Customs - Festivals

New Year's Eve Mass

TM January 29, 2025 05:52

On New Year's Eve, most families in Hai Duong hold outdoor and indoor worship ceremonies, praying for the best things to come in the new year.

dem-giao-thua2.jpg
Offering outdoors on New Year's Eve is a ritual imbued with the traditional cultural beauty of Tet, maintained by many families in Hai Duong.

The moment of transition between the last hour of the year of Giap Thin 2024 and the first hour of the new year of At Ty 2025 is also the time when many families in Hai Duong conduct outdoor and indoor worship ceremonies.

Since ancient times, Vietnamese people have believed that each year there is a god who oversees human affairs. At the end of the year, the old god hands over his work to the new god at the moment of transition between the old year and the new year. The outdoor New Year's Eve ceremony is to send off the old god and welcome the new god.

Therefore, New Year's Eve worship is considered by most families as an important ritual during Lunar New Year and is carefully prepared.

dem-giao-thua3.jpg
Outdoor New Year's Eve offerings

In the large yard or on the terrace, each family prepares a tray of offerings to worship New Year's Eve outdoors. Depending on the conditions of each family, the tray of offerings is different, but basically there are items such as incense, candles, betel, areca, fresh flowers, sweet fruits, paper money, votive paper, white sticky rice, boiled pork or chicken, eggs, white salt, wine, water...

Depending on each family's beliefs, the offering tray is placed in different directions. But usually the offering tray is placed in the north direction (to worship God - the master of all things in folk beliefs) or the east direction (to worship the Son of Heaven, the King).

Everything is ready, at the moment of transition between the last hour (Hour of the Pig) of the old year and the first hour (Hour of the Rat) of the new year, family representatives dress neatly and begin to stand up in front to offer incense and perform the ceremony.

dem-giao-thua5.jpg
Mr. Vu Xuan Hong in Cam Thuong ward (Hai Duong city) represented his family to perform the New Year's Eve ceremony on the rooftop (photo provided by the family)

In the middle of the yard or on the terrace, the fragrant scent of incense smoke mixed with the sacred, bustling atmosphere of heaven and earth creates solemnity, an indescribable feeling. In that sacred moment, everyone forgets all the bad things of the old year, praying for peace, luck, prosperity, and everything going as planned for the family in the new year.

dem-giao-thua4.jpg
Along with outdoor worship, families also hold indoor worship, expressing gratitude for the birth and upbringing of ancestors, grandparents, and parents, praying for a healthy new year and all the best.

After the outdoor ceremony, families return to the house to perform the ceremony before the family altar. On the altar, there are all kinds of items, family representatives respectfully offer incense, commemorate the birth and upbringing of ancestors, grandparents, parents, and pray for a new year of peace, health, and all the best for the family.

Offering on New Year's Eve is an important ritual during the Lunar New Year, passed down from generation to generation by people across the country in general and Hai Duong in particular, becoming a beautiful custom and traditional cultural feature. This is the moment for each of us to express our sincerity to heaven, earth, ancestors and to entrust our dreams and hopes.

TM
(0) Comments
Latest News
New Year's Eve Mass