Markets bustle ahead of the Lunar New Year. (Photo: Le Chi/VOV5)

Early in the morning, markets start getting crowded with people hurrying to buy flowers, votive paper, carp, and other offerings for the ritual.

Phung Thi Thao of Hoang Mai ward, Hanoi, said, “I take my children to the market early. Flowers, carp, and fruits are indispensable offerings. I want my children to understand the Kitchen Gods ritual. I think they really enjoy it.”

According to legend, carp are the means by which the Kitchen Gods travel to Heaven. The image of carp transforming into a dragon symbolizes transcendence, perseverance, resilience, and the aspiration to overcome hardship and achieve success. Releasing carp expresses compassion and a wish for harmony between humans and nature.

Carp are an indispensable offering in the ceremony to see off the Kitchen Gods. (Photo: VOV)

The family meal is the most important element of the Kitchen Gods ceremony. No matter how busy one’s schedule, preparing this banquet is never forgotten. Thao said this simple act is a way of preserving family traditions.

“I do it every year because, since childhood, my parents taught me how to prepare the Kitchen Gods meal. I want my children to continue these customs. They’re very excited and eager to help,” said Thao.

For Nguyen Ngoc Linh, the banquet for the Kitchen Gods has remained unchanged over time.

“Every year, my family prepares a banquet to see the Kitchen Gods off after a year of watching over us. Over time, the offering dishes have remained unchanged. They include stewed pork bones with potatoes, boiled vegetables, stir-fried greens, boiled chicken, and steamed sticky rice,” Linh said.

Another Hanoian, Pham Duc Du, keeps the same tradition. “My family makes the dishes that were passed down from our grandparents. My parents cooked them that way, and now my generation continues to do the same to preserve the traditional values.”

Offerings for the Kitchen Gods ceremony (Photo: VOV)

The real value of the Kitchen Gods ceremony doesn’t lie in lavish offerings, but in sincerity.

Professor Pham Hong Trung, a member of the Scientific and Training Council of Vietnam National University Hanoi, said, “With offerings to deities or ancestors, what matters is not whether the meal is elaborate, expensive, or abundant, but one’s sincerity and devotion. Sincerity is the highest form of respect toward the Gods.”

For the Vietnamese, the Kitchen Gods ceremony is an occasion for family reunion and a moment for each person to reflect on the past year and anticipate a new year filled with hope.