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Tenth Full Moon (Ha Nguyen) and New Rice Harvest Prayer: First-Fruits Offering of Newly Harvested Autumn Rice to Ancestors

Lower Prime Water Official Blessing · First-Fruits New Rice Rite (Le Thuong Tan) · 3D Altar & A4 Scroll Printing

Three complete liturgical scrolls for the First and Fifteenth Days of the Tenth Lunar Month: the classical household scroll offering freshly harvested rice, sticky rice and mung-bean pudding to Shennong, Earth Deities and Ancestors; the Buddhist and Water Official Calamity-Relief scroll; and a concise urban edition.

Occasion
1st or 15th Day of the Tenth Lunar Month
10th Full Moon Binh Ngo: Mon, Nov 23, 2026 (Tan Suu Day)
Auspicious timing
Mao (05-07), Si (09-11), Shen (15-17)
Best performed in the morning or at noon when fresh new rice is steamed
Altar setting
Buddhist Altar & Household Ancestral Altar
Serve the very first bowls of freshly harvested rice to Ancestors before dining
Variants & A4 scroll
3 variants · A4 Scroll
Ancestral New Rice Rite, Buddhist & Water Official Rite, and Concise Urban Text

IPersonalize Your Scroll, Select Ritual Date and Read Prayer

Tradition-Specific Sub-page of Ancestor Veneration (52 ritual prayers in this tradition)
All 81 Rites ›

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 complete traditional household scroll recited on the 1st, 10th or 15th day of the Tenth Lunar Month when presenting bowls of freshly harvested rice, new glutinous rice, mung-bean fudge pudding (che kho) and pounded rice cakes in thanksgiving to the Divine Farmer, Household Deities and Ancestors.

HALL OF MYRIAD PATHS · TRADITIONAL RITUAL SCROLL

Tenth Full Moon (Ha Nguyen) and New Rice Harvest Prayer: First-Fruits Offering of Newly Harvested Autumn Rice to Ancestors

1. Classical Deities & Ancestors Scroll for the New Rice Harvest (Le Com Moi) and Tenth Full Moon (Tet Ha Nguyen)

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 Lower Prime Water Official Great Emperor who Relieves Calamities (Ha Nguyen Thuy Quan Dai De), the Divine Farmer Sovereign of the Five Grains (Than Nong), and 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, the Deities of the Five Directions, Five Lands and Dragon Veins, and all Guardian Spirits of this locality.

Humbly bowing before our High Ancestors, Paternal and Maternal Grandparents, Uncles, Aunts, Brothers, Sisters and all departed spirits of the ………… lineages.

Today is ……………………, during the Tenth Lunar Month of abundant harvest, as our household observes the First-Fruits New Rice Rite and the Lower Prime Full Moon Festival.

………… ………………………………, residing at: ………….

Reflecting that every golden grain of rice is born of nine drops of honest sweat, sheltered by the timely rain and sunshine of Heaven and Earth, blessed by the Divine Farmer and Earth Guardians, and rooted in the enduring merit of our Ancestors who cleared the fields and established our family heritage, ………… give heartfelt thanks for the fruits of labor gathered across the spring, summer and autumn seasons.

Upholding the filial rule that descendants never taste the first harvest before honoring their forebears, ………… have rinsed the purest newly harvested grain, steamed fragrant bowls of fresh white rice from the heart of the pot, prepared glutinous sticky rice, golden mung-bean pudding and round rice cakes, and arranged fresh blossoms, five fruits, betel, tea and savory dishes before this altar.

We respectfully invite the Venerable Deities and the departed Ancestors of ………… to descend before this sacred table, witness our filial gratitude, and partake of the first rice of the new harvest.

May the Lower Prime Water Official and our Ancestors dissolve any lingering misfortune or obstacle in the ………… Year, blessing our entire household ………… as winter begins with robust health, a warm hearth, abundant granaries and savings, domestic harmony, and a peaceful conclusion to the year.

With modest offerings and wholehearted devotion, ………… bow before the altar and pray for your benevolent protection!

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

IICeremonial Offerings and Preparation Checklist

The heart of the Tenth Full Moon (Tet Ha Nguyen) and New Rice Harvest Rite (Le Com Moi / Tet Thuong Tan) lies in the fresh gifts of the late-autumn harvest: newly milled fragrant white rice, golden-flower glutinous rice, fresh mung beans and sugarcane molasses. Rather than costly delicacies, the essential offering is a row of full bowls of steaming white rice taken from the very top of a freshly cooked pot, accompanied by new sticky rice, mung-bean fudge pudding (che kho) and round pounded rice cakes (banh day).

