2nd & 3rd Day of Tet Ancestral Meal Prayer: 3D Altar & Print A4 Scroll

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Recited on the morning or midday of the Second Day of the First Lunar Month when presenting a freshly cooked spring meal to the Household Deities and Paternal-Maternal Ancestors before departing to visit and celebrate Tet with the mother's side of the family.

HALL OF MYRIAD PATHS · TRADITIONAL RITUAL SCROLL

Second and Third Day of Tet Ancestral Meal Prayer: Presenting Warm Spring Feasts to Visiting Forebears

1. Second Day of Tet Ancestral Meal Scroll (Honoring Maternal Lineage & Spring Outings)

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 governing the ………… Year: ………….

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

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 ………… abiding in our home for the Lunar New Year.

Today is ……………………, the Second Day of the ………… Lunar New Year.

………… ………………………………, residing at: ………….

Since the Year-End Reunion Feast closing the old year, our household has reverently welcomed our Forebears to dwell beside this warm incense altar, celebrating the midnight transition and the First Morning of Spring together. Today, on the Second Day of Tet, upholding the classical filial maxim of serving the departed with the same tender care as the living, ………… have risen early to prepare steaming white rice, hot bamboo-shoot soup, green sticky-rice cake, savory dishes, freshly brewed tea and sweet fruits before the altar.

………… first invite the Venerable Household Deities to witness and accept our offering; second, we warmly invite the Ancestral Spirits of ………… to gather at the table and enjoy this Second-Day spring meal amid the joyful affection of your descendants.

Honoring the cherished custom of the First Day for the Father's Lineage and the Second Day for the Mother's Lineage, after this morning offering ………… ask gracious leave of our Forebears to set out and pay New Year respects to our maternal elders and relatives. May the Venerable Deities and Ancestors of ………… bless our travels with safe roads, deepen the love uniting both sides of our family, and grant us health and prosperity throughout the ………… Year.

With modest tributes and filial devotion, ………… bow before the ancestral seat in gratitude!

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

IIIInteractive 3D Altar, Layout Diagram and Ritual Protocol

Drag to rotate 360° · Click numbered pins 1 to 7 or cards below to inspect each offering

Rendering crimson-and-gold 3D ritual altar…

Altar arrangement for the Second and Third Days of Tet: The upper altar retains the Five-Fruit Platter (West Fruit, officiant left), Spring Flower Vase (East Vase, officiant right), bronze urn and incense bowls. Each morning or midday when serving the meal, refresh the water and hot tea cups on the upper altar, and arrange the steaming meal tray on the lower front offering table directly before the altar. Place the filled rice bowls closest to the altar, the boiling soup and savory dishes toward the front, and lay new chopsticks horizontally across the top of each rice bowl (or on chopstick rests beside them; never stick chopsticks vertically into the rice).

Central Sanctuary, Nine-Generation Ancestral Tablet & Printed A4 Meal ScrollInnermost honored seat on the upper altar; rest the Second-Day or Third-Day scroll on the reading stand.

Pair of Warm Altar Lamps or Bronze Candlesticks (Left & Right)Kindled at both rear corners whenever the household presents a meal to the Forebears.

Deity and Ancestral Incense Bowls (Light 3 Fragrant Incense Sticks)Keep the incense bowls warm with 3 fresh sticks at each meal offering.

Fresh Peach, Apricot or Chrysanthemum Vase (East Vase, Officiant Right)Positioned on the right side from the officiant's view, replenished with clean water each morning.

Festive Five-Fruit Platter & Candied Tet Sweets (West Fruit, Officiant Left)Positioned on the left side from the officiant's view, remaining abundant across the three days of Tet.

Row of 3 or 5 Cups of Steaming Tea, Pure Water, Rice Wine & Betel-ArecaCups rinsed clean and filled with freshly brewed hot tea and clear water before lighting incense.

2nd & 3rd Day Hot Tet Meal Tray on the Lower Front Offering TableFeatures 3 or 5 bowls of steaming rice with horizontal chopsticks, boiling bamboo-shoot or bitter-melon soup, sliced banh chung, chicken, pork roll and pickled scallions.

