The Kitchen Gods Farewell Ritual kicks off the Vietnamese Lunar New Year celebrations with a touching love story that has been passed down through the ages.
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| The Kitchen Gods Farewell Ritual, an ancient Vietnamese custom with a poignant love story at its heart. Photo: Le Thu Huyen |
This annual tradition, held on the 22nd of January this year, is steeped in folklore, with the most popular tale involving the Tao Quan or Kitchen Gods.
In Vietnamese culture, it is believed that the Land Genie presides over the household and its land, while the Kitchen Gods, represented by a woman and her two husbands, are tasked with overseeing the kitchen and the family’s happiness and well-being.
The legend goes that Trong Cao and Thi Nhi, a married couple, struggled with childlessness, which led to frequent quarrels. After one heated argument, Thi Nhi left home and, in time, married Pham Lang.
Trong Cao, realizing his mistake, spent months searching for his wife. He eventually found her in Pham Lang’s kitchen, and to avoid confrontation, Thi Nhi hid her ex-husband in a pile of straw. Fate, however, had other plans, and Pham Lang, unaware of the situation, lit a fire to cook, inadvertently burning Trong Cao to death.
Grief-stricken, Thi Nhi jumped into the fire to join her former husband. Overwhelmed with remorse, Pham Lang also took his own life, consumed by the flames alongside the tragic couple.
Their story moved the Jade Emperor, who immortalized them as gods, assigning them the duty of watching over the kitchens of every household. Thus, they became enduring symbols of harmony, reunion, and familial love.
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| Golden carps, an essential offering in the Kitchen Gods worship ritual. Photo: Thuy Linh |
On the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month, the Kitchen Gods are said to ride carp into the sky to report to the Jade Emperor on the year’s happenings in the households they oversee.
This date holds symbolic significance in Vietnamese culture. According to the philosophy of the Five Elements, the 23rd is considered an auspicious odd day. Additionally, the number 23 adds up to five (2 + 3 = 5), and five is a sacred number symbolizing fortune and playing a pivotal role in the universe’s structure.
Cultural researcher Nguyen Ngoc Tho emphasizes that this tradition’s essence lies in its focus on virtue and the spirit of goodness within the family.
He explains, “The worship of the Kitchen Gods is not merely a tribute to the past but also embodies our hopes for a prosperous and joyful New Year. It is a way to reaffirm the family’s sincere and positive intentions for the future.”
With these sentiments, the tradition of worshipping and sending off the Kitchen Gods to heaven has endured in modern times, paving the way for the vibrant Tet celebrations that follow.
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| A meticulously prepared offering tray for the Kitchen Gods. |
The Offering Tray
As the Land and Kitchen Gods embark on their annual journey to Heaven, Vietnamese families diligently prepare ritual offerings as a gesture of gratitude. These offerings are believed to convey the families’ hopes that the deities will share their positive qualities with the Jade Emperor, seeking blessings for a peaceful and prosperous year ahead.
Each family has its unique way of preparing these offerings, but some common items include joss sticks, flowers, fruit, betel and areca nuts, glutinous rice, chicken, pork paste, spring rolls, and bamboo shoot soup. Essential to the ritual are votive paper items, such as shoes, robes, and mandarin bonnets, along with either paper or live carps that symbolize the Kitchen Gods’ celestial ride.
In Northern Vietnam, families often include three live carp or goldfish in a small bowl placed on the altar next to the offering tray. While the dragon was a symbol reserved for royalty, commoners adopted the carp, reflecting the popular aspiration “Carp turns into Dragon,” signifying the pursuit of knowledge, success, and spiritual elevation.
This custom is more than just a ritual; it is a prayer for families to unite and support each other through the challenges of the coming year, always keeping their hopes for success and happiness alive.
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| Vietnamese families perform the solemn and respectful ritual of prayer to the Kitchen Gods. |
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