Towards the origin, ancestors
According to Vietnamese folklore, Ong Cong is the god who governs the land in the house, and Ong Tao are three gods who look after the kitchen. Ong Cong and Ong Tao were sent down to earth by Heaven to monitor and record human activities in a year. With the wish for their family to have good luck, every year, on the 23rd of December, families will hold a ceremony to send Ong Cong and Ong Tao to heaven to report to the Jade Emperor about the work and wishes of the homeowner.
Due to the lifestyle and living habits, the worshiping ceremony of Ong Cong and Ong Tao of Vietnamese people in different regions is different. In the North, with the concept that after 12 noon on December 23, Ong Tao goes to heaven, usually families try to arrange to prepare the offering tray before that time. Families who are busy can organize the worshiping ceremony 1-2 days earlier.
Every year, on the 23rd of December, people eagerly prepare offerings to send the Kitchen Gods to heaven.
The offering tray for the Kitchen Gods is elaborate or simple, depending on the conditions of each family. Usually, the offering ceremony includes a set of offerings for the Kitchen Gods, three sets of offerings for the Kitchen Gods, and carp. In addition to the five-fruit tray, many families also prepare a savory tray with all the traditional dishes: chicken, sticky rice, spring rolls, bamboo shoot and vermicelli soup, ham, stir-fry, etc. Some families prepare a simple offering including flowers, fruits, a set of offerings, or a vegetarian offering tray. Depending on each family's beliefs, the offering tray for the Kitchen Gods is placed at the family altar or in the kitchen area. After the offering ceremony, families will burn votive papers and release carp in a pond or lake near their house.
Meanwhile, in the Central region, the indispensable item is the statue of the three Kitchen Gods. In the South, people often hold a later ceremony, on the evening of December 23 and another ceremony on January 7 to welcome the Kitchen Gods back home.
No one knows exactly when this custom began, but we only know that the ceremony to worship Ong Cong and Ong Tao has long become a custom, a beautiful cultural feature of the Vietnamese people.
Along with the increasingly hectic pace of modern life, the traditional customs of the Vietnamese people are constantly changing. If in the subsidy period, when life was still difficult, rituals and offerings were often simplified to the maximum, today, along with economic development, these customs have been restored and raised to a new level.
In the past, the ancestral worshiping tray usually only included simple dishes such as banh chung, boiled meat, and fruits. However, today, the worshiping tray has become more diverse and rich with many sophisticated and delicate dishes, showing the culinary quintessence of each region. In addition, offerings such as votive paper, fresh flowers, and fruits are also carefully selected, carrying deep spiritual meaning.
People often say "wealth gives birth to courtesy", this change not only shows the respect of descendants for their ancestors but also reflects the abundance and prosperity of modern life. Preparing a sumptuous offering tray is not only a ritual but also an occasion for family members to gather and review the good traditions of the nation.
Sending Tao Quan to heaven, people send many wishes to welcome a peaceful and happy new year.
The ceremony of worshiping Ong Cong and Ong Tao, as well as other good customs of the nation, always directs people towards good things and good things. The custom of releasing carp not only has the meaning of releasing animals, expressing the humanity in the tradition of the Vietnamese people, but also contributes to biodiversity in the areas where the fish are released. In fact, a part of the people do not understand the true nature of the custom of worshiping Ong Cong and Ong Tao, so they have behaved in an uncultured way, causing waste of money and negative impacts on the living environment.
Keep traditional beauty with time
Modern life with its hectic pace and foreign cultural influences has caused the custom of worshipping Ong Cong Ong Tao, a beautiful traditional cultural feature of the Vietnamese people, to undergo many profound changes. Many families, especially the younger generation, no longer fully understand the meaning and rituals of this worship. Easy access to information through social networks has led to many people misunderstanding the rituals, offerings, and even the purpose of worship. Some people consider worshipping Ong Cong Ong Tao as just a formal ritual, or simplifying traditional rituals, losing the inherent profound meaning.
According to Vietnamese belief, Mr. Cong is the god who governs the land in the house, and Mr. Tao are three kitchen gods who look after the kitchen.
The phenomenon of excessive burning of votive paper and improper release of carp in the worship of Ong Cong Ong Tao has become an alarming social issue. The widespread burning of votive paper not only pollutes the environment and wastes resources, but also destroys the deep spiritual meaning of the ritual. Many people often burn large amounts of votive paper with the mistaken belief that the more votive paper, the more sincerity they show.
In addition, releasing carp also has many potential dangers. Many people when releasing fish leave plastic bags in the water, causing clogged drains and polluting the living environment of aquatic species. There are even cases where people release fish in prohibited areas, such as lakes and public ponds, affecting the ecosystem there. Releasing carp improperly not only loses the spiritual meaning of releasing animals but also causes serious consequences for the environment.
With the good meanings of this traditional custom, the beauty of the worship of Ong Cong and Ong Tao is maintained by the people to become a good cultural tradition with humaneness.
To preserve and promote the good cultural values in the worship of Ong Cong Ong Tao, Dr. Nguyen Viet Chuc emphasized the importance of promoting the propaganda of behavioral culture. According to him, forming the right awareness of folk religious activities is extremely necessary. By widely propagating the origin, meaning and correct rituals of the worship ceremony, we can help people better understand the profound cultural values hidden in each ceremony, thereby performing the ceremonies in a more meaningful and solemn way.
Releasing carp on the occasion of Ong Cong and Ong Tao festival is not only a spiritual ritual but also guides people to good things and good values in life. In addition, in the Vietnamese mind, "fish jumping over the Dragon Gate" or "carp transforming into a dragon" also has the meaning of sublimation, symbolizing the spirit of overcoming difficulties, perseverance, and perseverance in conquering knowledge to achieve success, symbolizing a hidden noble personality or aiming for a good result. Many people bring their children to release fish, passing on the traditional beauty in culture and customs that the ancients left to this day. In order to educate their children to know how to preserve and protect the beauty of their origins.
To fully preserve these values, each family needs to be aware of the purpose and meaning of the ritual, respectful and solemn but not ostentatious or abusive.
In any kitchen corner, whether it is a simple thatched wall or a luxurious villa, the Tao Quan altar still has an important position. It has been a part of our ancestors' culture since ancient times. Perhaps on the 23rd of December, seeing every family excitedly going to the river to release golden carp, each of us feels the warmth of the New Year's Eve, feels that Tet is very near. With the good meanings of this traditional custom, the beauty of the worship of Ong Cong Ong Tao is maintained by the people to become a good cultural tradition, humane, oriented towards truth, goodness, and beauty. Preserving and protecting the environment for a better life.
