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TRADITIONAL RITUAL PRAYERS · PERSONALIZE & PRINT A4

Household Deities and Ancestors Prayer for Full and New Moon

Monthly Soc Vong Household Liturgy, Auto Lunar Calendar Conversion and East-Vase West-Fruit Altar Guide

Three complete liturgical variants for the 1st (New Moon) and 15th (Full Moon) days of every lunar month: the classical combined household scroll, the two-part split invocation for Earth Deities and Ancestors, and a concise mindful edition for busy homes and apartments.

Occasion
1st & 15th of Every Lunar Month
Twice-monthly Soc Vong household observances year-round
Auspicious timing
Morning from 05:00 to 09:00
Or the preceding evening of the 14th and month-end
Altar setting
Household Deity & Ancestral Altar
Offer incense at the Buddhist altar first if present, then the main altar
Variants & A4 scroll
3 Variants & A4 Scroll
Combined classical, two-part split & concise apartment text

IPersonalize Your Scroll, Select Ritual Date and Read Prayer

1. Select Solar Date (Auto-converts to Lunar Date, Sexagenary Cycle & Auspicious Hours)

Pick the actual solar date on which your household performs the rite

2. Officiant and Household Details (Live Scroll Personalization)

Stored privately in your browser localStorage only; never sent to any server
Enter solar birth year to auto-calculate Sexagenary stem-branch and lunar age

3. Choose Prayer Variant, Enter Altar Mode or Print A4 Scroll

The most widely practiced Vietnamese household text, respectfully invoking both the guardian Spirits of the residence and the departed Ancestors of the family within a single incense offering.

HALL OF MYRIAD PATHS · TRADITIONAL RITUAL SCROLL

Household Deities and Ancestors Prayer for Full and New Moon

1. Classical Combined Scroll (Household Deities & Ancestors Together)

Nam mo A Di Da Phat! (Three recitations, accompanied by three respectful bows)

Humbly bowing before the Nine Directions of Heaven, the Buddhas of the Ten Directions, and all Buddhas throughout the cosmos. Humbly bowing before Imperial Heaven, Sovereign Earth, and all Venerable Deities.

Humbly bowing before the Tutelary Guardian Deity of this locality (Ban canh Thanh hoang), the Local Earth Spirit (Ban xu Tho dia), the Household Kitchen Sovereign (Ban gia Tao quan), the Spirits of the Five Directions, the Dragon Vein Spirit, and the Wealth Deity governing this land.

Humbly bowing before the Nine Generations and Seven Forebears (Cuu Huyen That To), our High and Great-Grandparents, Grandparents, Uncles, Aunts, Brothers, Sisters, and all departed ancestral spirits of ………….

Today is …………………….

………… ………………………………, residing at: ………….

Sustained by the grace of Heaven and Earth, the protection of the Venerable Deities, and the boundless nurturing labor of our Forebears, on this monthly Soc Vong observance ………… have cleansed the altar, prepared fragrant incense, fresh flowers, pure water, tea, and seasonal fruit, and lit these sticks of heartfelt incense before the sacred seat.

………… reverently invite the Tutelary Guardian Deity, the Local Earth Spirit, the Household Kitchen Sovereign, the Spirits of the Five Directions, the Dragon Vein Spirit, and the Wealth Deity to descend before this altar, witness our sincerity, and accept these pure offerings.

………… reverently invite our Paternal and Maternal Grandparents and all departed ancestral spirits of …………, praying that out of compassion for your descendants you return in spirit, witness our filial devotion, and partake of these offerings. ………… likewise invite the Former and Latter Householders (Tien chu, Hau chu) who once dwelt upon this land to gather before the altar and share in the offering.

Humbly ………… pray that the Venerable Deities and Ancestors bless and shelter our household with sound health, peaceful hearts, harmony between elders and youth, clarity of mind, and upright, prosperous endeavors across all four seasons. With modest gifts yet wholehearted devotion, ………… bow before the altar and pray for your enduring grace.

Nam mo A Di Da Phat! (Three recitations, concluding with three grateful bows)

IICeremonial Offerings and Preparation Checklist

The twice-monthly Soc Vong observance on the 1st (New Moon) and 15th (Full Moon) of each lunar month nurtures everyday mindfulness and filial gratitude. Classical Vietnamese etiquette prizes freshness, cleanliness, and calm sincerity far above elaborate banquets, so pure vegetarian offerings of water, flowers, tea, and fruit are completely sufficient.

