Collection of prayers for the 2025 Cold Food Festival at home according to Vietnamese tradition

Collection of prayers for the 2025 Cold Food Festival at home according to Vietnamese tradition

Prayer for Cold Food Festival 2025 - No. 1

The Cold Food Festival prayer is excerpted from the book "Vietnamese Traditional Prayers" - a collection of prayers that are true to our ancestors' traditions, published by the Culture and Information Publishing House.

Namo Amitabha Buddha!

Namo Amitabha Buddha!

Namo Amitabha Buddha!

- I bow to the nine directions of Heaven, the ten directions of Buddhas, the Buddhas of the ten directions. - I respectfully bow to the Emperor of Heaven and the Mother of Earth, all the deities.

- I respectfully bow to you, the local tutelary god, the local earth god, the local kitchen god and all the other deities.

- I respectfully bow to my paternal and maternal great-grandfathers, paternal and maternal uncles, brothers, aunts, and sisters.

We, the believers, are:........... Residing at:………………………

Today is the day……………………….. of the Cold Food Festival. We, the believers, feel the deep gratitude to heaven and earth, the deities, and remember the virtues of our ancestors. With all our heart, we prepare offerings, areca nuts, betel leaves, flowers, tea, and fruit, light incense sticks, and present them before the altar. We respectfully invite the local tutelary god, the great kings, the local local deities, the local kitchen god, the five directions, the dragon veins, and the god of wealth to come before the altar to witness our sincerity and enjoy the offerings.

We respectfully invite our ancestors, paternal and maternal ancestors, and the souls of our ancestors with the surname..................... to have mercy on our descendants and come back to witness our sincerity and enjoy our offerings.

I respectfully invite the spirits of the previous and current owners of this house and land to come to this altar to enjoy and bless our whole family with good health, peace, prosperity, family harmony, and obedience.

Namo Amitabha Buddha!

Namo Amitabha Buddha!

Namo Amitabha Buddha!

Prayer for Cold Food Festival 2025 - No. 2

In addition to the Cold Food Festival prayer according to the traditional Vietnamese prayer, families can refer to the Cold Food Festival prayer at the God of Wealth altar as follows:

Namo Amitabha Buddha!

Namo Amitabha Buddha!

Namo Amitabha Buddha!

I bow to the nine directions of Heaven, the ten directions of Buddhas, the Buddhas of the ten directions.

I bow to the Emperor of Heaven, the Mother of Earth, and all the deities.

I respectfully bow to you, the God of the Kitchen, the Kitchen God.

I bow to the god of wealth.

I bow to you, the gods and spirits who rule this land.

I am the believer… residing at…

Today is March 3, year of the Snake.

The faithful faithful prepare incense, flowers, offerings, gold and silver, tea, fruit and other offerings, and place them before the altar to respectfully invite the God of Wealth. We bow and ask him to have mercy on us, come down before the altar, witness our sincerity, enjoy the offerings, and bless us with security and well-being, all good things, prosperity and family growth, increased wealth and fortune, an open mind and heart, all requests are answered, and all wishes are fulfilled.

We respectfully bow before the altar and ask for your protection and blessing.

Namo Amitabha Buddha!

Namo Amitabha Buddha!

Namo Amitabha Buddha!

Prayer for Cold Food Festival 2025 - No. 3

Namo Amitabha Buddha (3 times)

I bow to the nine directions of heaven, the ten directions of Buddha, the Buddhas of the ten directions.

I respectfully bow to the Emperor of Heaven and the Mother of Earth, and all the deities.

I respectfully bow to you, the local tutelary god, the local land god, the local kitchen god and all the deities.

I respectfully bow to my paternal and maternal grandparents, uncles, brothers, aunts, and sisters.

We, the believers, are… residing at…

Today is the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month, the Cold Food Festival. We, the believers, feel the deep gratitude to heaven and earth, the deities, and remember the virtues of our ancestors. With all our heart, we prepare offerings, betel leaves and areca nuts, flowers, tea, and fruit, burn incense, and present them before the altar.

We respectfully invite the local tutelary deities, the local land gods, the local kitchen gods, the five directions, the dragon veins, and the gods of wealth to come before the altar to witness our sincerity and enjoy our offerings.

We respectfully invite our ancestors, paternal and maternal ancestors of the family name… (family name of the homeowner) to have mercy on their descendants and come back to witness the sincerity of the offerings.

I respectfully invite the spirits of the previous and current owners of this house and land to come to this altar, come together to bless our whole family with good health, peace, prosperity, and family harmony.

"Namo Amitabha Buddha (3 times)".

Prayer for Cold Food Festival 2025 - No. 4

Prayers for Cold Food Festival in Traditional Vietnamese Prayers - Culture and Information Publishing House:

I bow to the nine directions of Heaven, the ten directions of Buddhas, the Buddhas of the ten directions.

