Prepare the offering tray according to the instructions of the culinary artist

Burning votive paper, also known as a thanksgiving ceremony, is a form of material offering to the gods according to folklore. Because real money cannot be burned, people have to resort to using votive paper money with round or square shapes that resemble money.

The burning of votive papers usually takes place on the 3rd to 10th day of the lunar calendar. However, many families, due to their circumstances, can burn votive papers from the 2nd day of Tet.

Offering tray for burning votive paper. Illustration photo

According to artist Anh Tuyet, depending on economic conditions or customs, each family prepares a different offering tray, meaning that the ceremony depends on their financial ability, the key is sincerity.

The basic offering tray also has "gio - nem - ninh - moc" along with green banh chung, boiled chicken, sticky rice and fruit.

In the offering tray, the chicken must be a big, round, sturdy rooster with beautiful legs and carefully arranged. This is an indispensable sacrificial object in traditional rituals on the offering tray. Next is the square sticky rice cake, symbolizing the squareness of heaven and earth.

Banh chung is served with pickled onions. The ancients have a saying: “Fatty meat, pickled onions, red parallel sentences/ Pole, firecrackers, green banh chung”. Vietnamese cuisine always values ​​harmony and balance in flavor, so along with the richness and richness of banh chung, fatty meat… there must be a dish of cool, sour and spicy pickled onions.

In addition, housewives can be creative and make spring rolls, salads, and rolls such as pho rolls, shredded chicken salad, seafood salad, etc. These dishes are refreshing, easy to eat, and balance the amount of protein from fatty meat and banh chung.

If you are meticulous and careful, you can also prepare carp cooked with rice wine. According to folk beliefs, carp is a fish that can pass through the Dragon Gate and become a dragon. Therefore, offering carp at the beginning of the year will bring good luck and prosperity to the homeowner.

Artist Anh Tuyet also noted that when preparing a feast, it is necessary to pay attention to the number of people eating and the tastes of everyone in the family to determine the appropriate amount of food to avoid waste.

Ghost money and votive paper must also be carefully prepared so that the ancestors have the luggage and travel expenses to set off.

Offerings in the New Year thanksgiving ceremony include:

- Incense, flowers, five fruits

- Betel and areca nuts, wine, candles, candy

- A full and pure tray of salty or vegetarian offerings with Tet dishes.

According to Vietnamnet