Cold Food Festival Prayer (3rd Day of 3rd Lunar Month): 3D Altar & A4 Scroll

Q: Should we offer 3 bowls or 5 bowls of Banh Troi and Banh Chay on the altar?

In Vietnamese liturgical tradition, offerings follow odd Yang numbers (3, 5 or 7) symbolizing growth and auspicious vitality. Depending on the width of your altar, presenting either 3 plates of banh troi paired with 3 bowls of banh chay (representing Heaven, Earth and Humanity) or 5 plates of banh troi paired with 5 bowls of banh chay (representing the Five Elements and Five Blessings) is completely authentic. Each plate typically holds 5 or 7 round rice balls .

Q: What solar date is the Cold Food Festival (3rd of the 3rd Lunar Month) in 2027, and what are the best hours to pray?

In the Dinh Mui Year 2027, the Third Day of the Third Lunar Month falls on Friday, April 09, 2027 (Mau Ngo Day, Giap Thin Month, Full Officer). The most auspicious windows to present the offering are the Mao Hour (05:00 to 07:00) in the early morning before work, the Wu Hour (11:00 to 13:00) at midday, or the Shen Hour (15:00 to 17:00) in the afternoon.

Q: Can we offer Banh Troi and Banh Chay a day early on the 1st or 2nd of the Third Lunar Month?

Yes, certainly. Because April 09, 2027 falls on a Friday workday, busy households may combine their Banh Troi and Banh Chay offering with the New Moon rite on the 1st of the 3rd Lunar Month (Wednesday, April 07, 2027) or hold the ceremony on the 2nd of the 3rd Lunar Month (Thursday, April 08, 2027) with full sincerity.

Q: If we are too busy to make the dough from scratch, is it acceptable to buy freshly made Banh Troi and Banh Chay for the altar?

Yes, completely acceptable. While rolling the rice balls at home with children is a wonderful family tradition, urban households with tight work schedules may purchase freshly made banh troi and banh chay from a clean, reputable traditional bakery, transfer them neatly onto the family's own clean porcelain bowls at home, and present them with heartfelt reverence.

Q: Why do Vietnamese families cook hot rice balls on the 'Cold Food Festival' instead of avoiding fire?

This reflects Vietnam's autonomous cultural adaptation . Vietnamese tradition adopted only the seasonal calendar marker of the Third Day of the Third Lunar Month while discarding the ancient Chinese fire-prohibition custom. Instead, Vietnamese families keep the kitchen stove warm to boil fresh glutinous rice balls, celebrating wet-rice abundance, the Au Co hundred-egg origin myth, and filial gratitude toward the Ancestors.

IPersonalize Your Scroll, Select Ritual Date and Read Prayer

Tradition-Specific Sub-page of Ancestor Veneration (52 ritual prayers in this tradition)

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Quick-switch Ceremony (81 Rites across 10 Categories):

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

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2. Officiant and Household Details (Live Scroll Personalization)

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Solar birth year Enter solar birth year to auto-calculate Sexagenary stem-branch and lunar age

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

The complete classical scroll recited at the main Household Deity and Ancestral Altar on the Third Day of the Third Lunar Month: presents 3 or 5 bowls of round white glutinous rice balls with red palm-sugar centers (banh troi) and 3 or 5 bowls of mung-bean rice cakes in pomelo-blossom syrup (banh chay) in filial remembrance of the Forebears.

HALL OF MYRIAD PATHS · TRADITIONAL RITUAL SCROLL

Cold Food Festival Prayer on the Third Day of the Third Lunar Month: Offering Sweet Glutinous Rice Balls to the Ancestors

1. Traditional Cold Food Festival Scroll for Household Deities & Ancestors (Offering Banh Troi & Banh Chay)

Namo Amitabha Buddha! (Three recitations, accompanied by three reverent bows)

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

Humbly bowing before the Reigning Year Commissioner and Grand Duke Jupiter Spirit governing the ………… Year: ………….

