Top 10 Crucial Points for the Most Accurate and Comprehensive Worship of Ông Công ông Táo

In Vietnamese folk beliefs, Thần Táo Quân actually has its origins from the three Earth Deities, Thổ Công, Thổ Địa, and Thổ Kỳ of Taoism in ancient China. Later, it was Vietnamese-ized into the 'tale of two men and a woman' - the Deity of Land, House, and Kitchen. However, Vietnamese people still commonly refer to it as Táo Quân or ông Táo.

The legend of ông Táo has been orally passed down through generations of Vietnamese people: 'Thị Nhi had a husband named Trọng Cao. Despite their passionate love, they couldn't have children. As a result, Trọng Cao gradually became irritated and mistreated his wife. One day, due to a small incident, Trọng Cao made a big scene, beat Thị Nhi, and chased her away. Thị Nhi left home, wandered to another land, and later met Phạm Lang. They fell in love and became husband and wife. As for Trọng Cao, after cooling down, he realized his wife had left for good. Regretful and remorseful, he set out to find his wife.

After many days of searching, out of rice and money, Trọng Cao had to beg along the road. Finally, Trọng Cao happened to ask for food at Thị Nhi's house when Phạm Lang was away. Thị Nhi quickly recognized the beggar as her ex-husband. She invited him into the house and cooked a meal to treat her former spouse. At that moment, Phạm Lang returned. Thị Nhi, fearing suspicion from her current husband, hid Cao under a haystack in the garden. Unfortunately, Phạm Lang ignited the haystack to gather ash for fertilizing the fields. Seeing the fire, Thị Nhi panicked and rushed to save her ex-husband. Witnessing his wife jumping into the flames, Phạm Lang, in pity, also jumped in. All three perished in the fire. Due to their tragic fate and strong bond, Ngọc Hoàng appointed them as the kitchen deities. Accordingly, the new husband became Thổ Công overseeing kitchen duties, the old husband became Thổ Địa overseeing household matters, and the wife became Thổ Kỳ overseeing market affairs.'

Vietnamese people often worship Ông Công ông Táo on the 23rd day of the lunar December, the day when ông Táo returns to heaven to report everything to Ngọc Hoàng about the household's happenings in the past year. The ritual to send ông Công ông Táo to the sky usually takes place on the evening of the 22nd if a family doesn't have time to prepare on the exact day.

In reality, as ông Công ông Táo is still working on that day, most families can worship on the 23rd day of the lunar December annually or be more flexible. People often pass down the tradition of worshiping ông Công ông Táo before 12 p.m. on the 23rd day of the lunar December, creating all conditions for the gods to arrive and report to Ngọc Hoàng as early as possible. Avoiding traffic jams or delays in reporting to the Heavenly Palace.

According to the beliefs of the Vietnamese people, ông Táo or Táo Quân is a deity intimately connected with each family, aware of everything happening, and the one who decides fortune and misfortune for them. Here, fortune and misfortune are the righteous standards, the code of conduct among people to bring goodness to everyone around. At the same time, ông Táo directly reports to Ngọc Hoàng about the good and bad deeds of the homeowners in the past year and, on behalf of the homeowners, seeks blessings for the coming year.

It is believed that on the 23rd day of every lunar December, Táo Quân rides a carp turning into a dragon to the Heavenly Palace to report all the good and bad deeds of humans throughout the year. The Heavenly Palace then judges crimes and rewards and punishes mankind. On New Year's Eve, Táo Quân returns to the mortal world to continue the task of overseeing the family hearth.

Since then, the day of ông Công ông Táo has entered the subconscious of the Vietnamese people. On this day, people make meals to express gratitude to the deities. It's also an occasion for everyone to come together after a hardworking year. Therefore, Vietnamese families often have the habit of worshiping ông Công ông Táo on the 23rd day of every lunar December, with the desire for luck and blessings for all family members in the new year, leaving behind all the old things.

