Vietnamese Kitchen Gods Prayer (23rd of 12th Month): Print A4 Scroll

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2. Officiant and Household Details (Live Scroll Personalization)

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Liturgical pronoun

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

The complete and most widely practiced liturgy for households venerating both the Household Earth Deity (Ong Cong) and the Kitchen Gods (Ong Tao) at the main family altar, invoking all three tutelary titles and inviting ancestral witness.

HALL OF MYRIAD PATHS · TRADITIONAL RITUAL SCROLL

Kitchen Gods Farewell Prayer on the 23rd of the Twelfth Lunar Month: Scroll, Altar Layout and Lore

Classical Full Household Deities Edition (Earth Deity & Kitchen Gods)

Nam mo A Di Da Phat! (Recite 3 times, with 3 bows)

Reverently bowing to the Nine Directions of Heaven, the Ten Directions of all Buddhas, and all Buddhas throughout the Ten Directions.

Reverently bowing to Dong Tru Tu Menh Tao Phu Than Quan (Sovereign Deity of the Eastern Hearth and Arbiter of Household Destiny). Reverently bowing to Ban Gia Tho Dia Long Mach Ton Than (Venerable Tutelary Spirit of the Household Earth and Dragon Veins). Reverently bowing to Ngu Phuong Ngu Tho Phuc Duc Chinh Than (Righteous Spirits of the Five Directions, Five Soils and Auspicious Virtue).

………… ………………………………, residing at: ………….

Today, on ……………………, as the four seasons of the departing ………… Year draw to a close and the new ………… Spring approaches, ………… sincerely prepare fragrant incense, fresh flowers, pure tea, seasonal fruit, and ceremonial robes, caps and boots before Your sacred seat.

Lighting these sticks of heartfelt incense, ………… bow in deep reverence and humbly invite Dong Tru Tu Menh Tao Phu Than Quan, Ban Gia Tho Dia Long Mach Ton Than, and Ngu Phuong Ngu Tho Phuc Duc Chinh Than to descend before this altar, witness our sincerity and accept these offerings.

By ancient annual custom, today the Kitchen Deities ascend to the Celestial Court to report the merits and shortcomings of the mortal household over the past twelve months. Mercifully grant grace and pardon any unintentional transgressions, hasty words or lapses in domestic mindfulness committed within this home during the past year.

May the Venerable Deities present an auspicious report before the Jade Throne and bestow abundant blessings, safeguarding every elder and child of our household with robust health, domestic warmth, harmonious speech and upright prosperity throughout the coming year.

On this year-end farewell occasion, ………… also respectfully invite all departed forebears, High and Great-Grandparents, uncles, aunts and kindred spirits of ………… to bear witness and bless their descendants with peace as the New Year nears.

With modest offerings yet wholehearted devotion, ………… bow before the altar and pray for Your compassionate protection.

Nam mo A Di Da Phat! (Recite 3 times, with 3 bows to conclude)

IICeremonial Offerings and Preparation Checklist

The Kitchen Gods ceremony prizes clean water, fresh blossoms and honest self-reflection far above lavish display. Depending on regional heritage, families prepare either a classic savory tray or a pure vegetarian offering of sticky rice and sweet soup, avoiding oversized paper effigies that waste resources.

IIIAltar Arrangement Diagram and Step-by-Step Protocol

The classical East-Vase West-Fruit rule (Dong Binh Tay Qua) is oriented from the Deity Seat looking outward: the Deity's left (your right hand when standing before the altar) corresponds to the East and holds the flower vase; the Deity's right (your left hand) corresponds to the West and holds the fruit plate.

1

Three Kitchen Deity Robe, Cap and Boot Sets (2 Male, 1 Female)Placed respectfully at the innermost rear row of the altar, with the two dragonfly-wing male caps flanking the central female cap; offered to flame after the incense finishes.

2

Pair of Altar Lamps or CandlesticksPositioned symmetrically at the left and right edges of the altar, lit prior to offering incense to awaken warm Yang energy.

3

Central Tutelary Deity Incense BowlAnchored squarely at the center of the altar; light 3 or 5 fragrant incense sticks and place them upright.

