How to trim incense sticks on the 23rd of December on the day of the Kitchen Gods

Traditionally, at the end of each year and the beginning of the New Year, families often clean the altars of the local gods and ancestors to invite them home to celebrate the New Year. This work must be done respectfully and carefully.

The time to clean the altar and remove the incense sticks is usually after the ceremony to worship the Kitchen Gods. The person who does this work must be meticulous and conscientious in worshiping.

The process of trimming incense sticks is usually done after the ceremony to worship the Kitchen Gods. (Illustration: Thanh Luan).

Many careful families prepare offerings to ask for permission, and inform their ancestors to “take shelter” while their children and grandchildren clean up. After lighting a stick of incense to ask for permission on the altar, the homeowner will remove each stick of incense until only a few of the most beautiful sticks remain.

Feng shui expert Nguyen Song Ha said that on the altar, the incense bowl must be in a fixed position and never be moved. If it is moved, the homeowner must perform a ceremony to ask for the move and then ask for it to be placed in a fixed position.

When removing the incense sticks, the homeowner must hold the incense bowl firmly with one hand and gently pull each incense stick out of the incense bowl with the other hand.

At the same time, the homeowner must remember, if the homeowner (the person whose name is on the housewarming ceremony) is a man, leave 7, 17, 27, or 37 incense sticks on the incense bowl. If the homeowner is a woman, when removing the incense sticks, leave 9, 19, 29, or 39 incense sticks.

Then, the homeowner uses a mixture of water with 5 scents (a ready-made solution) or uses natural scents from leaves such as grapefruit leaves, basil leaves, soapberry... to clean the altar.

The person who trims the incense sticks must be sincere. (Illustration: Thanh Luan).

Feng shui researcher Bui Quang Minh said that the incense sticks were removed and burned to ashes and buried at the base of a tree.

If possible, the homeowner should bury the incense at the base of a banana tree because this is a tree with a very noble meaning of "fallen leaves returning to their roots". In addition, the researcher also noted that absolutely do not throw incense sticks in trash cans or dirty places. Bringing the ashes to the river is also not recommended because it will pollute the river.

The trimming of incense sticks has no ancient legend, but is just a normal cleaning job, removing excess things. However, this must be done carefully so as not to lose wealth and affect the family.

Vinh Nhi (synthesis)

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