Things to avoid when cleaning the altar on Ong Cong Ong Tao day

The cleaning of the altar is done on December 23.

The custom of worshiping Ong Cong Ong Tao (Kitchen God) on the 23rd of December is a long-standing cultural tradition of the Vietnamese people.

In the book "Basis of Vietnamese Culture" (published in 1999), Professor Tran Ngoc Them said that Tho Cong is the god who looks after and decides the fortunes and misfortunes of the whole family. On the 23rd day of Tet, Ong Cong Ong Tao will ride a carp to fly to heaven to report on the good and bad events of the family during the year.

According to author Minh Duong in the book "Folk Rituals - Ancestor Worship Rituals", through the report of the Kitchen God, the Jade Emperor will decide on different rewards and punishments for each household. Therefore, the custom of worshiping and seeing off the Kitchen Gods at the end of the year is highly respected and carefully prepared.

Note about time

This year, the day to see off the Kitchen Gods falls on Saturday, January 14. Families will perform the Bao Sai ritual, clean the altar and worship area, and clean the entire house to welcome the new year - with the intention of welcoming fortune and praying for everything to go smoothly.

In folk tradition, cleaning the altar on this occasion must follow strict rules, ensuring that taboos are not violated.

According to feng shui expert Nguyen Song Ha (Institute for Research on Preservation of Oriental Culture and Development), people usually trim the incense sticks and clean the altar after worshiping the Kitchen Gods.

Accordingly, after the farewell ceremony (which takes place before 12 noon on December 23), when the gods have flown to heaven to report on the events of the year, families are allowed to start cleaning. This period of time is considered the most appropriate time, when moving and cleaning does not affect the worship.

The farewell ceremony can also be held earlier from December 17.

If families hold the ceremony on the 13th day of the 12th lunar month, they should leave the altar in peace afterwards. Wait until the morning of the 24th or 25th to remove the incense sticks. The ritual of removing the incense sticks should be performed during the day, avoiding moving them at night.

Don'ts

According to folklore, when performing the ritual of cleaning the altar at the end of the year, one must avoid violating taboos. If violated, it can cause trouble for the family and a difficult new year.

The person performing the cleaning must bathe, dress neatly (avoid wearing shorts, tank tops, revealing clothes), and abstain from eating smelly foods. Before performing the ceremony, the homeowner should light incense and pray sincerely to ask for permission.

According to feng shui experts, cleaning the altar should be done from top to bottom, taking care not to move the incense bowl or worship statues. If during the cleaning process, there is an incident that causes the incense bowl to be displaced, the homeowner must pray for repentance and return it to its original position.

Note, the items used to clean the altar must be a clean soft cloth, clean water, a separate basin and water mixed with five-spice powder. Use a soft cloth and clean water to clean.

When trimming the incense sticks, trim gently with one hand and hold the incense bowl in place with the other hand to avoid shifting. The incense sticks are pulled out little by little and placed on paper or a clean towel. Wipe the incense bowl and tablet with a clean, damp towel, mix with five-spice powder, spray with wine mixed with crushed ginger and wipe gently.

According to Zing