Humbly bowing before the Local Tutelary Guardian Deities, the Local Earth Deity of Righteous Blessing, the Kitchen Deity of the Eastern Hearth, and the Deities of the Five Directions, Five Lands, Dragon Veins and Wealth overseeing this district.

Humbly bowing before the Nine Generations and Seven Grades of Ancestors, Great-Great-Grandparents, Great-Grandparents, Grandparents, Beloved Parents, Uncles, Aunts, Brothers, Sisters, the Sacred Clan Aunt, the Young Departed Uncle, and all paternal and maternal spirits of ………….

Today is ……………………, the Cold Food Festival on the Third Day of the Third Lunar Month in the ………… Year.

………… ………………………………, residing at: ………….

In this gentle third month of spring, as warm rains nourish the fields and trees blossom across the land, our hearts turn in deep gratitude toward the Forebears who cleared the soil, cultivated the fragrant glutinous rice of our homeland, and handed down a life of uprightness across generations. Upholding the cherished Vietnamese custom of the Third Month, our household ………… has prepared pure glutinous rice flour, crimson palm sugar, golden mung beans, toasted sesame seeds and fragrant pomelo-blossom water to craft round white rice balls and serene sweet cakes.

Before this sacred altar, ………… reverently set forth fragrant incense, bright lamps, fresh spring blossoms, five seasonal fruits, clear tea, betel and areca, together with plates of round banh troi and bowls of fragrant banh chay, presenting them to the Venerable Deities and the Ancestors of ………….

………… earnestly invite the Venerable Household Deities to descend before this altar, witness our sincerity, accept these pure offerings, and shelter our residence at ………… with harmonious Qi across all four seasons.

………… humbly invite the Ancestral Spirits of ………… to gather beside the incense altar, savor the nostalgic sweetness of banh troi and banh chay, witness the filial devotion of your descendants, and bless our entire household with sound health, pure and steadfast hearts as round and whole as these rice cakes, smooth endeavors, scholarly progress for our children, and enduring family harmony.

With modest offerings and heartfelt reverence, ………… bow before the altar!

Namo Amitabha Buddha! (Three recitations, accompanied by three reverent bows)

IIIInteractive 3D Altar, Layout Diagram and Ritual Protocol

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Rendering crimson-and-gold 3D ritual altar…

Altar arrangement for the Cold Food Festival on the Third Day of the Third Lunar Month: Follow the classical East-Vase West-Fruit rule from the deity seat looking out (fresh flower vase on the right from the officiant's view, fresh fruit platter on the left). Directly in front of the water and green-tea cups, arrange two neat symmetrical rows of white porcelain dishes: one row of 3 or 5 plates of round white banh troi (each holding 5 or 7 spheres), and one row of 3 or 5 bowls of banh chay in translucent pomelo-blossom syrup with small porcelain spoons. Allow the newly boiled cakes to cool slightly to a gentle warmth before placing them on the altar.

Central Sanctuary, Nine-Generation Ancestral Tablet & Printed A4 Han Thuc ScrollAnchored at the rear center of the upper altar; rest the printed A4 scroll on the reading stand.

Pair of Warm Altar Lamps or Bronze Candlesticks (Left & Right)Lit at both rear corners of the altar, maintaining warm domestic Yang Qi.

Central Deity & Ancestral Incense Bowls (Light 3 or 5 Fragrant Sticks)Sacred focal point linking the filial gratitude of descendants with the Forebears.

Fresh Pomelo-Blossom, White Tuberose or Chrysanthemum Vase (East Vase, Officiant Right)Positioned on the right side from the officiant's view, diffusing gentle spring fragrance.

Spring Five-Fruit Platter & Betel-Areca Dish (West Fruit, Officiant Left)Positioned on the left side from the officiant's view in balance with the East Vase.

Row of 3 or 5 Pure Water Cups & Freshly Brewed Green Tea CupsAligned neatly in front of the incense bowl to accompany the sweet rice cakes.

