Mong Son Altar Offering Food Ceremony to Pray for National Peace and Prosperity

On the evening of February 20 (January 23), at Con Son Pagoda yard, the Organizing Committee of the 2025 Con Son - Kiep Bac Spring Festival held the Mong Son Thi Thuc Altar Ceremony.

The weather was favorable, although it took place in the middle of the week, the ceremony still attracted many visitors.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Chau (in Hanoi) said that since the beginning of the festival, this is the second time she has visited the relic site. “Every activity at the festival has its own meaning, rich in national cultural identity. The Mong Son offering ceremony in particular is even more meaningful to Buddhists like me, praying for national peace and prosperity, and for people to be well-off and happy,” Ms. Chau said.

Very early, the Organizing Committee had carefully prepared for the ceremony, setting up two altars: the main altar and the altar to offer to Buddha. On the altar there was a Buddha statue, offerings, flowers, incense, candles, etc. On both sides of the “running altar” road, there were many trays of offerings with many vegetarian dishes such as popcorn, boiled potatoes, rice paper, fruits, rice porridge, vegetarian rice, etc. to give to sentient beings attending the altar at the Buddha's door.

The ceremony took place solemnly and majestically. The monks performed the altar offering ceremony with the following rituals: circumambulating the altar, praying to Buddha, praying to Saints, praying to past Patriarchs, making hand gestures, dancing with dragons and foxes, chanting mantras, opening flowers and forming mudras, offering six offerings, inviting wandering souls, offering prayers for peace, for national prosperity, world peace, prosperity, world peace, and bountiful harvests.

Dr. Le Duy Manh, Deputy Head of the Con Son - Kiep Bac Relic Management Board, said that the Mong Son Altar Offering Ceremony at Con Son Pagoda, founded by the Third Patriarch of Truc Lam Huyen Quang, has been successfully restored since 2006. According to Buddhist beliefs, the underworld has countless homeless souls. Setting up an altar offering food is to demonstrate the sacredness of Buddhism and the spirit of compassion, joy, and forgiveness, to save sentient beings. This is a form of great charity, with the nature of national charity, taking place at the national temple.

The Mong Son Thi Thuc Altar Ceremony has long been a typical spiritual cultural feature in the Con Son - Kiep Bac Traditional Spring Festival. The restored and maintained ritual has contributed to promoting the good cultural values ​​in the intangible cultural treasure of the Con Son - Kiep Bac special national relic site, creating a festival imbued with national identity.