4

Fresh Flower Vase on the East Side (Viewer's Right)Freshly cut blossoms arranged on the petitioner's right-hand side to welcome vernal vitality from the East.

5

Five-Fruit Plate & Betel-Areca on the West Side (Viewer's Left)Washed, dried seasonal fruits and betel leaf placed on the petitioner's left-hand side symbolizing ripened fruition.

6

Three Cups of Fragrant Tea & Three Cups of Pure WaterAligned neatly in front of the incense bowl, filled with freshly boiled tea and clear water.

7

Traditional Savory Feast Tray or Vegetarian Sweet Sticky Rice & SoupSet at the front of the altar or upon a dedicated lower offering table positioned directly before the main shrine.

8

Clean Porcelain or Glass Bowl Holding Three Live Red CarpPlaced beside the offering tray in cool, oxygenated tap or well water (never leave live fish tied inside plastic market bags).

Step-by-step ceremonial sequence before the altar

Before approaching the altar, bathe, dress in neat modest attire, and cultivate a calm, unhurried atmosphere throughout the house.

Step 1
Gently dust the altar surface and prepare fresh offerings
Wipe the outer altar table with a dedicated clean damp cloth, rinse and dry fruits thoroughly, and transfer live carp gently into a clean bowl of cool water.
Step 2
Arrange offerings following the East-Vase West-Fruit rule
Place the three ceremonial cap sets at the rear, flower vase on your right, fruit plate on your left, tea and water cups before the incense bowl, and food tray on the front table.
Step 3
Light the pair of altar lamps and offer heartfelt incense
Kindle both lamps first, light 3 sticks of fragrant incense, raise them level with your brow in three respectful bows, and set them upright in the Deity incense bowl.
Step 4
Recite the Kitchen Gods Farewell Prayer with composure
Join your palms before your chest and read the personalized scroll clearly at an unhurried pace, reflecting sincerely on domestic harmony over the past year.
Step 5
Replenish warm tea and offer closing bows
Once two-thirds of the incense sticks have burned down, pour a fresh round of warm tea and bow three times to bid farewell as the Deities depart.
Step 6
Burn the symbolic paper regalia safely in a brazier
Carry the paper cap-and-robe set to a well-ventilated outdoor brazier away from flammable objects, let the flame subside completely, and sprinkle a few drops of clean water.
Step 7
Release the live carp gently at the water's edge
Bring the carp to a clean river, pond or lake, crouch down to the water surface, tilt the bowl slowly so the fish swim away unharmed, and carry any container home for proper disposal.

IVHistorical Origins and the Dual Heritage of Ong Cong Ong Tao

According to the tradition

The beloved Vietnamese name Ong Cong Ong Tao weaves together two foundational guardians of the traditional home: Ong Cong refers to Tho Cong, the Household Earth Deity who governs the residential plot (celebrated in the proverb Every land has its Earth Deity, every river its Water God), while Ong Tao refers to Dinh Phuc Tao Quan, the triad of Hearth Deities presiding over the kitchen fire and family sustenance. Unlike the solitary male Kitchen God depicted in northern East Asian prints, Vietnamese folk tradition (systematically recorded by folklorist Nguyen Dong Chi in his Treasury of Vietnamese Folktales under The Legend of the Three Clay Trivet Stones) venerates a poignant trio of two gentlemen and one lady: Trong Cao, Thi Nhi and Pham Lang.