Han Thuc Offering Tray: 3 or 5 Plates of Banh Troi & 3 or 5 Bowls of Banh ChayCentered on the lower front offering table; cooled slightly after boiling so the rice skin is glossy and intact.

Real-world reference photographs of traditional altars and offering trays

Open-license documentary photographs via Wikimedia Commons (click any photo for source file)

Red gac sticky rice, lotus-seed mung-bean sweet soup and banh chung. Auspicious sweet offering tray with crimson gac sticky rice, whipped mung-bean sweet soup topped with lotus seeds, a pair of green banh chung cakes, oil lamp and yellow chrysanthemums. — **Red gac sticky rice, lotus-seed mung-bean sweet soup and banh chung.** Auspicious sweet offering tray with crimson gac sticky rice, whipped mung-bean sweet soup topped with lotus seeds, a pair of green banh chung cakes, oil lamp and yellow chrysanthemums.
Photograph: Phuong Huy · License: CC0 · Source: Wikimedia Commons

Pure vegetarian offering tray for Full Moon and New Moon rites. Modest household vegetarian offering featuring mung-bean sticky rice, leaf-wrapped cakes, plant-based savory dishes, dragon fruit and ripe bananas, a lit oil lamp and fresh flowers. — **Pure vegetarian offering tray for Full Moon and New Moon rites.** Modest household vegetarian offering featuring mung-bean sticky rice, leaf-wrapped cakes, plant-based savory dishes, dragon fruit and ripe bananas, a lit oil lamp and fresh flowers.
Photograph: Phuong Huy · License: Public domain · Source: Wikimedia Commons

Step-by-step ceremonial sequence before the altar

Preparing and offering Banh Troi and Banh Chay on the Third Day of the Third Lunar Month brings grandparents, parents and children together through seven graceful steps:

Step 1
Prepare fragrant glutinous rice dough, palm sugar and mung beans with the family
On the evening of the 2nd or early morning of the 3rd Lunar Day, elders and parents guide children in rolling round white banh troi around square cubes of red palm sugar and shaping mung-bean banh chay.
Step 2
Boil the rice balls by the Seven-Float Three-Sink rule and let them cool slightly
Drop the rice balls into boiling water; once they float plumply to the surface, transfer them briefly into a bowl of cooled boiled water so the skin stays firm and glossy, arrange them on clean porcelain plates with toasted sesame, and let excess steam subside.
Step 3
Wipe the altar clean and pour fresh water and green tea into the libation cups
Before the chosen Auspicious Hour (Mao, Chen, Si or Wu), wipe the altar surface with a dedicated clean towel, arrange fresh spring flowers, and pour pure water and newly steeped green tea.
Step 4
Set 3 or 5 bowls of banh troi and banh chay on the Buddhist, Deity and Ancestral Altars
If your home has a Buddhist altar, present a pure vegetarian portion there first; then arrange 3 or 5 plates of banh troi and 3 or 5 bowls of banh chay symmetrically on the main Ancestral Altar.
Step 5
Kindle the altar lamps, light 3 incense sticks and recite the Cold Food Festival Prayer
Dress neatly, light both altar lamps and 3 sticks of fragrant incense, bow three times, and read Variant 1 (Ancestral Altar), Variant 2 (Buddhist Altar) or Variant 3 aloud with calm devotion.
Step 6
Allow two-thirds of the incense to burn in a tranquil atmosphere
Keep the worship space peaceful while the aroma of agarwood incense mingles with pomelo blossoms; this pure vegetarian festival requires no ostentatious votive paper burning.
Step 7
Bow three times in thanksgiving, lower the trays and share the sweet blessings
Once the incense finishes burning, bow three times, lower the plates of banh troi and bowls of banh chay, and gather the family to enjoy the cakes with warm green tea.

