(VOVworld)- The ritual of worshiping the Kitchen God on the 23^rd day of the 12^th lunar month is an indispensable tradition in Vietnam. This year, the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology recreated the ritual to introduce it to visitors, especially younger generations and foreign visitors.

Preparing a feast to worship the Kitchen God

In the Vietnamese house corner of the museum, a crowd of visitors are gathered around an old man in traditional costumes to see how he practices the tradition of worshiping the Kitchen God. The ritual is held in a solemn atmosphere which is full of the fragrance of incense burning.

Pointing the red hats and shoes in votive papers, Mr. Tran Van Hong from Dong Anh district in Hanoi explains: “ These are the dresses in votive papers to worship the Land Genies and the Gods. In the ritual of worshiping the Kitchen God, we must worship the Genies first. We have to say Glory to Buddha Amitabha and prostrate ourselves before the Buddha three times. After that, we have to say our name and what the offerings are”.

According to Vietnamese people, on the 23^rd of the 12^th lunar month, the Kitchen God will go to the heaven to report to the God on the families’ behaviors and achievements during the last year. Vietnamese people pray to the God for the best for the New Year and hope that the bad luck of the old year will disappear. Hong elaborates on the feast to worship the Kitchen God: “First, we need to prepare lanterns and incense, then flowers, fruits, pork pie, square sticky rice cakes, sticky rice, tea, wine, a set of Kitchen God costumes in votive papers and carps. The five-fruit tray must have bananas and grapefruits and the other 3 types of fruits”.

Though the ritual of worshiping Kitchen God is practiced by every Vietnamese family on the 23^rd day of the 12^th lunar month, not everyone knows about the customs of this ritual. Dang Nhat Quang is a student of Hanoi Foreign Trade University: “I always help my mother to prepare offerings to the Kitchen God. My mother has told me about this tradition, but not all the customs of the tradition. Today, I have learned more about it, its significance and customs”.

Tran Khanh Linh is a student at Hanoi Technology University: “Watching the recreation of the ritual of worshiping the Kitchen God, I learned that Vietnamese people respect their religious traditions. What my mother practices at home is more simple than the ritual performed here. There are more offerings, customs and offerings”.

After the ceremonial ritual finishes, the feast is offered to visitors. The ritual performance particularly attracts foreign visitors. Annique de Faille is a French tourist: “I have been in Vietnam for 2 days. During this time, I have learned a lot about Vietnam, which is much different from French culture. I had a chance to see the ritual of worshiping the Kitchen God today. It is really inspiring. I find the ritual very sacred and interesting”.

To mark the lunar New Year, the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology has also organized a wide range of activities including performing ceremonies setting up on pole trees, calligraphy exhibitions and water puppetry.  With these activities, the Museum hopes to teach both domestic and foreign visitors more about the traditions and customs of Vietnamese Tet.