Prepared 0 of 11 items

Group 1: First-Fruits Bowls of New Rice, Sticky Rice, Mung-Bean Pudding & Round Cakes

Group 2: Herbal Incense, Warm Lamps, Autumn Chrysanthemums & Five Fruits

Group 3: Savory Household Meal or Pure Vegetarian Lower-Prime Spread

Offering Photograph Credits (Wikimedia Commons · Open Licenses): 1. Three or five full bowls of freshly harvested Tenth-Month white rice: Phuong Huy (Public domain · Source) · 2. Plate of new-harvest glutinous sticky rice or crimson gac sticky rice: Phuong Huy (Public domain · Source) · 3. Golden mung-bean fudge pudding topped with toasted sesame: Phuong Huy (CC0 · Source) · 4. Pair of white pounded glutinous rice cakes (Banh Day) or warm sweet soup: Conbo (Public domain · Source) · 5. Warm sandalwood or herbal incense sticks: Trantuanviet (CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source) · 6. Pair of altar lamps or red candles: Aliva Sahoo (CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source) · 7. Vase of fresh golden chrysanthemums, red roses or white tuberose: Phuong Huy (CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source) · 8. Late-autumn Five-Fruit Platter: Rachel41Ng (CC0 · Source) · 9. Fresh betel and areca plate with lotus tea and new-rice wine: Phuong Huy (CC0 · Source) · 10. Boiled rooster with lime leaves, braised squab with lotus seeds, or pork roll: Phuong Huy (Public domain · Source) · 11. Steaming bowl of bamboo-shoot soup, lotus-root soup or vegetarian mushroom soup: Phuong Huy (Public domain · Source)

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…
The Tenth Full Moon and New Rice Altar follows the classical East-Vase West-Fruit canon. Its distinctive feature is the row of freshly steamed bowls of newly harvested white rice, golden mung-bean pudding (che kho) and new sticky rice placed prominently before the incense vessel so Ancestors partake of the harvest first.
1
Ancestral Shrine, Spirit Tablet (Cuu Huyen That To) & PortraitsWiped clean with a warm cloth beforehand to welcome the ancestors for the winter harvest thanksgiving.
2
Pair of Altar Lamps or Bronze CandlesticksKindled on the left and right to radiate warm Yang light across the sanctuary.
3
Three Incense Bowls for Deities, Ancestors & Clan AuntLight 3 herbal incense sticks honoring the Lower Prime Water Official, Divine Farmer, Household Deities and Ancestors.
4
Golden Chrysanthemum Vase (East Vase, Officiant Right)Positioned on the right side from the officiant's view, echoing the golden rice harvest.
5
Tenth-Month Five-Fruit Platter with Persimmons & Oranges (West Fruit, Officiant Left)Positioned on the left side from the officiant's view in balanced symmetry.
6
Pure Water Cups, Hot Lotus Tea, New-Harvest Rice Wine & Betel-ArecaArranged neatly in front of the central incense vessel.
7
First-Fruits Bowls of New White Rice, New Sticky Rice, Mung-Bean Pudding & Warm MealSet on the front offering table; the rice bowls must be filled from the untouched top of the freshly cooked pot.

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
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

Step-by-step ceremonial sequence before the altar

The Tenth Full Moon and New Rice Thanksgiving Rite celebrates filial gratitude and reverence for the grain that sustains life, proceeding from selecting fresh harvest rice to gifting elders.

  1. Step 1
    Select freshly harvested Tenth-Month white rice and glutinous rice

    Prior to the 1st or 15th day of the Tenth Lunar Month, acquire newly harvested, freshly milled autumn rice (such as fragrant Tam rice, ST25 or Golden-Flower glutinous rice) for the First-Fruits offering.

  2. Step 2
    Refresh the altar and cook the first pot of new rice and mung-bean pudding

    On the morning of the rite, change the altar water and arrange fresh chrysanthemums. As soon as the pot of new white rice finishes steaming, use a clean spoon to scoop the very first bowls from the center of the pot (ensuring no one tastes the rice beforehand).

  3. Step 3
    Present vegetarian new-rice offerings at the Buddhist altar first, then the Ancestral altar

    If your home has a Buddhist altar, offer a bowl of new white rice, crimson sticky rice, mung-bean pudding and fruit there first. Next, arrange the full spread of new rice bowls, sticky rice, pudding and hot dishes on the Household Deities and Ancestors altar.