IVOrigins of Tet Han Thuc in Vietnam and Why Vietnamese Families Never Extinguish the Hearth Fire

In the seasonal cycle of Vietnamese household festivals, the Third Day of the Third Lunar Month is celebrated under two complementary names: Tet Han Thuc (the Cold Food Festival) in classical almanacs and the Banh Troi and Banh Chay Festival in everyday family life. Although the name Han Thuc (literally cool food) originally entered scholarly calendars from the ancient Spring and Autumn Period legend of Jie Zitui in China, Vietnamese civilization completely transformed the festival's meaning, turning a foreign tale of fire-prohibition into a warm, joyous celebration of native wet-rice agriculture and filial ancestor veneration.

The most fundamental difference between the Vietnamese observance and the ancient Chinese custom is that Vietnamese households never extinguish their kitchen fires or eat raw, cold rations for three days. In Southeast Asian wet-rice culture, the sacred hearth presided over by the Kitchen Deity represents life, family warmth and continuity. On the morning of the Third Day of the Third Lunar Month, kitchens across Vietnam glow brightly as families boil pots of water to cook fresh glutinous rice balls and simmer fragrant arrowroot syrup with ginger and pomelo blossoms. The cakes are simply allowed to cool gently on porcelain plates before being placed upon the ancestral altar, giving the phrase cool food a uniquely Vietnamese culinary meaning suited to the warm transition from late spring to early summer.

According to the tradition

In Vietnamese cultural memory, platters of round, ivory-white glutinous rice balls nestled together also evoke the founding national myth of Mother Au Co's sacred sac of one hundred eggs (from which one hundred children were born, fifty following their father Lac Long Quan to the sea and fifty following their mother to the mountains). Celebrated just days before the Hung Kings Commemoration on the Tenth Day of the Third Lunar Month, Tet Han Thuc opens the Third Lunar Month as a season of deep gratitude toward both family forebears and national origins.

VYin-Yang and Five-Element Philosophy of Three or Five Bowls of Banh Troi and Banh Chay

Beneath their humble ingredients, the twin delicacies of Banh Troi and Banh Chay encode the classical cosmology of Round Heaven, Square Earth, and Yin-Yang Harmony.

Symbolic correspondence of Banh Troi Nuoc and Banh Chay on the Third-Month ancestral altar.
Offering & Form	Cosmological & Elemental Symbolism	Filial & Ethical Meaning
Banh Troi Nuoc (Small Round Spheres)	A spherical white glutinous rice exterior (Round Heaven, Yang) enclosing a square cube of dark red palm sugar at the core (Square Earth, Yin).	Immortalized in poet Ho Xuan Huong's verse ('Seven times floating, three times sinking in the water, yet keeping a crimson heart'), symbolizing resilience and moral purity.
Banh Chay (Flattened Mung-Bean Medallions)	Soft white rice discs filled with golden steamed mung beans (Earth Element) floating in clear arrowroot syrup (Water Element).	Represents the nurturing harmony of fertile soil and gentle spring rain sustaining family life.
3 or 5 Bowls of Each Variety	Three honors the Three Powers (Heaven, Earth, Humanity); Five honors the Five Elements and Five Blessings.	Odd numbers carry auspicious Yang vitality in Vietnamese altar etiquette; each dish holds 3, 5 or 7 pieces.
Pomelo-Blossom Essence & Fresh Ginger	White pomelo blossoms capture pure spring Wood Qi; fresh ginger adds gentle warming Fire Qi.	Harmonizes digestion during the seasonal shift while perfuming the entire worship room.

VIAstronomical Calendar and Auspicious Hours for the Cold Food Festival in Dinh Mui 2027

According to the historical record

According to the astronomical lunar calendar, the Third Day of the Third Lunar Month in the Dinh Mui Year falls on Friday, April 09, 2027. In the Sexagenary cycle, this is a Mau Ngo Day in the Giap Thin Month of the Dinh Mui Year, governed by the Full Officer (Truc Man), an exceptionally favorable day symbolizing abundance, fulfillment and family gathering.