Real-world reference photographs of traditional altars and offering trays

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

Indoor Lunar New Year ancestral meal before the altar. Festive ancestral meal set before the indoor altar with three lit incense sticks, yellow chrysanthemums, three tea cups, betel-areca, savory dishes and neatly filled rice bowls with chopsticks. — **Indoor Lunar New Year ancestral meal before the altar.** Festive ancestral meal set before the indoor altar with three lit incense sticks, yellow chrysanthemums, three tea cups, betel-areca, savory dishes and neatly filled rice bowls with chopsticks.
Photograph: Phuong Huy · License: Public domain · Source: Wikimedia Commons

Traditional Year-End Reunion (Tat Nien) offering meal. Savory year-end ancestral feast featuring peeled square sticky-rice cake (banh chung), fried spring rolls, pork roll, steamed sticky rice, hot soup, betel-areca and five ceremonial wine cups. — **Traditional Year-End Reunion (Tat Nien) offering meal.** Savory year-end ancestral feast featuring peeled square sticky-rice cake (banh chung), fried spring rolls, pork roll, steamed sticky rice, hot soup, betel-areca and five ceremonial wine cups.
Photograph: Phuong Huy · License: Public domain · Source: Wikimedia Commons

Step-by-step ceremonial sequence before the altar

Presenting the daily ancestral meal on the Second and Third Days of Tet (the classical Tien Phan hospitality rite) follows seven warm, orderly steps:

Step 1
Choose a morning or midday hour (ideally 07:00 to 11:30) before family outings
Because families traditionally visit maternal relatives on the Second Day and teachers on the Third Day, prepare and offer the ancestral meal in the morning or early midday before the household dines and departs.
Step 2
Refresh flower-vase water, rinse libation cups and brew a fresh pot of morning tea
Each morning, open the worship room windows briefly for fresh air, top up clean water in the flower vases, empty yesterday's water cups, and pour fresh water and steaming tea.
Step 3
Cook fresh rice, bring soup to a boil and arrange hot dishes on the front offering table
Never place cold dishes straight from the refrigerator onto the altar. Steam fresh rice, bring soup to a rolling boil, slice fresh sticky-rice cake, and lay new chopsticks horizontally across the 3 or 5 rice bowls.
Step 4
Kindle the altar lamps and light 3 sticks of fragrant incense
Dress neatly in festive attire, switch on or light both altar lamps, and place 3 lit incense sticks into the incense bowl to invite the Deities and Forebears to the table.
Step 5
Recite the Second-Day or Third-Day Ancestral Meal Prayer aloud
Join palms, bow three times, and read Variant 1 (on the Second Day of Tet), Variant 2 (on the Third Day of Tet) or Variant 3 (concise daily meal edition) with warm filial reverence.
Step 6
Maintain a quiet, respectful atmosphere while the incense burns
Allow 20 to 30 minutes of calm while the incense burns down; halfway through, you may pour a second warm round of tea into the cups.
Step 7
Bow three times and lower the meal tray (do not burn votive gold yet if not holding the Farewell Rite)
Crucial rule: after ordinary daily meal offerings on the Second Day (and Third-Day morning if the Farewell Rite is held later), simply bow three times and lower the meal tray for the family dining table; keep the gold votive offerings on the altar until the actual Ancestral Farewell Rite (Le Hoa Vang).

IVMeaning of the Daily Tet Meal Offering (Tien Phan) and the Proverb: First Day Father, Second Day Mother, Third Day Teacher

In the sacred architecture of the Vietnamese Lunar New Year (Tet Nguyen Dan), every household ceremony from the final afternoon of the old year through the third or fourth day of spring forms a single unbroken narrative of hospitality: the afternoon Year-End Reunion Feast (Tat Nien) welcomes the Ancestors home; New Year's Eve and First Morning celebrate cosmic renewal; the Second and Third Days of Tet are the cherished days when the Forebears dwell beneath the family roof; and the Farewell Votive Rite (Hoa Vang) sees them off to the ancestral realm. Serving steaming meals on the Second and Third Days is therefore the heart of living filial piety.

Classical ritual manuals such as Tho Mai Gia Le call the daily presentation of hot meals to visiting Ancestors during Tet the rite of Tien Phan, rooted in the ethical principle of serving the departed just as one serves the living. When beloved grandparents travel from afar to stay in a child's home for several days, the household naturally brews hot tea each morning and sets out freshly cooked rice and soup at mealtime before younger members eat. Viewed in this light, the Second-Day and Third-Day meal offerings are not rigid obligations, but warm family meals shared across generations.

According to the tradition

Each of the first three days of spring is guided by the beloved Vietnamese folk proverb: First Day of Tet for the Father, Second Day of Tet for the Mother, Third Day of Tet for the Teacher (Mong Mot Tet Cha, Mong Hai Tet Me, Mong Ba Tet Thay). On the First Day, descendants gather at the paternal ancestral hall. On the Second Day of Tet, after presenting the morning meal at their own altar (using Variant 1) and asking leave of the paternal ancestors, husbands, wives and children travel joyfully with gifts to the wife's parents' home to venerate the maternal ancestors and share a festive reunion banquet. On the Third Day of Tet, after the morning ancestral meal (using Variant 2), students and former pupils visit their teachers and mentors to express gratitude for the gift of learning and moral guidance.

