Things to note and good dates and times to worship Ong Cong Ong Tao in 2025

(Dan Tri) - According to researcher Pham Dinh Hai, each region has its own customs, but there are still some common points to note when worshiping Ong Cong Ong Tao.

Some points to note when worshiping Tao Quan The Tao Quan worship ceremony (or Ong Cong Ong Tao worship) is usually held from December 17 to 23 every year. According to cultural researcher Pham Dinh Hai, Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations , there are some points to note when buying offerings, preparing trays of food, and prayers when worshiping Ong Cong Ong Tao. Offerings for Tao Quan are prepared according to family conditions and local customs and practices with basic dishes including sticky rice, rice soup, wine, votive paper, betel and areca, chicken, pork and fruit... In addition to the offering tray, families need to prepare 3 sets of dragonfly-wing hats and shoes. Carp is the "horse" for Tao Quan to return to heaven, you can use live fish or paper fish.

Offerings to the Kitchen Gods cannot lack three sets of dragonfly-wing hats and shoes (Photo: Hong Anh).

When performing the ceremony, the homeowner needs to wear neat and tidy clothes, should not wear short clothes, short skirts or open chest, open armpits. You can call all the children in the family to perform the ceremony together. The prayer must clearly state the date and time, the homeowner's full name, and the address of the house. The gods that must be invited are Tao Quan - Tho Cong (Mr. Cong means Tho Cong) and the family gods. The full names of the gods must be stated, not briefly. Specifically, including: Dong Tru Tu Menh Tao Phu Than Quan, Ngu Phuong Ngu Tho Phuc Duc Chinh Than and Ngu Phuong Long Mach Tiep Dan Tai Than. In particular, in the prayer, families need to "review" the right and wrong things of the year, honestly admit their mistakes and vow to change (this part can be recited silently in the head). Good deeds should be clearly reported to encourage the whole family, mistakes need to be learned from. Praying like this is truly sincere, receptive, promoting the meaning of the ceremony. After the offering, the burning of votive offerings should be done slowly, waiting for each item to be almost burned before burning the next one to avoid smoke, dust, and fire. Do not use a stick to stir up the ashes, causing them to fly everywhere. While burning votive offerings, the homeowner should think of good things or chant Buddha's name, chant the mantra "Um a hong" to increase blessings. The ashes of the votive offerings should be left to cool, wrapped tightly, and thrown into the trash to protect the environment. Families who offer live carp should find a suitable place to release them. When releasing the fish, they should find a place with clear water and gently release them. Release the fish with a sincere heart, aiming for noble meanings. When releasing, use both hands to bring the fish close to the water surface and then release it. Do not throw or fling the fish from above.

You can create carp shapes from sticky rice and jelly on the offering tray (Photo: Pham Thanh Ha).

Good date and time to worship Ong Cong Ong Tao in 2025 Researcher Pham Dinh Hai said, according to the book Ngoc Hap Ky , in 2025, you should worship Tao Quan from December 18 to 23, the common time is from 5 to 7 pm. If you choose a date and time to worship, do it according to the following days and hours: Day 18 (Binh Tuat): 11 am - 3 pm or 5 pm - 7 pm. Day 20 (Mau Ty): 7 am - 9 am, 1 pm - 3 pm or 5 pm - 7 pm. Day 22 (Canh Dan): 9 am - 11 am or 7 pm - 9 pm. Day 23 (Tan Mao): 9 am - 11 am, 1 pm - 3 pm or 7 pm - 9 pm. The annual Nom prayer for the Kitchen God ceremony (for reference) After the homeowner has prepared the offerings and burned the incense, they can pray as follows: I respectfully bow to the Kitchen God of the East Kitchen! I respectfully bow to the household gods, the local gods, the local tutelary gods, the Five Directions and Five Roads of Wealth, the Five Directions and Five Lands of Good Fortune, and the household deities! I, the host, am: (name of grandparents, parents, children, grandchildren...) of the same family. Today is the day the Kitchen God of the East Kitchen returns to heaven to receive the Jade Emperor's order. We, the host, sincerely prepare incense, flowers, offerings, clothes, hats, and rituals, present them before the altar, offer them to the gods, burn incense, and sincerely pray. We respectfully invite: The Kitchen God of the East Kitchen to come before the altar to receive the offerings. We respectfully invite the local gods, the local land gods, the local tutelary gods, the five directions and five paths of wealth, the five directions and five lands of blessing and virtue, and all the deities of the family to sit together and enjoy the offerings. Following the old custom, the Dong Tru Tu Menh Tao Phu Than Quan is the master of the Five Temples. We humbly ask you to examine our human hearts and bestow blessings. If our family has committed any mistakes or errors during the year, we humbly ask you to show us your mercy (here the homeowner can confess the good and bad things of the family, admit mistakes, repent, and promise to change). You return to heaven to pay homage to the Jade Emperor, and ask the Jade Emperor to bestow blessings and protect our entire family, sons and daughters, young and old, to be safe and healthy! We sincerely express our hearts. We humbly ask the deities to witness! We respectfully inform you, and enjoy!

Dantri.com.vn

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/doi-song/nhung-dieu-can-luu-y-va-ngay-gio-cung-ong-cong-ong-tao-dep-nam-2025-20250118110311685.htm