On Friday, April 09, 2027, households should present the Banh Troi and Banh Chay offering during one of three prime daytime Auspicious Hours: the Mao Hour (05:00 to 07:00, Jade Hall Auspicious Hour), ideal for families who wish to complete the morning offering before commuting to work or school; the Wu Hour (11:00 to 13:00, Life-Guardian Auspicious Hour), the classic midday window when the cakes are freshly boiled for the noon meal; or the Shen Hour (15:00 to 17:00, Azure Dragon Auspicious Hour) for afternoon offerings. If work schedules prevent cooking on Friday, families may also present the offering a day early on the 2nd Day of the 3rd Lunar Month (Thursday, April 08, 2027, Dinh Ty Day) or combine it with the New Moon of the 3rd Month (Wednesday, April 07, 2027).

VIIHow to Arrange Banh Troi and Banh Chay on the Altar in East-Vase West-Fruit Order

To create a serene and balanced altar presentation on the Third Day of the Third Lunar Month, follow four traditional guidelines:

Order of Veneration: Buddhist Altar First, Household Deity & Ancestral Altar Second

Because banh troi and banh chay are 100% plant-based, households with a Buddhist altar first place 1 or 3 bowls of each cake before the Buddha (reciting Variant 2), and then arrange 3 or 5 bowls of each on the main Deity and Ancestral Altar (reciting Variant 1).

Two Symmetrical Rows of White Porcelain Bowls

Use matching white or blue-and-white ceramic plates and bowls. Set the row of 3 (or 5) plates of banh troi closer to the water cups, and the row of 3 (or 5) bowls of syrup-filled banh chay in front with small ceramic spoons.

East Vase, West Fruit and Seasonal Spring Blossoms

Standing before the altar looking in: place the vase of fresh pomelo blossoms, white tuberose or yellow chrysanthemums on the right (East Vase), the seasonal fruit platter on the left (West Fruit), and freshly brewed green tea at center.

Let the Cakes Cool Slightly Before Placing on the Wood Altar

Allow newly boiled banh troi and hot arrowroot banh chay to rest for 10 to 15 minutes in the kitchen so heavy steam subsides and the glutinous skin sets smoothly before carrying the tray to the altar.

VIIIFive Essential Taboos and Etiquette Notes for the Cold Food Festival

A common misunderstanding

Five essential notes to preserve the authentic grace of the Third-Month Cold Food Festival:

First, never use harsh synthetic chemical dyes to color multi-colored banh troi. Ancestral and Buddhist altars prize natural purity. If your family enjoys making five-colored rice balls to represent the Five Elements, use only natural botanical extracts: red gac fruit, yellow gardenia or turmeric, green pandan leaf, purple magenta plant (la cam), and pure white rice flour.

Second, avoid slaughtering animals or setting out heavy meat banquets specifically for Tet Han Thuc. The distinctive charm of the Third Day of the Third Month lies in its gentle vegetarian sweetness; keeping the offering meatless honors spring vitality and compassion.

Third, do not place burst, leaking or stuck-together rice balls on the altar plates. Drop the balls only into briskly boiling water, lift them out ~30 seconds after they float, and dip them briefly into clean cooled boiled water so every sphere remains plump and whole.

Fourth, never use chipped bowls or taste the offerings before the prayer is recited. Select intact porcelain dishes and reserve the very first batch from the pot for the altar.

Fifth, refrain from burning excessive votive paper. Sincere filial remembrance and the shared family joy of rolling rice cakes together are the truest offerings of this festival.

?Quick Questions

Should we offer 3 bowls or 5 bowls of Banh Troi and Banh Chay on the altar?

In Vietnamese liturgical tradition, offerings follow odd Yang numbers (3, 5 or 7) symbolizing growth and auspicious vitality. Depending on the width of your altar, presenting either 3 plates of banh troi paired with 3 bowls of banh chay (representing Heaven, Earth and Humanity) or 5 plates of banh troi paired with 5 bowls of banh chay (representing the Five Elements and Five Blessings) is completely authentic. Each plate typically holds 5 or 7 round rice balls.

