A Hanoian releases live carps in a lake (Source: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - The Friends of Vietnam Heritage will host a lecture on the Ong Tao ritual – Kitchen God Day celebration, from 6pm to 8pm on January 31 in Hanoi.
The Kitchen God or Ong Tao ritual signals the start of preparations for Tet. This celebration, held on the 23rd of the last month of the lunar year, marks the day when the three kitchen gods, the advocates of the family, travel on the back of a carp to the Jade Emperor, the King of Heaven. This year’s celebration falls on February 1.
The kitchen gods then report to the Jade Emperor on the good and the bad of the family.
Professor Le Van Lan will explain the origins and rituals of Tet to attendees. The group will then participate in sending the three kitchen gods, a new set of clothes (made of paper) which will be burnt as an offering to them.
After the offering of new clothes, attendees can then release live fish to carry their family's report into West Lake. The group will then return to learn about and experience a wide range of traditional Tet foods.-VNA
