Meaning and prayers for the opening ceremony on the 7th of January

According to folk belief, the 7th day of the first lunar month ends the Lunar New Year (3 days of Tet, 7 days of spring) and is the beginning of the Khai Ha Festival, which is understood as the New Year's opening day of joy to welcome the new spring, praying for luck for the whole year.

What is the opening ceremony of the year?

The opening ceremony, or in some places called the lowering of the pole ceremony, is the ceremony that ends all the fun activities of Tet holiday, everyone returns to their daily work and business, most clearly shown through the lowering of the pole on Tet holiday.

More specifically: According to traditional customs, the Tet pole will be erected from the 23rd of December, or at the latest on the 30th of Tet, with decorations such as small circles or something depending on local customs, with the meaning of sending off the bad and unlucky things of the old year, welcoming good luck to the family and community in the first days of the new year.

In addition, the pole also has the meaning of warding off evil spirits, preventing evil spirits from disturbing the family, and having a peaceful Tet holiday. After Tet, when the gods return to the family, the pole will be taken down at the same time.

Tet pole. Photo: Document

Offerings for the opening ceremony

When performing the opening ceremony, families prepare: A tray of offerings, which can be vegetarian or non-vegetarian. In addition, there are drops of oil, wine, incense, flowers, fruits, a plate of rice, a plate of salt, votive paper, etc.

Fully and completely arranged outdoors, the homeowner lights incense, prays and asks for permission from the ancestors in the house first, then performs the ceremony outdoors.

When praying for the opening ceremony, homeowners can refer to the following prayer:

Prayer for the opening ceremony

Namo Amitabha Buddha (3 times)

Dear:

- The Emperor of Heaven, the Mother of Earth, and all the deities

- His Excellency ............., the current ruler of the year ........., His Excellency the Local City God, His Excellency the Earth God, the Kitchen God, and the Dragon Vein God.

- Ancestors, paternal and maternal ancestors. Today is the ... day of the first month of the year .........., we are ... currently residing at house number ..., neighborhood ..., ward ..., city ...

Sincerely prepare incense, flowers, offerings, tea, wine, and ceremonial offerings, and place them before the altar. Respectfully report: The spring feast is over, the New Year has passed, now we would like to thank the gods, and escort the spirit back to the underworld.

I respectfully ask for blessings, grace, and protection for the earthly and positive worlds, for all things to be good, for my children to be safe, and for my family to be prosperous. With all my heart, I respectfully present this humble offering, and for your consideration, I humbly ask you to witness.

Namo Amitabha Buddha (3 times)

After reading the prayer for the opening ceremony of the year, wait until the incense has burned out or after a week of incense, then burn the votive paper and paper money, then have someone lift the pole. After the pole has been lifted, it should not be placed inside the house but outside, in a dry, airy, and clean place.

Nowadays, the ceremony of lowering the flagpole or the opening ceremony of the year is no longer practiced in many places, but with the meaning of praying for blessings, peace, welcoming the gods and fortune to the family, the preparation of outdoor offerings is still carefully prepared.

With this article, I hope to provide you with a lot of useful information about a beautiful cultural feature of our ancestors' Tet holiday.