Taboos when worshiping Ong Cong Ong Tao

According to folk belief, the 23rd of December is the day to worship the Kitchen Gods so that the homeowner can express gratitude for the protection of these gods, and at the same time send the Kitchen Gods to heaven to report to the Jade Emperor about the good and bad things in the house throughout the past year.

Taboos when worshiping Ong Cong Ong Tao

Folklore reminds each other not to violate taboos when worshiping Ong Cong Ong Tao to ensure the ceremony is performed properly. Modern life has brought about some new taboos to ensure the meaning of the ceremony, such as the ritual of releasing carp after worshiping Tao Quan.

Here are some things to avoid:

Worshiping the Kitchen Gods too early

According to feng shui experts, you should not worship Ong Cong Ong Tao too early, and absolutely avoid worshiping on the full moon day of the twelfth lunar month. Families should worship from the 20th of the twelfth lunar month (ie January 30th of the solar calendar) to the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month at the earliest.

12 o'clock on the 23rd of December is the time when the Kitchen Gods fly to heaven. There is only one day each year when the Jade Emperor hears the Kitchen Gods' reports, so the Kitchen Gods must go to heaven on time to attend the court. Any Kitchen God who goes to heaven early must wait until the court session, and any Kitchen God who goes late cannot participate.

According to tradition, the homeowner should not clean, trim the incense sticks, or tidy up the worship space and altar before worshiping Ong Cong Ong Tao. This should only be done after worshiping Ong Cong Ong Tao.

Place the offering tray randomly

If the homeowner has an altar for Tao Quan in the kitchen, they can place the offering tray here, but it is still necessary to have an offering tray for Ong Cong Ong Tao on the main altar because according to folk beliefs, Ong Cong is the god of Tho Cong, who governs the land in the house and is not worshiped in the kitchen.

In addition, from a spiritual perspective, the worship must be performed in the cleanest and most solemn place in the house. The kitchen is where cooking is done, no matter how clean it is, it is still a common living space and not solemn enough.

The main altar of the family is the place to worship the gods, placing the offering tray here shows the homeowner's respect for the gods. When worshiping, the carp should be placed next to the worship area.

Offering money to the underworld

When worshiping the Kitchen Gods, the homeowner should not burn money from the underworld because doing so is completely wrong in meaning. The Kitchen Gods are gods, not the souls of the dead.

On this occasion, many families are willing to spend millions of dong to buy votive paper to burn for the Kitchen Gods, believing that if they offer a high tray of food and burn a lot of votive paper, the Kitchen Gods will bless them with many blessings and forgive their bad deeds during the year. In fact, this not only wastes money and brings no benefits, but also affects the environment.

Throwing carp from above

Releasing fish has a humane meaning, but only if it is done properly so that the fish can live and be healthy after being released. If they are not cared about their survival, exposed to a polluted environment or released in a rough manner, this ritual is meaningless and even sinful.

When releasing, you should slowly tilt the mouth of the nylon bag or fish container into the water, so that the fish can swim out on its own. Or you can place the fish in the palm of your hand and gently release it into the water. You need to do it gently but quickly. Absolutely do not stand on the edge of a bridge or high places and throw fish down, or release fish indiscriminately into dirty water sources.

In addition to taboos when worshiping Ong Cong Ong Tao, you need to note:

- The person directly performing the ritual of worshiping the Kitchen Gods must keep his body clean. When performing the ceremony, he must dress neatly, modestly, and discreetly. Do not wear shorts, tank tops, short skirts, etc.

- While praying, you must keep a joyful mind to create positive energy.