  4. Step 4
    Light the lamps, pour hot tea and new wine, light 3 incense sticks and recite the Scroll

    During a morning or midday Auspicious Hour (such as the Mao or Si hour), dress neatly, light 3 incense sticks, bow three times, and read aloud Variant 1, Variant 2 or Variant 3.

  5. Step 5
    Replenish warm tea and reflect on ancestral diligence

    When the incense has burned halfway, pour a fresh round of warm tea and stand in quiet gratitude for the labor of forebears and farmers who sustain the household.

  6. Step 6
    Bow in thanksgiving, burn the scroll and present New Rice gifts to living Parents & Grandparents

    Once the incense finishes burning, bow three times, burn the A4 petition scroll safely, and uphold the cherished Vietnamese filial custom of bringing portions of new rice, sticky rice, mung-bean pudding and round cakes to living parents and grandparents.

  7. Step 7
    Blend the blessed altar rice back into the family pot and share the reunion meal

    Gently mix the offered rice bowls back into the main rice pot so every member of the household shares the blessed first grain of the season together.

IVOrigins of the Tenth Full Moon (Tet Ha Nguyen) and the First-Fruits New Rice Rite (Le Thuong Tan)

In the traditional Vietnamese liturgical calendar, the Tenth Lunar Month (the Pig Month initiating winter) unites two profound cultural streams: the East Asian Three Prime Full Moons (Tam Nguyen) cosmology and the ancient First-Fruits New Rice Thanksgiving (Le Thuong Tan / Tet Com Moi) of wet-rice civilization. As a classic Vietnamese folk verse recalls: In the Tenth Month, when the autumn harvest is gathered in, every household steams fragrant new rice to offer first to Ancestors and Deities.

Within the classical Three Primes system, the lunar year is anchored by three full-moon festivals governed by the Three Officials of Heaven, Earth and Water: Upper Prime (15th of the 1st Month) when the Heavenly Official bestows blessings; Middle Prime (15th of the 7th Month) when the Earthly Official pardons offenses during Vu Lan; and Lower Prime (15th of the 10th Month, Tet Ha Nguyen) when the Water Official Great Emperor (Thuy Quan Dai De) inspects mortal conduct and dissolves calamities before the year's end.

According to the tradition

Across the Red River Delta, Central plains and Mekong Delta, the Tenth Lunar Month also marks the completion of the Main Autumn-Winter Rice Harvest (Vu Mua), whose long-growing stalks yield the most fragrant, nutrient-rich grain of the year. From the ancient Van Lang era through the Ly, Tran, Le and Nguyen dynasties, both the imperial court (sacrificing at the Altar of the Divine Farmer and Imperial Ancestral Temple) and village households observed the Rite of Tasting the New Grain (Le Thuong Tan / Tien Tan).

According to the historical record

Historical compendia such as the Administrative Canon of Dai Nam (Kham Dinh Dai Nam Hoi Dien Su Le) and Phan Ke Binh's Customs of Vietnam (Viet Nam Phong Tuc) record that as soon as Tenth-Month paddy was sun-dried and husked, families steamed the first pot of new rice, pounded white glutinous cakes and simmered mung-bean pudding to thank the Divine Farmer, the Earth Deity and their Ancestors, making the Tenth Full Moon a beloved Vietnamese Harvest Thanksgiving.

VFilial Ethics of Offering the First Grain to Ancestors Before Dining and Gifting Living Elders

Behind the simple bowl of steaming white rice placed upon the Tenth-Month altar lies an enduring ethical philosophy of Filial Piety (Hieu) and Gratitude that shapes Vietnamese family life.

The Rule of First Fruits: Ancestors Partake Before Descendants

In traditional household etiquette, when the first new rice of the Tenth Month is cooked, the homemaker immediately scoops the topmost, purest bowls from the center of the pot to place on the ancestral altar. No member of the family tastes the new harvest before the incense offering is made.

Gratitude to Forebears Who Cleared the Land and Built Livelihoods

Every grain of rice and every professional achievement enjoyed by descendants today rests upon the sacrifices of earlier generations. Presenting the first rice reports to the ancestors that the family has worked diligently throughout the year.

Presenting New Rice, Mung-Bean Pudding & Round Cakes to Living Parents

Tenth-Month filial piety honors the living as warmly as the departed: married sons and daughters customarily bring bags of fragrant new rice, plates of golden mung-bean pudding (che kho) and round rice cakes to both paternal and maternal parents.