According to the historical record

According to the astronomical lunar calendar for Tet Nguyen Dan Dinh Mui 2027: the Second Day of Tet falls on Sunday, February 07, 2027 (Dinh Ty Day, Nham Dan Month, Dinh Mui Year), an Auspicious Bao Quang Day highly favorable for ancestral offerings and visiting the maternal family; optimal morning hours for the meal offering and departure are Chen (07:00 to 09:00), Si (09:00 to 11:00) and Wu (11:00 to 13:00), with the Joy Spirit in the South and Wealth Spirit in the East. The Third Day of Tet falls on Monday, February 08, 2027 (Mau Ngo Day), with prime Auspicious Hours at Mao (05:00 to 07:00), Wu (11:00 to 13:00) and Shen (15:00 to 17:00).

VKey Ritual Etiquette and How Modern Families Schedule Second-Day and Third-Day Offerings

To balance classical reverence with busy holiday travel schedules, review the core ritual terms and practical scheduling rules in the table below.

Explanation of 8 core customs and practical rules for the Second and Third Day of Tet Ancestral Meal Offerings.
Custom or Rule	Meaning in Household Liturgy	Standard Modern Practice
Tien Phan (Daily Meal Offering)	Serving hot rice, soup and tea to Ancestors residing at the home altar during Tet.	Present one thorough, freshly cooked main meal each morning or midday before family outings.
Serving Departed as Living	Honoring Forebears with the same warmth and attentiveness given to living elders.	Always reheat soup to a boil and steam fresh rice; never place cold refrigerated platters on the altar.
Second Day Maternal Visit	Traditional day for daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren to celebrate Tet at the mother's family home.	Offer the morning meal at home first (Variant 1), ask leave to travel, and spend the day with maternal kin.
Third Day Teachers' Tribute	Day dedicated to visiting and thanking teachers, professors and craft masters.	Offer the morning meal at home (Variant 2), praying for scholarly wisdom and moral uprightness.
Horizontal Chopstick Placement	Proper way to set chopsticks for Ancestors at the domestic altar.	Lay new chopsticks horizontally across the rim of each rice bowl or on a rest; never stick them upright.
Retaining Altar Votive Gold	Keeping the main Tet fruit tray, whole banh chung pair and paper gold on the upper altar.	Leave votive gold undisturbed on the Second Day; only lower the cooked meal tray after incense finishes.
Transitioning to Farewell (Hoa Vang)	Concluding the Ancestors' holiday stay with a thanksgiving feast and votive burning.	Held either on the afternoon of the Third Day or on the Fourth or Fifth Day of Tet.
Refreshing the Menu	Adding lighter soups, fresh greens or vegetarian dishes on the Second and Third Days.	Balances heavy First-Day meats with clear bamboo-shoot soup, glass noodles or lotus-seed dishes.

VIRegional Culinary Traditions Across Vietnam and Five Essential Taboos to Avoid

Across Northern, Central and Southern Vietnam, households refresh the Second-Day and Third-Day offering trays with distinctive regional specialties.

Northern Vietnam: Fragrant Jasmine Rice, Crisp Spring Rolls & Glass-Noodle Soup

Northern households freshly slice square banh chung with bamboo twine, pan-fry crisp nem spring rolls until golden, and ladle steaming bowls of dried bamboo-shoot and pork-trotter soup or chicken glass-noodle soup accompanied by pickled scallions.

Central Vietnam: Cylindrical Banh Tet, Fish-Sauce Pork & Lotus-Seed Soup

In Hue and Central provinces, families arrange rounds of cylindrical banh tet alongside beef pork roll, translucent pork belly cured in aromatic fish sauce, crisp pickled papaya-carrot radish, and delicate mushroom and lotus-seed soup.

Southern Vietnam: Coconut-Braised Pork & Stuffed Bitter-Melon Soup

In the South, caramelized pork belly braised with duck eggs in coconut water and bitter-melon soup become even richer by the Second and Third Days; families ladle fresh portions into clean bowls, steam a pot of new rice, and serve pickled shallots with dried shrimp.

Families Traveling All Day: Morning Hot Meal & Evening Tea Protocol

If your family will be away visiting maternal relatives from morning until night on the Second Day, cook and offer the hot meal early in the morning before leaving (Variant 1), extinguish all candles safely, and offer 3 incense sticks with hot tea upon returning home.

A common misunderstanding

Five essential taboos to avoid when offering ancestral meals on the Second and Third Days of Tet:

First, never place half-eaten leftover plates or cold food straight from the refrigerator onto the altar. Every dish presented to the Ancestors must be portioned cleanly into fresh bowls before anyone dines and heated until steaming warm.

