Xuất hành đầu năm (first outing of the new year)

Used across Vietnam, Folk practice

When

The first time leaving the house of the new year, counted from giao thừa (New Year's Eve): some people go right after giao thừa, some on the morning of the first day of the lunar month, some choose the second or third day according to the day and hour considered good

Where the offerings are set

No separate offering tray is set up; those who travel far report respectfully to the deities and ancestors right in the giao thừa (New Year's Eve) ceremony at home

Who makes the offering

Each person individually or the whole family

Offerings

Steps

1. Consult the calendar to choose an auspicious day and hour in the first few days of the year
2. Choose the direction according to the wish: by custom, the direction of Hỷ thần (God of Joy) to pray for joy and luck; the direction of Tài thần (God of Wealth) to pray for wealth; the directions of these two deities change according to the can (heavenly stem) of the day
3. The direction of the outing is calculated according to the position of the destination relative to the house, not according to each segment of the road
4. Leave the house at the chosen hour, go in the chosen direction; usually go to a pagoda or temple (đền) to offer incense first, then go to wish Tết greetings and enjoy spring outings
5. After worshipping at the pagoda or temple (đền), ask for a small branch of lộc (blessed foliage) to bring home and place on the altar (tục hái lộc, the custom of picking lộc)
6. Those who cannot go far, at the good hour, leave the house, walk a stretch in the good direction and then return

Things to avoid

• Avoid the direction of Hạc thần (some sources write Hắc thần), which by custom is an inauspicious direction
• Avoid wearing all black or white; avoid saying unlucky words, getting angry, or arguing when going out on the first days of the year
• According to the saying "mùng năm, mười bốn, hai ba", many people avoid traveling far on the fifth day of the lunar month
• When picking lộc, only break off a small branch, do not break a large branch

Where the sources differ

• Hướng Tài thần của ngày can Đinh: bài của Tạp chí Thị trường Tài chính Tiền tệ viết các tư liệu Hán cổ ghi chính Tây còn các thông tin của Việt Nam ghi chính Đông, và khuyên chỉ cần chọn hướng Hỷ thần; bài của Báo Pháp luật Việt Nam (Tết Quý Tỵ, mồng Một ngày Đinh Mùi) ghi Tài thần chính Tây.
• Cách chọn hướng: theo Hỷ thần, Tài thần của ngày (đa số nguồn); theo Bát môn với bốn cửa Hưu, Sinh, Khai, Cảnh là tốt (Báo Pháp luật Việt Nam); theo hướng Sinh khí, Thiên y của tuổi từng người rồi mới tới Hỷ thần, Tài thần (Tạp chí Thị trường Tài chính Tiền tệ); theo tuổi và mệnh gia chủ (fptshop).
• Hours: most sources use the even can chi hour frames (giờ Tý from 23 o'clock to 1 o'clock); Mr. Nguyễn Văn Chung in the article in Báo Pháp luật Việt Nam holds that 40 minutes must be added to match the traditional hour. The same article quotes Most Venerable Thích Bảo Nghiêm: Buddhism holds that all three days of Tết are good, and whichever direction leads to the place one intends to reach is a beautiful direction.
• One article holds that what needs to be avoided when going out is a hot-tempered, competitive mind, not the hour or direction.

Northern Vietnam, Folk practice

When

From after giao thừa (New Year's Eve) and the first days of the year

Offerings

Steps

1. Xuất hành to pagodas, temples (đền), phủ (Mother Goddess shrines); performing the rites solemnly, often combined with spring outings and festival going
2. Hái lộc (picking lộc): after the rite, breaking a small branch of đa, đề, or si and bringing it home to stick at the altar
3. Xin chữ ông đồ (asking the ông đồ for calligraphy) at the start of the year
4. Traders go to phủ Tây Hồ (Hà Nội) to pray for fortune; go to đền Bà Chúa Kho (Bắc Ninh) following the custom of borrowing capital at the start of the year and making an offering of thanks at the end of the year

Central Vietnam, Folk practice

When

Morning of the first day of the lunar month and the first days of the year

Offerings

Steps

1. Xuất hành tới chùa dâng hương cầu bình an, kết hợp du xuân (chùa Hương Tích ở Hà Tĩnh, đền Huyền Trân ở Huế, chùa Linh Ứng ở Đà Nẵng, phố cổ Hội An)
2. In Quảng Ngãi, the pagoda prepares lộc trees hung with red envelopes; worshippers pick one envelope and exchange it for a small lộc item

Where the sources differ

• Sources differ: a VnExpress article writes that the central region has no custom of hái lộc at the start of the year, so plants at temples and pagodas keep their leaves intact; a Sài Gòn Giải Phóng article describes people in Quảng Ngãi going to the pagoda on the first day of the lunar month to hái lộc, but it is picking envelopes hung ready by the pagoda, not breaking branches.

North Central Coast, Fishing communities, Cẩm Xuyên, Cửa Nhượng, Cửa Sót, Folk practice

When

From the second day of Tết, on the day and hour chosen by the boat owner; fishermen of Cửa Nhượng only avoid setting out on the first day of the lunar month

Where the offerings are set

On the boat and at the landing

Who makes the offering

The boat owner together with the crew

Offerings

Steps

1. Choosing a good day at the start of the year for the boat offering and the landing offering (lễ mở biển, also called xông biển)
2. After the offering, scattering salt, rice, incense and votive paper into the water and over the whole deck
3. Choosing the hour to leave the landing; pulling up anchor and running out to the sea mouth, casting a few nets to take the day, then returning to anchor at the landing and waiting for fine weather before going on a long trip
4. At the start of the year, there is also an offering to cá Ông at the shrine of Đức Ngư Ông (Phúc Hải hamlet, Cẩm Nhượng commune)

Things to avoid

• The departure hour must be an odd hour, according to the saying "đi hơn, về kém"
• Fishermen of Cửa Nhượng avoid setting out on the first day of the lunar month

South Central Coast, Fishing communities, Bình Hải, Bình Sơn, Quảng Ngãi, Phan Rí Cửa, Lâm Đồng, Folk practice

When

Quảng Ngãi: morning of the first day of the lunar month; Phan Rí Cửa: the second day or a day considered good, at high tide

Where the offerings are set

Quảng Ngãi: the village pagoda then the Bà shrine by the sea; Phan Rí Cửa: on the boat at the landing

Who makes the offering

Fishermen, boat owners

Offerings

Steps

1. Xã Bình Hải (Quảng Ngãi): fishermen take their turn off from the sea, on the morning of the first day of the lunar month they go to chùa Phước Thiện to pick lộc (blessed buds), then walk to Dinh Bà Chúa Ngọc to pray for the first sea trip of the year
2. Phan Rí Cửa: early in the morning they bring offerings onto the boats for the xuất hành rite, then go out to sea for the first trip of the year; on shore the wholesale stalls also trade to pick a good day

Southern Vietnam, Folk practice

When

In the first days of the year, until the full moon of the first lunar month

Offerings

Steps

1. Xuất hành to pagodas and shrines to pray for peace and safety and for wealth and fortune in business
2. Asking for lộc, drawing fortune sticks, asking for water at large pagodas; many pagodas give out lộc, with lion dances and dragon dances
3. Places often visited: chùa Bà Đen (Tây Ninh), chùa Ngọc Hoàng and chùa Bà Thiên Hậu (Ho Chi Minh City)