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Essential Pure Offerings on the Main Altar

Optional Additions by Regional & Family Custom

IIIAltar Arrangement Diagram and Step-by-Step Protocol

REAR OF ALTAR (ANCESTRAL SEAT FACING OUTWARD) Ancestral Tablet (Cuu Huyen That To) & Portraits Male-Left Female-Right from altar seat looking out (Grandfather on viewer right, Grandmother on viewer left) 1 Altar Lamp or Candle Altar Lamp or Candle 2 Lineage Aunt (Viewer Left) Deities (Center, elevated) Ancestors (Viewer Right) 3 Fresh Flower Vase East Vase (Viewer Right) 4 Five-Fruit Tray West Fruit (Viewer Left) 5 3 or 5 Cups of Pure Water, Rice Wine & Betel-Areca 6 Ceremonial Offering Tray (Vegetarian Sticky Rice & Soup or Traditional Savory Meal) Set on the lower front offering table, rice bowls filled gently, new chopsticks laid neatly beside 7 ▲ PETITIONER STANDING POSITION (FACING THE ALTAR) ▲ Households maintaining a single shared incense bowl place that bowl squarely at the center of the altar.
The classical East-Vase West-Fruit rule (Dong Binh Tay Qua) takes its orientation from the ancestral seat looking outward toward the room: the Ancestors' left is East (corresponding to the petitioner's right hand), where the fresh flower vase stands; the Ancestors' right is West (corresponding to the petitioner's left hand), where the five-fruit tray rests.
1
Ancestral Sanctuary, Spirit Tablet (Cuu Huyen That To) & PortraitsPositioned at the innermost, highest tier against a solid wall; portraits follow the Male-Left Female-Right rule from the altar seat looking out (Grandfather on viewer right, Grandmother on viewer left).
2
Pair of Sun-and-Moon Lamps or Bronze CandlesticksFlanking both sides of the altar to represent cosmic illumination (Nhat Nguyet), lit prior to igniting incense.
3
Household Deity & Ancestral Incense BowlsIn a classical three-bowl arrangement (following Left-Dragon Right-Tiger orientation from inside the altar looking out), viewing from outside in: the central elevated bowl honors Household Deities, the bowl on the viewer's right honors Ancestors (Gia Tien), and the bowl on the viewer's left honors the Lineage Aunt and Young Departed Spirits (Ba To Co, Ong Manh). Single-bowl homes center one shared bowl.
4
Fresh Flower Vase on the East Side (Viewer Right)Placed on the petitioner's right hand (Dong Binh) so gentle fragrance drifts across the altar.
5
Five-Fruit Tray & Betel-Areca on the West Side (Viewer Left)Placed on the petitioner's left hand (Tay Qua), symbolizing ripened harvest and filial gratitude.
6
Row of Three or Five Pure Water & Tea CupsAligned neatly in front of the incense bowl and replenished with clean water every New Moon and Full Moon.
7
Lower Front Table for Sticky Rice, Sweet Soup or Warm MealWhenever cooked dishes are presented, set them on a slightly lower offering table in front so the incense bowls remain unobstructed.

Step-by-step ceremonial sequence before the altar

A monthly New Moon or Full Moon household rite takes fifteen to thirty quiet minutes, emphasizing composure, cleanliness, and orderly respect from highest sacred rank to family forebears.

  1. Step 1
    Wash hands, dress modestly and quiet the mind

    Before approaching the sanctuary, wash your hands and face, put on neat modest attire, and set aside hurry or household chatter so your posture reflects calm reverence.

  2. Step 2
    Dust the altar surface and arrange fresh water, flowers and fruit

    Using a dedicated clean cloth, wipe the altar surface without shifting the incense bowls, arrange fresh flowers on the right and clean fruit on the left, and pour newly rinsed cups of pure water.

  3. Step 3
    Kindle the altar lamps and light incense in descending order

    Light the pair of lamps or candles first, then ignite 1 or 3 incense sticks. If your home has a separate higher Buddhist altar, offer incense there first before approaching the central Deity bowl and Ancestral bowl.

  4. Step 4
    Raise incense to brow level, bow and recite the prayer scroll

    Holding the incense with both hands at eyebrow height, bow three times, place the sticks upright in the bowl, join your palms, and read your personalized scroll softly or in Altar Mode.

  5. Step 5
    Pour warm tea and maintain quiet while the incense burns

    After three concluding bows, pour warm tea if prepared and allow the household space to remain peaceful while the incense burns steadily.

  6. Step 6
    Offer thanksgiving bows, extinguish candles safely and share blessings

    Once two-thirds or all of the incense has burned down, join palms for three farewell bows, extinguish open flames safely, and share the fruit and cakes among family members (thu loc).

IVThe Astronomy of Soc Vong and Three Spiritual Layers in One Scroll

Twice every lunar month, on the quiet morning of the dark new moon and again beneath the luminous mid-month full moon, millions of Vietnamese homes pause to light incense before the family altar. Known in classical Sino-Vietnamese liturgy as Soc Vong, this gentle rhythm anchors generational memory across centuries of change.