Second, never stick chopsticks vertically upright into the center of a rice bowl. Upright chopsticks resemble incense sticks offered to the newly deceased during funeral rites or outdoor wandering spirits. Always lay chopsticks horizontally across the top of the rice bowl or on a porcelain rest beside the bowl.

Third, do not leave wilted flowers or empty, dusty water cups on the altar across the three days of Tet. Each morning before offering the meal, check the flower vases and replace the water and tea in the libation cups.

Fourth, never taste food directly from the offering ladle or serving plate before the ceremony. Preserve the untouched purity of the first portions dedicated to the Deities and Forebears.

Fifth, avoid loud arguments, harsh words or scolding in front of the altar while the Ancestors are in residence. Warm family harmony and affectionate laughter are the highest tribute descendants can offer their Forebears during the spring festival.

?Quick Questions

How many times a day should we offer meals on the Second and Third Days of Tet?

In traditional multi-generational clan homes, families often presented two meals a day (morning and late afternoon). For modern households balancing holiday visits to maternal relatives and teachers, the standard and most practical custom is to present one thorough, freshly cooked hot meal each day (in the morning or midday) before the family eats and sets out, followed by lighting 3 incense sticks with fresh hot tea and sweet fruits in the evening.

If our whole family travels early on the Second Day of Tet to visit my mother's hometown, how should we handle the offering at home?

Simply rise 45 minutes earlier on the morning of the Second Day, cook a fresh pot of rice, heat the soup and festive dishes until steaming, arrange them on the altar, light 3 incense sticks, and recite Variant 1 (Second Day of Tet Ancestral Meal Scroll), which explicitly asks the Ancestors' permission for the family to travel and celebrate Tet with the maternal lineage. Once two-thirds of the incense burns down, bow three times, lower the meal tray, check that all open flames are extinguished, and depart with peace of mind.

Do we burn paper gold and votive offerings after the Second-Day meal?

No, do not burn the main altar votive offerings after ordinary Second-Day or Third-Day morning meals. All gold and silver votive ingots and paper vestments placed on the altar on New Year's Eve remain enthroned while the Ancestors stay with the family. You only burn the votive offerings and farewell scroll during the formal Post-New-Year Ancestral Farewell Rite (Le Hoa Vang), which is held at the very end of the holiday (typically on the afternoon of the Third Day, or on the Fourth or Fifth Day of Tet).

If our family performs the Ancestral Farewell Rite (Le Hoa Vang) at midday on the Third Day of Tet, which scroll should we read?

If your household combines the Third-Day midday feast with the Ancestral Farewell and Votive Offering Rite (Le Hoa Vang) to see off the Forebears on the Third Day, use the dedicated Ancestral Farewell and Votive Offering Prayer (Le Hoa Vang). If your family offers the morning meal on the Third Day first (before visiting teachers) and holds the Farewell Rite later that evening or on the Fourth or Fifth Day of Tet, recite Variant 2 on this page for the Third-Day meal.

If we offered a vegetarian meal on the First Morning of Tet, should we offer vegetarian or savory meals on the Second and Third Days?

Either choice is completely respectful. Many Vietnamese households observe a pure vegetarian offering on the First Morning of Tet to cultivate compassion at the dawn of the year, and then serve traditional savory Tet feasts on the Second and Third Days and during the Farewell Rite so the extended family can share traditional festive dishes. Purely Buddhist households may happily offer vegetarian meals across all three days using Variant 3.

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 (Tien Phan three-day spring hospitality canons), Viet Nam Phong Tuc (Phan Ke Binh), and UK Master Academy household ritual standards.

Second and Third Day of Tet Ancestral Meal Prayer: Presenting Warm Spring Feasts to Visiting Forebears

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

Second and Third Day of Tet Ancestral Meal Prayer: Presenting Warm Spring Feasts to Visiting Forebears

IICeremonial Offerings and Preparation Checklist

Group 1: Fragrant Incense, Warm Lamps, Fresh Blossoms & Morning Tea on the Upper Altar

Group 2: Steaming Ancestral Meal Tray for the 2nd & 3rd Days of Tet

Group 3: Vegetarian Spring Meal Option & Afternoon Sweet Tray

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

IVMeaning of the Daily Tet Meal Offering (Tien Phan) and the Proverb: First Day Father, Second Day Mother, Third Day Teacher

VKey Ritual Etiquette and How Modern Families Schedule Second-Day and Third-Day Offerings

VIRegional Culinary Traditions Across Vietnam and Five Essential Taboos to Avoid

?Quick Questions

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