Teaching Urban Children Reverence for Food and Labor

For contemporary city families who buy rice at supermarkets rather than harvesting fields, observing the Tenth Full Moon New Rice Rite teaches children to respect farmers' labor, appreciate daily meals and never waste food.

VIAstronomical Dates and Auspicious Hours for the New Rice & Tenth Full Moon Rite in 2026 and 2027

Households may perform the New Rice Rite on the 1st Day of the Tenth Lunar Month, the Double-Tenth Day (10th of the 10th Month), or combine it with the main Lower Prime Festival on the 15th Full Moon Day of the Tenth Lunar Month. The table below lists the exact solar dates and Auspicious Hours for 2026 and 2027.

Auspicious dates and hours for the Tenth Lunar Month New Rice and Lower Prime (Ha Nguyen) Rite (UTC+7).
Lunar Occasion & YearSolar DateDay Stem-Branch & OfficerBest Auspicious Hours for Offering Incense
1st of 10th Month, Binh Ngo (Early-Month New Rice Offering)Monday, Nov 09, 2026Dinh Hoi Day (Roof-Top Earth) · Establish Officer (Kien).Mao (05:00-07:00), Wu (11:00-13:00), Wei (13:00-15:00).
10th of 10th Month, Binh Ngo (Double-Tenth Harvest Rite)Wednesday, Nov 18, 2026Binh Than Day (Mountain-Foot Fire) · Receive Officer (Thu) Harvest Day.Chen (07:00-09:00), Si (09:00-11:00), Wei (13:00-15:00).
14th of 10th Month, Binh Ngo (Weekend Eve Observance)Sunday, Nov 22, 2026Canh Ty Day (Wall Earth) · Remove Officer (Chu) · Convenient weekend day.Mao (05:00-07:00), Wu (11:00-13:00), Shen (15:00-17:00).
15th Full Moon of 10th Month, Binh Ngo (Main Ha Nguyen Festival)Monday, Nov 23, 2026Tan Suu Day (Wall Earth) · Full Officer (Man) · Jade Hall Golden Star.Yin (03:00-05:00), Mao (05:00-07:00), Si (09:00-11:00), Shen (15:00-17:00).
15th Full Moon of 10th Month, Dinh Mui (Main Ha Nguyen 2027)Friday, Nov 12, 2027At Mui Day (Sand Metal) · Success Officer (Cheng) · Golden Coffer Star.Mao (05:00-07:00), Si (09:00-11:00), Shen (15:00-17:00).

VIIHow to Prepare First-Fruits New Rice, Golden Mung-Bean Pudding (Che Kho) and Regional Specialties

Across Northern, Central and Southern Vietnam, families celebrate the Tenth-Month harvest with distinctive seasonal dishes that fill the home with warmth as winter begins.

Northern Vietnam: Golden Mung-Bean Fudge Pudding (Che Kho) & New Sticky Rice

In the Red River Delta, Che Kho is the hallmark of the New Rice Festival: newly harvested yellow mung beans are husked, steamed until tender, mashed smooth, and stirred slowly over low heat with rock sugar or molasses and fresh ginger until glossy, then pressed into plates and sprinkled with toasted white sesame.

Central Vietnam: New Rice, Ramie-Leaf Cakes & Water-Official Peace Prayers

Emerging from the autumn rainy season, Central Vietnamese households emphasize the Lower Prime Water Official's blessing for calm waters and safe weather, pairing bowls of fragrant new rice with sweet ramie-leaf cakes (banh it la gai) and lotus-seed soup.

Southern Vietnam: Fragrant Jasmine New Rice, Sweet Rice Balls & Temple Peace Assemblies

In the Mekong Delta, families offer newly harvested Nang Huong or ST fragrant rice alongside glutinous rice balls in ginger syrup (che troi nuoc) and crimson sticky rice, while communal houses hold Upper-Field Thanksgiving rites (Le Thuong Dien).

Highland Communities: Green Flaked Rice (Com) and Bamboo-Tube Sticky Rice

Among upland communities in the Northwest and Central Highlands, the Tenth Month marks vibrant New Rice celebrations featuring toasted green rice flakes (com), five-colored sticky rice and thanksgiving dances to the Rice Spirit.

VIIIFive Essential Guidelines for an Authentic Tenth Full Moon and New Rice Ceremony

A common misunderstanding

Five key guidelines every household should observe during the Tenth Full Moon and New Rice Rite:

First, always use freshly harvested autumn rice rather than old stored grain or reheated leftovers. The essence of the First-Fruits Rite lies in offering the newly gathered crop; purchase a fresh bag of current-season rice and steam it fresh on the morning of the ceremony.