According to this indigenous narrative, Trong Cao and his wife Thi Nhi suffered years of childlessness and quarrels until Trong Cao drove her away in a fit of anger. Drifting to a distant village, Thi Nhi eventually married Pham Lang, a kind-hearted farmer. Overcome by remorse, Trong Cao abandoned his estate to search for her until he was reduced to begging. One day he begged unknowingly at Thi Nhi's gate while Pham Lang was in the fields; recognizing her former husband, she welcomed him inside for a warm meal. When Pham Lang returned unexpectedly, Thi Nhi hid Trong Cao beneath a haystack behind the garden to prevent false suspicion. That evening Pham Lang set fire to the haystack to gather ash for his rice paddies. Trong Cao chose to perish silently in the flames rather than step out and tarnish Thi Nhi's honor; seeing this, Thi Nhi leaped into the blaze out of faithfulness, and grief-stricken Pham Lang plunged in beside his wife. Moved by their moral integrity, remorse and devotion, the Jade Emperor appointed all three together as Dinh Phuc Tao Quan, embodied forever in the three clay trivet stones (ba ong dau rau) supporting every family rice pot: Pham Lang as Tho Cong overseeing the kitchen hearth (Dong Tru Tu Menh), Trong Cao as Tho Dia overseeing the house and land (Tho Dia Long Mach), and Thi Nhi as Tho Ky overseeing markets, provisions and garden fertility (Ngu Phuong Ngu Tho). Honoring a female deity alongside two male deities at the heart of the kitchen reflects the revered stature of Vietnamese women as keepers of household warmth and sustenance.

According to the historical record

Alongside this Vietnamese narrative stands a second historical layer documented across classical East Asian texts: the Hearth Deity as an ethical witness who ascends to Heaven at year's end. In the ancient Book of Rites (Li Ji, chapters Monthly Ordinances and Law of Sacrifices), hearth offerings belonged to the Five Household Sacrifices originally observed in summer, the season of Fire. Later, the Book of the Later Han (biography of Yin Shi) recorded how the filial scholar Yin Zifang beheld the Hearth Spirit on a Twelfth-Month winter morning and offered sacrifice, inaugurating the custom of honoring the Kitchen Deity during the final lunar month.

In the fourth century, scholar and Taoist alchemist Ge Hong (283 to 343 CE) wrote in chapter 6 of the Baopuzi (Master Who Embraces Simplicity) that on the final night of every lunar month the Hearth Spirit ascends to Heaven to report the household's conduct. By the Song dynasty, this ethical framework entered the Treatise of the Exalted One on Response and Retribution (Thai Thuong Cam Ung Thien, verse 6 and verses 59 to 61, which admonish against stepping over the stove or weeping and cursing before the cooking fire), while poet Fan Chengda's Ode to the Hearth Sacrifice attested the grand Twelfth-Month send-off. Adapting this rite through Han-Nom liturgical manuals, Phan Ke Binh's Vietnamese Customs (Viet Nam Phong Tuc, 1915) and modern Romanized Vietnamese (quoc ngu) prayer books, Vietnam unified the ceremony onto the 23rd day of the Twelfth Lunar Month for all households alike, discarding the northern custom of smearing malt sugar to seal the deity's lips in favor of candid moral reflection (xin gia an xa toi) and the noble emblem of live carp leaping the Dragon Gate.

Viewed through household ethics, the 23rd of the Twelfth Month serves as an annual mirror of domestic conscience. Behind closed doors, the kitchen and dining table witness human character without disguise: an impatient word spoken in fatigue, wasted grain, or quiet kindness between spouses and generations. Gathering before the altar to ask pardon for past shortcomings transforms a folk rite into a gentle ethical reset before sweeping the house and cleansing the ancestral shrine for Tet.

For the Binh Ngo Year (2026) transitioning toward Dinh Mui (2027), the 23rd day of the Twelfth Lunar Month falls on Saturday, January 30, 2027, which is a Ky Dau Day in the Tan Suu Month under the Success Officer (Thanh), with Joy Spirit in the Northeast and Wealth Spirit in the North. On this Ky Dau Day, the finest Auspicious Hours prior to noon are the Hour of Dan (03:00 to 05:00), the Hour of Mao (05:00 to 07:00) and the first half of the Hour of Ngo (11:00 to 12:00 noon). Families whose work schedules require an early send-off on Friday, the 22nd of the Twelfth Month (January 29, 2027, Mau Than Day, Danger Officer Nguy) may select the auspicious Hour of Thin (07:00 to 09:00) or Hour of Ti (09:00 to 11:00).