In addition to the main offerings mentioned above, depending on the nature and culture of each region, there may be additional supplementary offerings such as cakes, candies, and decorative flowers. Many families believe that, in addition to the essential offerings for ông Công and ông Táo, it's necessary to buy additional cakes and candies. This is believed to make ông Táo Quân enjoy the offerings and report smoothly and sweetly to Ngọc Hoàng, making everything more favorable. For families practicing vegetarian offerings, additional items like flowers and fruits are also essential.

Offerings can be supplemented according to the customs of each family and region to suit economic conditions and time constraints. Most importantly, worshiping ông Công ông Táo requires sincerity. Therefore, beyond the preparations for the deities ascending to the sky, the homeowner needs to be respectful and place their sincerity at the forefront. The altar, whether simple or elaborate, expresses reverence and demonstrates the homeowner's virtuous heart, expressing gratitude to the three deities for protecting the family, ensuring health and peace, increasing wealth and prosperity, and wishing for a more prosperous and successful new year.

On the 23rd day of every Lunar December, a highly regarded celebration takes place in Vietnam, and accordingly, the feast to worship Ông Táo is meticulously and splendidly prepared by the household. Depending on regional customs, the offerings for Ông Công Ông Táo may vary. However, here are the essential ritual items that seem to be prevalent across different regions:

In the Central region, people offer a paper horse with a saddle and harness. In the South, the ritual is simpler, involving only paper hats, robes, and a pair of paper scissors.

• 3 Táo Quân hats: 2 winged hats for the two lords and 1 hat without wings for Táo lady. The colors of these hats can vary according to the five elements of the household owner and are adorned vibrantly and attractively.
• Imitation gold items (hats, robes, scissors, and some gold foil paper) are presented alongside the old offerings, symbolizing the desire to let go of the past and embrace new and auspicious beginnings. Following this, families proceed to create new offerings to invite Ông Táo back to their homes.
• For families with children, boiled chicken is often added to the offerings, expressing the wish for their offspring to grow rapidly, robustly, and healthy like the chickens.
• Particularly, three living carp fish are considered the most crucial offerings for Ông Táo's journey back to the heavens. According to tradition, the 'carps transforming into dragons' are the means to facilitate Ông Bà Táo's swift and easy return to the heavens. Hence, in addition to the items mentioned above, three living carp fish are typically featured. After the ceremony, they are released into ponds or lakes for liberation.

According to Vietnamese beliefs, every Lunar December 23rd, they offer three carp fish to Ông Táo as a means for Táo Quân's return to the sky. Carp, a freshwater fish, is closely associated with the material and spiritual life of the Vietnamese people. In the ancient Vietnamese subconscious, carp can transform into dragons and fly, making them the chosen 'steed' for Ông Táo instead of horses or buffaloes. Additionally, some believe that carp, having yin characteristics, harmonizes with the moon - the vital force of heaven and earth. Hence, it is chosen as the vehicle for Ông Táo's journey to report to the Heavenly Palace.

After the ceremony, families release the carp into rivers or ponds with the intention of symbolizing the 'fish turning into dragons,' overcoming obstacles, and embodying persistence, determination, and the conquest of knowledge leading to success. This act not only represents a beautiful cultural tradition but also reflects the precious compassion of the Vietnamese people.

In each region of Vietnam, the practice of offering a savory feast is diverse and colorful, depending largely on the characteristics and specialties of each region. However, the following savory dishes are fundamental and seemingly offered in almost every region: 1 plate of rice, 1 plate of salt, boiled pork shoulder, 1 bowl of mushroom soup, 1 plate of mixed stir-fry, 1 plate of sausage, 1 plate of red sticky rice, 1 plate of candied fruits (kumquat, coconut, jujube), 1 teapot of lotus tea, and three cups of wine. Depending on individual circumstances, in addition to the main offerings mentioned above, families may include savory dishes (with chicken rice, boiled pork leg, various mushroom dishes) or opt for vegetarian offerings (with betel leaves, flowers, fruits, gold and silver paper) to bid farewell to Táo Quân.

