Buzz
As the year-end approaches, every family is busy with preparations for Tet, engaging in festive activities and rituals to welcome the Lunar New Year. Among these, changing incense holders is one of the top priorities. In reality, anyone can perform the task of changing incense holders, but it is advisable for the head of the family to do it personally to ensure cultural appropriateness and family traditions. The process of changing incense holders for the New Year requires attention to specific details to bring good fortune to the family throughout the year—a matter that concerns many people.
Selecting an auspicious day for changing incense holders
Folk wisdom says, 'where there's worship, there's sacredness, where there's restraint, there's goodness.' Therefore, when changing incense bowls, it's best for the family to choose an auspicious day and time to avoid any unfortunate occurrences.
Procedure for changing incense bowls
Before proceeding, the homeowner should clean themselves, light a candle, and offer fruits to seek permission from the ancestral spirits.
Use a clean cloth soaked in white wine and ginger water to wipe the incense bowl and let it dry. According to beliefs, wine and ginger will cleanse any black, unlucky elements, bringing cleanliness and prosperity for the new year.
Many families often use burned incense ashes or burnt glutinous rice to place at the bottom of the incense bowl. They can also use precious materials like amber, quartz, or agate, but it's crucial not to incorporate spells into the incense bowl as it may create unfavorable energies.
When performing this ritual, it is advisable to gently pick up each handful of incense instead of pouring the entire bowl. The belief is that offering less but with sincerity brings abundant luck to the family, wishing for robust health and prosperity.
During the process, it is best to note pieces of paper on each incense bowl to avoid confusion of their positions. After picking, the homeowner should place the incense bowls on the ancestral altar in the designated spots, absolutely refraining from rearranging on Tet day to ensure the sacredness and the belief in worship.
Lighting incense on Tet day
On Tet day, it is most favorable to keep the incense continuously burning on family altars and incense bowls to create a warm atmosphere and express heartfelt reverence to ancestors. To avoid frequent lighting, families can opt for circular incense instead of stick incense to prolong the duration.
Beautiful customs on Tet Nguyen Dan
Floral Customs
Selecting flowers and ornamental plants for Tet decoration has seemingly become an indispensable tradition in every household. Each type of flower or plant carries a different meaning, requiring the player to explore and display them in suitable positions.
Mai flowers, Peach blossoms, and Ochna integerrima are symbolic flowers for Tet. Hence, when visiting each family, we often see beautifully decorated Peach blossom branches in the most prominent positions in the house. Families can refer to ways of selecting and keeping fresh Peach blossoms to ensure a vibrant Tet atmosphere.
New Year's Eve ritual, New Year's Day ceremony
In the final days of the old year, Vietnamese families often conduct year-end rituals with offerings including a feast, golden incense, and fruits. This aims to report the events, both positive and negative, that unfolded throughout the year. The year-end ritual is not uniform; some families perform it before, others after. It comes with meticulous preparation of the ritual composition. On New Year's Eve, people also conduct a small ceremony to pay respects to heaven and earth, ancestors, marking the importance of this moment.
Here are some notes on changing incense bowls for the new year that Mytour wants to share with readers. In just a few days, we will welcome a warm and prosperous Tet with our families. Prepare well for each step and take care of the ancestral altar, hoping for a new year filled with luck and prosperity. Wishing everyone a joyful and cozy Tet with loved ones.
Usually, during the Tet days, those who work far from their hometowns, unable to experience the Tet atmosphere at home, feel a melancholic sadness. Poems about Tet away from home intensify this homesickness, yet it is through these that one realizes the core value of family.
For close friends, to uplift spirits or share some laughter, humorous and playful Tet wishes can break the solemn atmosphere with hearty laughter. There are numerous funny Tet wishes that you can send to your friends during this Tet Dinh Dau 2017.
(Collected Image)