VGlossary of Classical Titles and Liturgical Terms in the Prayer

Clear explanations of ten classical Sino-Vietnamese titles and liturgical expressions so petitioners understand every phrase recited before the altar
Liturgical Term in Scroll	Meaning Within Vietnamese Household Rite
Nam mo A Di Da Phat	Homage to Amitabha Buddha of Infinite Light and Life, recited three times at opening and closing through Vietnam's centuries-old harmony of the Three Teachings to quiet body, speech and mind.
Nine Directions of Heaven, Ten Directions of Buddhas	The Nine Heavens encompass the eight compass points converging at the Center; the Ten Directions add Zenith and Nadir, situating the family home within the sacred cosmos.
Dong Tru Tu Menh Tao Phu Than Quan	Formal title of the Kitchen Deity: Dong Tru means Eastern Kitchen (Wood in the East nourishing Fire in classical architecture); Tu Menh means Arbiter of Life and Destiny; Tao Phu Than Quan means Sovereign Lord of the Hearth Court.
Ban Gia Tho Dia Long Mach Ton Than	Venerable Spirit governing the residential soil (Tho Dia) and subtle telluric energy veins (Long Mach) beneath the home, corresponding to Ong Cong.
Ngu Phuong Ngu Tho Phuc Duc Chinh Than	Righteous Spirits of the Five Directions and Five Elemental Soils who bestow blessings in direct proportion to the moral virtue (phuc duc) cultivated by the residents.
Twelfth Lunar Month (Thang Chap or Lap Nguyet)	Traditional Vietnamese name derived historically from the ancient winter La sacrifice thanking all deities and ancestors at the close of the agricultural year.
Huong hoa pham luat (Proper Offerings)	Fragrant incense, fresh blossoms and pure food offerings prepared in accordance with dignified ritual decorum and cleanliness.
Xiem hai ao mu (Robes, Caps & Boots)	Symbolic court regalia offered for the celestial audience: two male caps adorned with upturned dragonfly wings (mu canh chuon) and one wingless female cap.
Gia an xa toi (Grant Grace & Pardon)	A distinctive year-end plea asking clemency for domestic quarrels, carelessness or wastefulness over the past year, encouraging sincere self-correction before New Year.
Le bac tam thanh (Humble Gifts, Sincere Heart)	Classical four-syllable maxim affirming that spiritual merit rests entirely on moral sincerity rather than costly banquets or extravagant votive paper.

VIRegional Customs Across Vietnam and Common Misunderstandings

Northern Vietnam: Live Red Carp and Morning Send-Off Before Noon

Northern families customarily present offerings on the 22nd or the morning of the 23rd prior to 12:00 noon. Alongside three paper cap-and-robe sets (two winged male caps and one wingless female cap), a clean bowl holding one or three live red carp sits beside red gac sticky rice or sweet soup; once the incense finishes, the carp are gently released into rivers or lakes to leap the Dragon Gate.

Central Vietnam & Hue: Terracotta Hearth Trios and Stork-and-Horse Mounts

In the former imperial capital of Hue and across Central provinces, many kitchens maintain a small shelf holding three hand-molded terracotta Hearth Statues (famously crafted in Dia Linh village). On the 23rd, families install a fresh terracotta trio, carry last year's statues respectfully to the base of an ancient village banyan tree or river junction, and offer paper prints of flying storks and galloping horses (co bay ngua chay) rather than live fish.

Southern Vietnam: Evening Farewell, Sesame Brittle and Sweet Rice Balls

In Southern Vietnam, families traditionally hold the farewell rite in the evening of the 23rd (between 19:00 and 21:00), waiting until the day's final dinner has been cooked so the Kitchen Deities complete their duties uninterrupted. Signature Southern offerings include crunchy peanut-sesame brittle (keo theo leo), glutinous rice balls in ginger syrup (che troi nuoc), marigolds and stork-and-horse paper slips.

A common misunderstanding

Misunderstanding 1: Having to match paper robe colors to the Five Elements of each year. Over the past decade, viral social-media posts have claimed that families must buy white robes in Metal years, red in Fire years or blue-black in Water years. Classical Vietnamese liturgical manuals contain no such rule; traditional yellow or crimson ceremonial sets remain appropriate in every year.

Misunderstanding 2: Balancing the offering tray precariously on an induction or gas stove. Only homes with a dedicated Hearth Shrine installed in the kitchen present offerings there. In modern houses and apartments where household deities are venerated together at the central Deity incense bowl on the main family altar, the ceremony belongs respectfully at that main altar rather than beside grease-splattered burners. Turning on the stove briefly to boil fresh tea for the main altar beautifully preserves the symbolism of a warm hearth.

