Prayers for the 1st and 15th of each lunar month
According to tradition, on the 1st and 15th days of the lunar month, Vietnamese families usually prepare offerings to worship deities and ancestors. Below is a concise and accurate prayer for these two holidays.
Prepare offerings for the ceremony.
The timing of the ceremony can be flexible depending on each family's circumstances. Many families usually hold the ceremony on the afternoon of the 30th (for the 1st day of the lunar month) or the afternoon of the 14th (for the 15th day of the lunar month).
Regarding offerings, there are two main ways to prepare them: vegetarian offerings and non-vegetarian offerings. Vegetarian offerings usually include simple items such as fresh flowers, incense, sweets, betel nuts, clean water, and fresh fruit. For non-vegetarian offerings, families can prepare additional items such as pork, chicken, and wine.
Regardless of how the offerings are prepared, the most important thing is the sincerity of the person performing the ceremony. Genuine devotion will give this ritual its sacred meaning.
The prayer to ancestors on the 1st and 15th of each lunar month, according to the book "Traditional Vietnamese Prayers" published by the Culture and Information Publishing House, is as follows:
Namo Amitabha Buddha! (3 times)
I bow down to the nine directions of Heaven, the ten directions of the Buddhas, and all the Buddhas of the ten directions.
I respectfully bow before Heaven, Earth, and all the Venerable Deities.
I respectfully bow before the local tutelary deity, the local earth deity, the household kitchen god, and all other revered deities.
I respectfully bow before my ancestors, my deceased father and mother, and all departed spirits (if my parents are still alive, replace with my paternal and maternal ancestors).
The head of the community, whose name is: ..., lives in: ... commune, ... district, ... province.
Today is the first day of the month of the year of the Snake (2025). I, your humble devotee, with the grace of Heaven and Earth, the Venerable Deities, and my ancestors, sincerely prepare offerings of incense, flowers, tea, and fruit, and light a stick of incense before the altar.
We respectfully invite: the local tutelary deity, the local earth god, the household kitchen god, the five directions, the dragon vein, and the god of wealth. We humbly request that you descend before the altar, witness our sincerity, and accept our offerings.
We respectfully invite our ancestors, both paternal and maternal, and all the spirits of our family lineage... to mercifully return, witness our sincerity, and partake of our offerings.
We, your humble devotees, respectfully invite the former and current owners residing in this house to come before the altar, partake in the offerings, and bless our family with good health, peace, prosperity, success in business, and family harmony.
With humble hearts and sincere devotion, we respectfully bow before the altar and humbly ask for your protection and blessings.
Namo Amitabha Buddha! (3 times).
Prayer for the first and fifteenth day of the lunar month to worship the Earth God and other deities.
Namo Amitabha Buddha! (3 times)
I bow down to the nine directions of Heaven, the ten directions of the Buddhas, and all the Buddhas of the ten directions.
I respectfully bow to Heaven, Earth, and all revered deities. I respectfully bow to the Lord of the East. I respectfully bow to the local Earth God and the Dragon Vein deity.
I respectfully bow to the Five Directions, the Five Lands, and the deities of fortune and virtue. I respectfully bow to the former and latter landlords and the god of wealth. I respectfully bow to all the deities who govern this area.
We, your humble devotees, are... residing at...
Today is the full moon day of the month of the year...
The devotee sincerely prepares incense, flowers, offerings, gold and silver, tea and fruit, and burns fragrant incense to offer before the altar.
We respectfully invite: the current presiding Tai Sui deity, the local tutelary deity, the kitchen god, the household earth deity, the dragon vein deity, the five directions, the five lands, the benevolent deities, and all other deities governing this area.
We humbly beseech you to hear our invitation, have mercy on your devotees, descend before the altar, witness our sincerity, accept our offerings, and protect our entire family, granting us peace and happiness, success in our endeavors, safety for all, increased wealth and fortune, spiritual enlightenment, and the fulfillment of all our wishes and desires.
With humble hearts and sincere devotion, we respectfully bow before the altar and humbly ask for your protection and blessings.
Namo Amitabha Buddha! (3 times)