In East Asian lunisolar astronomy, Soc (the 1st day of the lunar month) marks astronomical conjunction, when the moon passes between Earth and Sun and begins a fresh waxing cycle. Vong (the 15th day, or occasionally the 16th) marks opposition, when Earth stands between Sun and Moon and the lunar disc shines at full completion. Because tides, planting seasons, and traditional market calendars all pulsed to these two nodes, households adopted them as regular moments to cleanse the altar, renew pure water, and recall their roots.

Read closely, a Vietnamese monthly prayer scroll reveals three spiritual traditions woven seamlessly into a single household voice. Its opening and closing triple recitation to Amitabha Buddha reflects Pure Land Buddhist compassion. Its salutations to Imperial Heaven, Sovereign Earth, the Local Tutelary Spirit, the Earth Deity, and the Kitchen God preserve indigenous Vietnamese reverence for land and hearth guardians. Meanwhile, its formal petitioner declaration, generational kinship ranks, and strict etiquette of invoking Deities before Ancestors embody Confucian family rites.

According to the tradition

Younger readers often ask why a family that has never formally taken Buddhist refuge still opens and closes an ancestral prayer with Nam mo A Di Da Phat. Across centuries of Vietnamese Three-Teachings harmony (Tam giao dong nguyen), Amitabha Buddha represents boundless light guiding departed spirits toward peace. Invoking that name frames the household rite under compassionate witness and wishes serene liberation for deceased elders. At the same time, families belonging to other faiths or practicing purely secular ancestral remembrance may simply bow three times and begin directly with the salutation to Heaven, Earth, and Forebears.

According to the historical record

Textually, Vietnamese household prayers evolved across two historical strata. The older stratum consists of formal Sino-Vietnamese sacrificial addresses (chuc van) codified in classical family ritual compendia such as Tho Mai Gia Le (attributed to the Later Le dynasty Confucian scholar Ho Si Tan), reserved primarily for lineage halls and major death anniversaries. The younger, living stratum consists of vernacular Vietnamese prayers passed down orally and standardized in late twentieth-century handbooks titled Van Khan Co Truyen Viet Nam. Because folk liturgy belongs to living households rather than a central ecclesiastical authority, no single rigid text holds a monopoly: some families combine Deities and Ancestors in one concise reading, while others separate the Earth Deity petition from the Ancestral invitation. Our studio provides all three collated variants so every home can honor its own custom.

VTen Classical Terms in the Monthly Household Prayer Explained

Although recited in modern Vietnamese or English translation, traditional prayer scrolls preserve concise Sino-Vietnamese honorifics inherited from court and clan liturgy. Understanding each term deepens mindfulness at the altar and prevents awkward kinship errors.

Reference glossary of ten core liturgical expressions found in monthly New Moon and Full Moon household scrolls.
Liturgical TermClassical Meaning and Practical Guidance
Nine Directions of Heaven, Ten Directions of BuddhasNine Directions of Heaven (Cuu thien) unite the eight compass points with the central axis; Ten Directions (Thap phuong) add zenith and nadir, signifying universal sacred presence.
Imperial Heaven & Sovereign Earth (Hoang Thien, Hau Tho)An ancient cosmological pairing honoring the overarching canopy of Heaven above and the sustaining Earth below as twin foundations of all life.
Tutelary Guardian Deity (Ban canh Thanh hoang)The patron deity protecting the village, ward, or civic district where the home stands, historically enshrined in the communal hall (dinh lang).
Sovereign of the Eastern Kitchen (Tao Phu Than Quan)The formal title of the Household Kitchen Gods who tend the family hearth, witness daily moral conduct, and guard domestic warmth.
Nine Generations & Seven Forebears (Cuu Huyen That To)An encompassing kinship phrase spanning nine successive generations of descent and seven ascending ancestral tiers, honoring the entire bloodline.
Cao Tang To Khao & Cao Tang To TyAscending ancestral ranks: Cao denotes great-great-grandparents, Tang great-grandparents, and To grandparents; Khao refers to deceased forefathers and Ty to deceased foremothers.
Hien khao & Hien tyTitles strictly reserved for one's deceased biological father (Hien khao) and deceased biological mother (Hien ty). Never recite these two titles while your parents are living; address Grandparents (To khao, To ty) instead.
Nurturing Labor of Forebears (Cu lao Tien to)Cu lao derives from the Classic of Poetry (Book of Odes), referring to the nine arduous labors of bearing, nursing, teaching, and sheltering children.
Former & Latter Householders (Tien chu, Hau chu)Departed previous owners or inhabitants who once cleared, built upon, or lived on the same plot of land in earlier eras, invited out of humane gratitude.
Gather Before the Altar & Partake (Dong lai ham huong)An tien means before the altar table; ham huong means receiving the subtle fragrance and sincere essence of the offerings rather than physical consumption.

