of merit to ancestors of many generations; recited during the year-end ceremony.

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.

How it differs from the common version

How this text differs from the original: it opens with four lines invoking the names of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, bows to "Mười Phương Phật, Mười Phương Pháp, Mười Phương Tăng" before mentioning ancestors; offers "cơm canh thanh đạm" (plain rice and soup); includes a four-character verse passage and a long six-eight verse gatha praying for family, country, and the Dharma; does not pay respects to Thái Tuế, Thành hoàng, or Thổ Địa

The common version: Prayer text to Ancestors on the 30th of Tết (year-end offering indoors)

Other texts for Cúng tất niên (year-end offering)

More about Cúng tất niên (year-end offering)

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

Collected text. The dotted italic words are blanks for you to fill in.

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.