Second, mound the rice bowls gently from the center of the pot without pressing down hard. Scoop fluffy, fragrant rice from the middle of the pot so it rises slightly above the rim as an emblem of abundance, never flattening or compacting the surface with a paddle.

Third, never stick chopsticks vertically upright into offered rice bowls. Always lay clean, new bamboo or wooden chopsticks horizontally across the rim of the bowl or upon a chopstick rest beside it.

Fourth, keep offerings on the Buddhist altar strictly vegetarian. When celebrating the Tenth Full Moon, present only pure white rice, sticky rice, mung-bean pudding, fruit and flowers at the Buddha altar; place savory dishes and rice wine exclusively on the Household Deities and Ancestors altar.

Fifth, express harvest gratitude through charitable rice sharing rather than burning votive paper. In the true spirit of the Lower Prime Water Official who relieves hardship, sharing bags of new rice with elderly neighbors or community charity kitchens multiplies household blessings far more than burning paper money.

?Quick Questions

Should the New Rice Rite (Le Com Moi) be performed on the 1st, the 10th or the 15th Full Moon of the Tenth Lunar Month?

In traditional Vietnamese practice, all three dates in the Tenth Lunar Month are auspicious for the New Rice Rite: rural villages in Northern Vietnam often hold it on the 1st Day or the Double-Tenth (10th Day), while most modern households combine the New Rice Offering with the Tenth Full Moon (Tet Ha Nguyen on the 15th Day) so they can honor the harvest and pray for year-end peace in one complete ceremony.

How should an urban family that does not farm rice perform the Tenth-Month New Rice Thanksgiving?

Even in the city, every family is nourished by the grain of the earth and the fruits of their own yearly work. Simply purchase a bag of freshly milled Tenth-Month white rice and glutinous rice, steam a fresh pot of white rice and sticky rice on the morning of the rite, add a plate of mung-bean pudding (che kho) and five seasonal fruits, and recite Variant 1 or Variant 3 on this page.

How does the Tenth Full Moon (Ha Nguyen) differ from the First Full Moon (Thuong Nguyen) and Seventh Full Moon (Trung Nguyen)?

Together they form the Three Primes (Tam Nguyen) of the lunar year: the First Full Moon (Upper Prime) honors the Heavenly Official to invite spring blessings; the Seventh Full Moon (Middle Prime / Vu Lan) honors the Earthly Official for ancestral pardon and filial piety; and the Tenth Full Moon (Lower Prime / Ha Nguyen) honors the Water Official who relieves calamities while giving thanks for the autumn rice harvest before winter.

Why are round white rice cakes (Banh Day) and golden mung-bean pudding (Che Kho) paired on the New Rice altar?

In the Tenth Lunar Month, both glutinous rice and yellow mung beans have just been harvested at peak fragrance. Round white pounded rice cakes symbolize Sovereign Heaven, while golden mung-bean pudding symbolizes Empress Earth and ripened paddy fields. Presenting them side by side with steaming new white rice embodies the harmony of Heaven, Earth and Human labor.

How many bowls of new rice should be placed on the altar, and what do we do with the rice afterward?

Households traditionally fill 3 or 5 porcelain bowls (odd Yang numbers) from the untouched center of the freshly steamed pot, laying new chopsticks horizontally across each bowl. Once the incense finishes burning and you bow in thanksgiving, blend the offered rice back into the family rice pot or serve it directly to household members so everyone shares the blessing of abundance; never discard offered altar rice.

What is the exact solar date and best time for the Tenth Full Moon (Tet Ha Nguyen) in 2026?

In the Binh Ngo Year 2026, the 15th Full Moon of the Tenth Lunar Month falls on Monday, November 23, 2026 (a Tan Suu Day governed by the auspicious Full Officer and Jade Hall Golden Star). The best Auspicious Hours to offer incense are Mao (05:00-07:00), Si (09:00-11:00) or Shen (15:00-17:00). Families busy on Monday may also hold the ceremony on Sunday, November 22, 2026 (14th of the 10th Lunar Month) during the Mao or Wu hour.

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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, Kham Dinh Dai Nam Hoi Dien Su Le (Thuong Tan First-Fruits canon), Viet Nam Phong Tuc (Phan Ke Binh), the Jade Box Almanac, and UK Master Academy household liturgy standards.