VIRegional Customs Across Vietnam and Common Misunderstandings

While filial reverence unites Vietnamese households everywhere, altar architecture and monthly Soc Vong offerings vary gracefully across Northern, Central, and Southern Vietnam as well as overseas diaspora homes.

Northern Vietnam: Three Incense Bowls & Betel-Areca

Traditional Northern altars often feature three tiered incense bowls (viewing from outside in: Deities at center, Ancestors on viewer right, and Lineage Aunt on viewer left), accompanied by fresh betel leaf and phoenix-cut areca nut alongside formal scroll recitation.

Central Vietnam: Pure Vegetarian Offerings & Hue Composure

Shaped by former imperial court etiquette around Hue and deep Buddhist roots, Central Vietnamese families widely observe vegetarian offerings of lotus or yellow chrysanthemums, sweet sticky rice, and lotus-seed soup on the 1st and 15th.

Southern Vietnam: Orchard Fruit, Marigolds & Open-Sky Table

Southern households favor vibrant marigolds or chrysanthemums and generous tropical fruit platters, often lighting incense first at an outdoor Heaven Altar (Ban Thong Thien) before bowing at the indoor ancestral and Earth Deity shrines.

Urban Apartments & International Diaspora Homes

Modern apartments and overseas Vietnamese families commonly maintain a single clean shared incense bowl on a wall-mounted or cabinet altar, burning a single low-smoke agarwood stick with our Concise Mindful Scroll.

A common misunderstanding

Four frequent misunderstandings to avoid on Full and New Moon days: First, worrying that stumbling over a syllable brings spiritual punishment; household prayer is a heartfelt conversation between descendants and elders, where daily kindness and integrity matter infinitely more than ornate phrasing. Second, mechanically reading pre-printed sheets containing Hien khao, Hien ty while one's parents are still alive; our scrolls carefully omit those terms from general monthly texts so every petitioner can read safely. Third, burning stacks of paper money and effigies twice every month, a wasteful habit discouraged by both Buddhist teaching and classical thrift. Fourth, leaving dusty water cups or artificial plastic fruit permanently on the altar instead of offering simple, fresh water and seasonal produce.

?Quick Questions

May we perform the New Moon or Full Moon offering on the evening before (the 14th or final day of the prior month)?

Yes. Early morning on the 1st and 15th lunar days (between 05:00 and 09:00) remains the most traditional window. However, busy urban families frequently cleanse the altar and offer fresh flowers, fruit, and incense on the evening of the 14th or the final evening of the outgoing lunar month with complete propriety.

Which prayer variant should we choose if our home altar has only one shared incense bowl?

Households maintaining a single shared incense bowl (very common in modern homes, apartments, and overseas residences) should choose Variant 1 (Classical Combined Scroll) or Variant 3 (Concise Mindful Scroll). Both texts preserve the proper liturgical order of saluting Guardian Deities first and Ancestors second.

Are vegetarian offerings of fruit and flowers sufficient, or is a cooked savory meal required?

Monthly Soc Vong rites are minor recurring observances, so pure vegetarian offerings of fresh water, flowers, tea, and seasonal fruit are the classical norm and avoid unnecessary extravagance. Families who wish to share a warm weekend meal together may optionally set a neat tray on the lower offering table first.

What should petitioners keep in mind if their biological parents are still living?

While your parents are living, never use the posthumous titles Hien khao (deceased father) or Hien ty (deceased mother). Instead, address ascending generations from Grandparents (To khao, To ty) and the Nine Generations and Seven Forebears (Cuu Huyen That To), just as formatted in our scrolls above.

How many sticks of incense should be lit on the 1st and 15th of the lunar month?

Traditional practice favors odd Yang numbers: 3 sticks of incense on New Moon and Full Moon mornings (symbolizing Heaven, Earth, and Humanity, or the Three Jewels), and 1 stick on ordinary days. In compact apartments with smoke detectors, lighting 1 pure low-smoke stick is entirely respectful.

Which flowers and fruits are best suited or best avoided on the ancestral altar?

Avoid artificial plastic plants, overly pungent or overripe fruit such as durian in closed rooms, and thorny stems. Choose fresh, clean varieties such as yellow chrysanthemums, lotus, tuberose, gladiolus, green bananas, pomelo, oranges, apples, mangoes, or dragon fruit.

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Compiled, textually collated and diagrammed by Master Ưng Khiêm and UK MASTER ACADEMY. Last updated: 26 October 2026. Sources: Textually collated from Tho Mai Gia Le (Ho Si Tan), Van Khan Co Truyen Viet Nam (Culture and Information Publishing House), Viet Nam Phong Tuc (Phan Ke Binh), and living household liturgical practice across Northern, Central, and Southern Vietnam.