Buzz
While many people associate Tết Hàn Thực with floating rice cakes and vegetarian sweets, not everyone knows exactly what the Hàn Thực Tet ritual feast includes. According to our cultural traditions, the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month is Hàn Thực Tet, originating from China. In Chinese phonetics, Hàn means cold, and thực means food. Therefore, Hàn Thực Tet is the Cold Food Festival. This is one of the ancient cultural beauties, and the Vietnamese people also have their own distinctive features when preparing the ritual feast on this Tet day.
Guidelines for preparing the Hàn Thực Tet ritual feast
What does the Hàn Thực Tet ritual feast include?
1. Hàn Thực Tet Ritual Invocation
Any ceremonial offering requires its specific invocation, and the Hàn Thực Tet on the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month is no exception. You can refer to the Hàn Thực Tet ritual invocation below:
=> Hàn Thực Tet Ritual Invocation
2. 5 or 3 bowls of floating rice cakes and 5 or 3 bowls of vegetarian sweets
According to ancient traditions, the Hàn Thực Tet ritual feast is incomplete without floating rice cakes and vegetarian sweets. Hence, many people commonly refer to Hàn Thực Tet as the festival of floating rice cakes and vegetarian sweets. The quantity of bowls for floating rice cakes and vegetarian sweets on the ritual feast is typically 3 or 5, varying from family to family. In terms of spirituality and Feng Shui, odd numbers are considered lucky, while even numbers are seen as inauspicious. Therefore, during the ceremony, people often choose odd numbers, avoiding even numbers when arranging offerings such as incense or displaying fresh flowers or fruits.
=> How to make floating rice cakes
3. Betel leaves, incense, fresh flowers
In addition to floating rice cakes and vegetarian sweets, Hàn Thực Tet is a traditional day dedicated to ancestors. Hence, the Hàn Thực Tet ritual feast must include fresh flowers, betel leaves, and incense arranged on the ancestral altar. Depending on each family, a plate of fruits may be added to make the ritual feast more abundant and vibrant.
Even today, Hàn Thực Tet remains one of the cultural beauties of the Vietnamese people. It serves not only as a time for descendants to remember their ancestors, expressing gratitude and respect but also as an occasion for families to gather. Grandmothers and mothers teach the younger generation to mold fragrant and chewy rice cakes from glutinous rice flour, ensuring the lasting transmission of the nation's good traditions.
In the lunar month of March, families also celebrate Tết Thanh Minh, a time to remember ancestors and gather with family. You can refer to the Tết Thanh Minh ritual and the most accurate and comprehensive memorial oration for immediate use during the ceremony. In addition to preparing the ritual, understanding the ceremonial objects and procedures is also crucial information to explore.