According to ancient customs, for families with young children, people also offer a boiled chicken to Táo Quân. This chicken should be a newly crowing rooster (meaning a young rooster) to symbolize the hope that Táo Quân will ask Ngọc Hoàng for the child to grow up with resilience and vitality, just like the rooster. However, depending on conditions and family situations, each family can prepare offerings suitable for the ceremony to bid farewell to Ông Công and ông Táo.

Traditionally, the Vietnamese often conduct the ceremony to send Ông Táo to the heavens at their homes. Usually, they choose the kitchen, believing it is where ông bà Táo resides—a misconception to be avoided. According to Feng Shui experts, the ritual for ông Công ông Táo should take place right at the altar of Táo Quân. Alternatively, it can be performed at the ancestral or deity altar, or outdoors, but not in the kitchen.

If you live in a rented or shared house, you don't need to conduct the ceremony as the landlord will handle this. However, if you rent a house independently without a shared landlord, it's advisable to perform the ritual to show your gratitude.

In some places, many families have the habit of offering Ông Táo and burning imitation gold money for Táo Quân to facilitate their journey. The more they send and burn, the more they hope for favorable conditions for Ông Công - Táo to perform their heavenly duties.

Today, environmental pollution significantly affects the health of urban residents. Releasing fish and inadvertently dumping plastic bags into ponds further exacerbates pollution. Therefore, to maintain a cleaner environment, on Ông Táo's day, people are advised to dispose of waste properly, not indiscriminately into rivers. Additionally, burning imitation gold money is believed to be for the deceased, while Ông Công ông Táo resides in the heavenly realm. Hence, burning may not have the desired effect, according to many experts. Some families spend hundreds or millions on imitation gold money, hoping for blessings, which is both wasteful and environmentally detrimental. If burning is necessary, opt for paper imitation gold and be mindful of the quantity to avoid unnecessary consequences.

When organizing the Ông Táo ceremony, besides the necessary offerings, there must be a truly eloquent and proper prayer that can express the wishes of the homeowner in the old and new year. It is essential to note that 'Nam mô A Di Đà Phật' should not be recited in the ceremony, as Ông Táo is a deity, not Buddha. Therefore, a separate prayer is required:

Dear Supreme Being,

Dear Five Deities, Eastern Azure Deity, Southern Vermilion Deity, Western White Deity, Northern Black Deity, Central Yellow Deity.

Dear heavenly generals and generals of the upper celestial army, middle celestial army, and lower celestial army. Dear mountain deities, dragon deities, earth deities, earth workers, Táo Quân, earth immortals who bear witness and protect.

Today is the 23rd day of the twelfth month, year... Bính Thân. It is the day when the Ông Táo deities ascend to heaven.

The believer's name is... born on...th day of...th month, year...originating from...permanent address...

With sincere gratitude, I respectfully offer some offerings, incense, and candles to invite the Supreme Being, Five Deities, heavenly generals, celestial generals, celestial armies, mountain deities, dragon deities, earth deities, earth workers, Táo Quân, and earth immortals to bear witness and allow Ông Táo to ascend to heaven.

Dear earth deities, earth workers, Táo Quân, earth immortals who bear witness and protect. Throughout the past year, thanks to your blessings, we have been healthy, happy, and fortunate. Today, I perform this ceremony with utmost respect to bid you farewell and request the Supreme Being, Five Deities, and all heavenly immortals to bless our country, my homeland, my family, and my relatives with health, happiness, and prosperity.

I implore the Supreme Being, Five Deities, heavenly immortals, and all witnesses to acknowledge my sincere intentions.

Respectful wishes to the Supreme Being, Five Deities, heavenly immortals, and all witnesses for a prosperous New Year! (I am sincerely grateful, I am sincerely grateful, I am sincerely grateful)

After the ceremony, bow 9 times. Then, step back before turning away.