Misunderstanding 3: Panic if noon passes, or tossing carp from high bridges. Completing the rite before noon is a cherished Northern custom rather than a rigid dogma, as shown by millions of Southern households who devoutly perform the ceremony after supper on the 23rd. When releasing live carp, never drop fish from high bridges or throw plastic bags into waterways; walk down to the bank and tilt the bowl gently at the water surface.

?Quick Questions

What are the best dates and auspicious hours for the Kitchen Gods prayer in early 2027?

The 23rd day of the Twelfth Lunar Month in the Binh Ngo Year falls on Saturday, January 30, 2027 (a Ky Dau Day). The best Auspicious Hours before noon on that day are Dan (03:00 to 05:00), Mao (05:00 to 07:00) and the first half of Ngo (11:00 to 12:00). Households needing to perform the rite a day early on Friday, January 29, 2027 (22nd of the 12th Month, Mau Than Day) may choose Thin (07:00 to 09:00) or Ti (09:00 to 11:00).

Where should apartment residents without a separate kitchen shrine place their offerings?

In apartments and modern townhouses without a separate kitchen shrine, present all offerings and read the prayer directly before your main Household Deity and Ancestral Altar (using Variant 1 or Variant 3 above). The central Tutelary Deity incense bowl on the main altar already encompasses Dong Tru Tao Phu, Tho Dia Long Mach and Ngu Phuong Ngu Tho.

Should we prepare a savory meat feast or a vegetarian sweet offering?

Both approaches are completely authentic. Some households prepare a classic savory tray with boiled chicken, red gac sticky rice and bamboo-shoot soup in thanksgiving for a bountiful year, while Buddhist households and busy urban families offer fresh flowers, five fruits, tea, sweet rice-ball soup (che troi nuoc) and sticky rice. Sincerity and cleanliness matter far more than menu complexity.

What if I live in a city far from clean rivers or overseas where live red carp are unavailable?

Live carp are never mandatory when clean natural water is inaccessible. Releasing fish into chlorinated pools or polluted canals harms living creatures and contradicts the compassionate spirit of life release (phong sinh). Instead, simply include traditional paper carp mounts or stork-and-horse slips with the ceremonial robes, or offer pure vegetarian sweets with a charitable heart.

Can we cleanse the altar and trim incense stems immediately on the afternoon of the 23rd?

Yes. By classical custom, once the Kitchen Gods ceremony concludes and the incense has burned out, the afternoon of the 23rd (Saturday, January 30, 2027, during the auspicious Hours of Mui 13:00 to 15:00 or Dau 17:00 to 19:00) or Sunday the 24th (January 31, 2027) opens the ideal window to recite the Altar Cleansing Prayer, wipe worship vessels with warm five-herb water and trim incense stems.

May a woman or any adult family member officiate the Kitchen Gods prayer?

Yes, wholeheartedly. Vietnam's own Kitchen Gods triad honors Lady Thi Nhi alongside the two male deities, and women have historically stewarded the family hearth and daily meals. Any adult member of the household who dresses neatly and approaches the altar with sincere respect may light the incense and read the scroll on behalf of the family.

Kitchen Gods Farewell Prayer on the 23rd of the Twelfth Lunar Month: Scroll, Altar Layout and Lore

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

Kitchen Gods Farewell Prayer on the 23rd of the Twelfth Lunar Month: Scroll, Altar Layout and Lore

IICeremonial Offerings and Preparation Checklist

Group 1: Core Sacred Offerings & Ceremonial Regalia

Group 2: Celestial Steeds by Regional Custom

Group 3: Traditional Savory Feast or Pure Sweet Offering

IIIAltar Arrangement Diagram and Step-by-Step Protocol

Step-by-step ceremonial sequence before the altar

IVHistorical Origins and the Dual Heritage of Ong Cong Ong Tao

VGlossary of Classical Titles and Liturgical Terms in the Prayer

VIRegional Customs Across Vietnam and Common Misunderstandings

?Quick Questions

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