I respectfully bow to the Emperor of Heaven and the Mother of Earth and all the deities. I respectfully bow to the local tutelary god, the local earth god, the local kitchen god and all the deities. I respectfully bow to my paternal and maternal great-grandfathers, paternal and maternal uncles, aunts, brothers, sisters and cousins.

We, the believers, are… residing at…

Today is March 3, the Cold Food Festival. We, the believers, remember the virtues of our ancestors. We sincerely prepare offerings, betel leaves and areca nuts, flowers, tea, fruit, burn incense, and present them before the altar.

We respectfully invite the local tutelary deities, the local land gods, the local kitchen gods, the five directions, the dragon veins, and the gods of wealth to come before the altar to witness our sincerity and enjoy our offerings.

We respectfully invite our ancestors, paternal and maternal ancestors, and the spirits of the family of the… (family name of the homeowner) to have mercy on their descendants and come back to witness the sincerity of the offerings.

I respectfully invite the spirits of the previous and current owners of this house and land to come to this altar, come together to bless our whole family with good health, peace, prosperity, family harmony, and obedience.

"Namo Amitabha Buddha (3 times)".

What to offer on Cold Food Festival? Suggestions for a complete and meaningful offering tray

Cold Food Festival (March 3rd of the Lunar calendar) is one of the traditional cultural beauties of the Vietnamese people. Many families wonder: "What to offer on Cold Food Festival? What is on the Cold Food Festival offering tray?" to both show respect to ancestors and preserve traditional customs. Below are detailed suggestions for the most standard offering tray.

Indispensable offerings on the Cold Food Festival tray

The offering tray for the Cold Food Festival is usually simple but meaningful, including:

Incense, flowers, betel and areca nuts: Symbols of nobility and respect offered to ancestors and gods.

Banh troi and banh chay: These are two indispensable typical cakes.

Banh troi: Made from sticky rice flour, filled with rock sugar, symbolizing fulfillment and reunion.

Vegetarian cake: No filling, pure white, meaning purity, dispelling bad luck.

Fruit tray: Depending on the region, you can choose fruits such as bananas, grapefruit, apples, oranges, etc. to express wishes for peace and prosperity.

Savory dishes (depending on the family): Sticky rice, boiled meat, soup or local specialties, depending on local customs.

Notes when preparing the offering tray

Number of cakes: Usually 3 or 5 bowls of banh troi, banh chay (representing lucky odd numbers).

Nature of the offering tray: Can be vegetarian or non-vegetarian depending on family tradition.

Time of worship: Should be done in the morning or noon on the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month.

With the above suggestions, hopefully you have the answer to "What to offer on Cold Food Festival? What is on the Cold Food Festival offering tray?". Whether simple or elaborate, the most important thing is still a sincere heart towards the origin.

What is the best time to worship Han Thuc Festival 2025? Suggested good time frame according to feng shui

According to custom, Han Thuc Festival is usually celebrated on the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month (in 2025 it falls on Monday, 31st March of the solar calendar). However, if the family is busy, the ceremony can be held 1 day in advance (2nd day of the 3rd lunar month - Sunday, 30th March 2025).

The ideal time is morning or noon, because this is the time when positive energy is abundant, bringing good luck.

According to the book "Learning about Eastern culture for 365 days" (Thien Nhan, Thanh Hoa Publishing House), the good times to worship Han Thuc Festival 2025 include:

- Main date (3/3 Lunar calendar – March 31, 2025):

Hour of the Dragon (7am – 9am): The time when the sun rises, symbolizes a favorable start.

Noon (11am – 1pm): Strong Yang energy, helps increase wealth and health.

Hour of the Goat (1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.): Suitable for families who want to worship in the early afternoon.

- Pre-holiday (March 2nd of Lunar calendar – March 30, 2025):

Dragon Hour (7am - 9am): Brings luck and smoothness.

Hour of Ty (9am - 11am): Support smooth sailing at work.

Monkey Hour (3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.): Suitable for those who are busy in the morning

Notes when worshiping Han Thuc Festival

Prioritize the auspicious time, but if you can't arrange it, you can choose a time frame that suits your family.

Should worship during the day, avoid evening because of heavy yin energy.

Prepare full offerings such as banh troi, banh chay, fruits, incense and candles to show sincerity.

Is it necessary to make offerings on time on the Cold Food Festival?

Although the auspicious hour has good feng shui meaning, the most important thing is still the sincerity. If the family cannot worship at the auspicious hour, just choose a convenient time, avoid too early or too late.

Note: Religion is a belief expressed through traditional rituals, bringing spiritual peace. Religious activities include ancestor worship, commemoration of meritorious people, and folk rituals rich in cultural and ethical values.

Quoc Duong