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As the 23rd day of each lunar December approaches, families are bustling with preparations to present the Kitchen God Worship Tray to the heavens. However, many still wonder about the contents of this tray and whether there are differences between regions. Join Team PasGo in exploring the timing, ceremonial items, and Kitchen God Worship Trays of the Northern, Central, and Southern regions through the article below!
1. Kitchen God Worship Tray in the Northern Region
Timing for the Kitchen God Worship Tray in the Northern Region
In the Northern region, families often prepare the Kitchen God Worship Tray early, around the 20th day of the lunar December, with the latest completion by noon on the 23rd.
This practice is rooted in the belief that after noon on the 23rd day of the lunar December, the Kitchen God returns to the heavens, departing from the mortal realm.
Ceremonial Items for Kitchen God Worship in the Northern Region
The customary ceremonial items for Kitchen God Worship in the Northern Region often include live carps or paper carps in varying quantities, accompanied by a set of Taoist hats.
If the koi fish is alive after the offering, it will be released into rivers, streams, ponds, or lakes for spiritual liberation. In the case of paper koi, they are burnt along with the ceremonial hat after the ritual.
Offering feast to the Northern Kitchen God
In the Northern regions, the feast for the Northern Kitchen God includes traditional dishes such as sticky rice, chicken, sausage, pork, bamboo shoot soup, and spring rolls...
Especially, in many areas of the Northern region, the feast for the Northern Kitchen God will feature sweet soup, often made with black-eyed peas, sticky rice, brown sugar, and ginger.
On this day, in addition to preparing the offering feast for the Kitchen God, many families in the Northern region engage in activities like wrapping, trimming, and arranging incense sticks, cleaning the altar utensils, and tidying up the ancestral altar in preparation for the upcoming New Year.
2. Offering feast for the Kitchen God in the Central region
Timing for preparing the feast for the Kitchen God in the Central region
In the Central region, the time for preparing the feast on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month is the night of the 22nd and the dawn of the 23rd lunar day.
Ceremonial offerings to the Kitchen God in the Central region
What does the Kitchen God offering in the Central region include?
Instead of paper carps, people in many places in the Central region offer paper horses, as they do for other deities.
Typically, they present a paper horse with a complete saddle, without offering clothing and hats like in the Northern region.
Offering feast for the Kitchen God in the Central region
The arrangement of the Kitchen God offering feast in the Central region includes distinctive dishes such as boiled chicken, boiled meat, and fried spring rolls... Additionally, the feast for the Kitchen God also features tuna or mackerel, which is a characteristic dish of the locals.
After the ritual for the Kitchen God, the homeowners will move the statues of the old Three Kitchen Gods away from the kitchen altar and place them near the communal shrines at the entrance of the neighborhood or under the ancient tree at the intersection of the roads. Then, they will bring in the new statues of the Three Kitchen Gods and place them back on the kitchen altar to start a new year on the morning of the first day of Tet.
3. Offering feast for the Kitchen God in the Southern region
Timing for preparing the feast for the Kitchen God in the Southern region
People in the Southern region usually arrange the Kitchen God offering feast in the evening, approximately between 8:00 PM and 11:00 PM on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month. They believe this is the time when kitchen activities cease, avoiding disturbing the Kitchen Gods.
By the 7th day of the first lunar month, after reporting to the Jade Emperor, the Kitchen Gods return to the mortal realm. Each family can prepare a welcoming ceremony to continue their duties.
Ceremonial offerings to the Kitchen God in the Southern region
The ceremonial offerings to the Kitchen God in the Southern region include a hat, a robe, a pair of paper shoes, and the set of 'flying stork, running horse'.
Offering feast for the Kitchen God in the Southern region
In addition to the main savory dishes like spring rolls, sausage, square sticky rice cake, pickled onions, and boiled chicken... people in the Southern region also include a plate of peanuts and black sesame candy.
Furthermore, in the Southern region, there is no practice of trimming incense sticks or releasing carp into ponds; instead, they avoid buying paper carps and releasing them into the water.
4. A comparison of Kitchen God offering feasts in the North, Central, and South regions
After discussing the Kitchen God offering feasts in the Northern, Central, and Southern regions above, Team PasGo will now provide a comparison of the Kitchen God offering feasts among the three regions:
5. The sequence of offering feast for the Kitchen God
To ensure the Kitchen God offering feast goes smoothly, you need to follow the following sequence:
- Prepare the feast and ritual offerings for Mr. Cong and Mr. Tao.
- Light the incense, recite the farewell prayers for Mr. Cong and Mr. Tao to ascend to the heavens.
- After arranging the ceremony, lighting the fragrant sticks, and completing the ritual recitations, wait for the incense to burn out. Then, light another week's worth of incense, express gratitude, transform fake gold and release carp into ponds, lakes, rivers, streams, etc.
6. Taboos to avoid when offering homage to Mr. Cong and Mr. Tao
In addition to preparing a simple offering table for Mr. Tao, families should also take note of certain taboos to ensure a dignified ceremony:
- Before reciting the prayers, it's essential to cleanse oneself through a bath, dress formally, modestly, and respectfully.
- Recite the prayers with clarity, in a serious and sincere manner.
- Avoid seeking financial wealth; instead, request Mr. Tao's blessings for positive events throughout the year.
- Do not release carp from a high point.
- Do not place the offering table for Mr. Cong and Mr. Tao under the kitchen stove.
- Alongside the simple offering table, ritual offerings, wine, tea, fruits, etc., also play a crucial role in the ceremony to bid farewell to Mr. Cong and Mr. Tao.
Compiled by Ngoc Hoa & the PasGo Team
