Authentic Vietnamese prayer for the 2nd day of the Lunar New Year 2025 (Year of the Snake).
The correct prayer for the second day of Tet according to ancient traditions. The offering tray and the prayer for the second day of Tet are just as important as those for the first day.
The prayer for the second day of the Lunar New Year (Year of the Snake) is recited during the offering ceremony when the family offers rice and other items to their ancestors and deities. The timing can be flexible depending on the family's circumstances, but it is best to perform it within the following timeframe to ensure solemnity and auspiciousness for the ceremony:
Morning: From 6 to 8 o'clock.
Lunchtime: From 10 to 12 o'clock.
Afternoon: From 4 to 6 o'clock.
Prayer for offering sacrifices to ancestors on the second day of Tet (Lunar New Year)
Namo Amitabha Buddha (bow and recite this three times)
Namo Great Compassionate Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva (recite this prayer three times)
Today is the 2nd day of the first lunar month of the Year of the Dragon (Giáp Thìn).
At: … (home address)
The petitioner, whose name is: ..., along with the entire family, respectfully bows.
I respectfully bow before my ancestors, both paternal and maternal, uncles, aunts, brothers, sisters, and all the spirits of my family, both paternal and maternal.
I respectfully bow before my ancestors, including my paternal and maternal uncles, and all the departed spirits who served alongside my forefathers.
Today, on the first day of the new year, I am reciting the prayer for the 2nd day of the first lunar month of the Year of the Dragon 2024.
Our entire family respectfully prepares incense, flowers, and a simple meal as a token of our sincere gratitude before the altar. We express our heartfelt thanks to the boundless grace of our ancestors who have protected and sheltered us from harm and misfortune throughout the past year.
We respectfully invite the spirits of our ancestors to come and partake in these offerings, and we pray for a peaceful and uneventful new year, smooth sailing in our work, and all good things in life.
I respectfully announce this!
Amitabha Buddha!
Prayer for worshipping the God of Wealth on the 2nd day of Tet (Lunar New Year)
Namo Amitabha Buddha (bow and recite this three times)
I respectfully bow to the Nine Directions of Heaven, the Ten Directions of Buddhas, and all the Buddhas of the Ten Directions.
I respectfully bow before the future Buddha Maitreya.
I respectfully bow before Buddha, Heaven, the Emperor of Heaven, the Goddess of Earth, and all the Venerable Deities.
I respectfully bow before my ancestors, the departed spirits of my family, both paternal and maternal, of the lineage of… (family name)
Today is the 2nd day of the first lunar month, the Lunar New Year of [year name], dispelling the cold east wind, dispelling the malevolent influences, welcoming the New Year of Spring, with refreshing rain and dew, renewing all things, with celebrations and reports everywhere.
We, your humble devotees, are: ...
Residing at: … (address)
On this auspicious occasion of the new year, we prepare incense, flowers, food, and offerings to present before the altar, offering them to the Heavenly and Earthly Deities. We believe that the Deities possess radiant power and boundless grace. Their lofty position is majestic, and their presence manifests in all ten directions. With sincere hearts, we humbly request their presence before the altar, to witness our devotion and accept our offerings. May our descendants be filled with joy, prosperity, good fortune, and health.
We pray to the local tutelary deity and guardian spirits for blessings and protection in the coming year, granting us prosperity, good fortune, and protection from harm. May our careers be successful from the beginning to the middle, and from the middle to the end of the year, and may all our wishes come true.
Today, according to the lunar calendar and the cycle of Yin and Yang, we arrive at the Lunar New Year. On the second day of Spring, we celebrate the new year. We, the descendants, remember the boundless grace of our ancestors, as vast as the sky and the ocean, a debt we cannot repay with even a blade of grass. Therefore, we, along with all the descendants in the family, have prepared incense, flowers, and offerings, performing the rituals with reverence, and presenting them before the altar. We respectfully invite our ancestors and all the spirits of our family, both paternal and maternal, to descend to the altar and partake of these offerings.
We pray to the local tutelary deity, the local guardian spirit. Protect us, grant us prosperity, dispel evil and misfortune. From the beginning to the middle of the year, and from the middle to the end, may our endeavors be successful, our wishes fulfilled, and our desires granted.
We pray for you: May the coming year bring good health and auspiciousness day and night. Grant us favorable circumstances in all our endeavors, and success in our work. May everyone enjoy peace and prosperity, receive blessings from both the spiritual and earthly realms, and have their wishes fulfilled. May no calamities befall us in any season, and may auspicious signs appear in all eight periods of the year.
We, your devout followers, respectfully invite the spirits of the former and current owners, and the spirits of the plants and trees residing in this land and this house, to come and partake of the offerings.
With sincere hearts, I humbly ask for your witness.
Namo Amitabha Buddha! (Recite this prayer three times)