What solar date is the Cold Food Festival (3rd of the 3rd Lunar Month) in 2027, and what are the best hours to pray?

In the Dinh Mui Year 2027, the Third Day of the Third Lunar Month falls on Friday, April 09, 2027 (Mau Ngo Day, Giap Thin Month, Full Officer). The most auspicious windows to present the offering are the Mao Hour (05:00 to 07:00) in the early morning before work, the Wu Hour (11:00 to 13:00) at midday, or the Shen Hour (15:00 to 17:00) in the afternoon.

Can we offer Banh Troi and Banh Chay a day early on the 1st or 2nd of the Third Lunar Month?

Yes, certainly. Because April 09, 2027 falls on a Friday workday, busy households may combine their Banh Troi and Banh Chay offering with the New Moon rite on the 1st of the 3rd Lunar Month (Wednesday, April 07, 2027) or hold the ceremony on the 2nd of the 3rd Lunar Month (Thursday, April 08, 2027) with full sincerity.

If we are too busy to make the dough from scratch, is it acceptable to buy freshly made Banh Troi and Banh Chay for the altar?

Yes, completely acceptable. While rolling the rice balls at home with children is a wonderful family tradition, urban households with tight work schedules may purchase freshly made banh troi and banh chay from a clean, reputable traditional bakery, transfer them neatly onto the family's own clean porcelain bowls at home, and present them with heartfelt reverence.

Why do Vietnamese families cook hot rice balls on the 'Cold Food Festival' instead of avoiding fire?

This reflects Vietnam's autonomous cultural adaptation. Vietnamese tradition adopted only the seasonal calendar marker of the Third Day of the Third Lunar Month while discarding the ancient Chinese fire-prohibition custom. Instead, Vietnamese families keep the kitchen stove warm to boil fresh glutinous rice balls, celebrating wet-rice abundance, the Au Co hundred-egg origin myth, and filial gratitude toward the Ancestors.

Compiled, textually collated and diagrammed by Master Ưng Khiêm and UK MASTER ACADEMY. Last updated: 31 October 2026. Sources: Collated from Classical Vietnamese Liturgical Manuals, Tho Mai Gia Le, Viet Nam Phong Tuc (Phan Ke Binh), Ho Xuan Huong's literary heritage, and UK Master Academy household ritual standards.

Cold Food Festival Prayer on the Third Day of the Third Lunar Month: Offering Sweet Glutinous Rice Balls to the Ancestors

IPersonalize Your Scroll, Select Ritual Date and Read Prayer

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

2. Officiant and Household Details (Live Scroll Personalization)

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

Cold Food Festival Prayer on the Third Day of the Third Lunar Month: Offering Sweet Glutinous Rice Balls to the Ancestors

IICeremonial Offerings and Preparation Checklist

Group 1: Signature Third-Month Sweet Glutinous Rice Offerings (Banh Troi & Banh Chay)

Group 2: Fragrant Incense, Altar Lamps, Late-Spring Blossoms & Green Tea

Group 3: Dedicated Altar Cloth & Printed A4 Cold Food Festival Scroll

IIIInteractive 3D Altar, Layout Diagram and Ritual Protocol

Real-world reference photographs of traditional altars and offering trays

Step-by-step ceremonial sequence before the altar

IVOrigins of Tet Han Thuc in Vietnam and Why Vietnamese Families Never Extinguish the Hearth Fire

VYin-Yang and Five-Element Philosophy of Three or Five Bowls of Banh Troi and Banh Chay

VIAstronomical Calendar and Auspicious Hours for the Cold Food Festival in Dinh Mui 2027

VIIHow to Arrange Banh Troi and Banh Chay on the Altar in East-Vase West-Fruit Order

VIIIFive Essential Taboos and Etiquette Notes for the Cold Food Festival

?Quick Questions

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