Every year, when Tet comes to Spring, everyone eagerly awaits the moment of New Year’s transfer. Perhaps, the happiest, most awaited and sacred moment is New Year’s Eve. This is the time of transitioning from the old year to the new year. And perhaps, the thing for us to look forward to the most is not only Tao Quan but a hearty New Year’s Eve tray. So, do you know what to prepare for the New Year’s Eve? If not, please take a few minutes to follow Dung Ha Dry Food to learn about the New Year’s Eve tray of the Lunar New Year of the Rabbit 2023!
1. Why is New Year’s Eve an important ritual?
Therefore, the preparation of the New Year’s Eve tray is extremely important and you must not take it lightly.
See more: Modern New Year dishes of each region you should know
2. Popular New Year’s Eve rice tray in 3 regions
New Year’s Eve offerings vary from region to region. Here are the popular New Year’s Eve dinner trays in the North – Central – South regions for your reference:
2.1 New Year’s Eve tray in the North
The rice trays offered to the people on New Year’s Eve of the North are usually traditional ones. Includes 4 bowls and 4 plates. If the party is large or the family can afford it, the meal will have 6 bowls of 6 plates or 8 bowls of 8 plates. These numbers represent prosperity. Usually, the dishes on the New Year’s Eve tray will include:
- Bowl of stewed pork leg soup with bamboo shoots
- Mixed bowl of ball soup
- A bowl of vermicelli cooked with chicken hearts
- Plate of boiled chicken
- Boiled pork platter
- Sauerkraut plate
- Sauteed pork platter
- Mannequin plate
- Sauteed onion plate
- Green banh chung
See more: How to make Northern New Year dishes for a special tray of rice
2.2 New Year’s Eve tray in the Central region
The tray of offerings for New Year’s Eve in the Central region will include banh chung and banh tet. In addition, the Central New Year’s Eve offerings will have the following dishes:
- Pickle plate
- Sausage plate
- Plate of frozen meat
- Plate of chicken with laksa leaves
- Sausage plate
- Plate of boiled pork
- Melon prices
- Bowl of dried bamboo shoot soup
- Mixed vermicelli bowl
- Fried fish plate
- Ram disk…
See more: Cooking strange traditional Midwestern New Year dishes
2.3 Southern New Year’s Eve tray
Because the weather in the South is very special. It is hot and rainy here all year round. But hot weather is the main part. Due to the hot weather, Southerners often prefer cold dishes. Specifically, the Southern New Year’s Eve offerings will include:
- Fresh bamboo shoot soup
- Stuffed bitter melon soup
- Shrimp and meat salad
- Spring roll
- Pickled
- The palanquin
- Banh tet
See more: Cooking unique traditional Southern New Year dishes
3. New Year’s Eve rice tray for the Lunar New Year 2023 outdoor
3.1 The votive offering
3.2 Offerings on the altar
Each house usually has an outdoor altar with incense burners (usually Mr. Thien’s altar). The ceremony on this altar will include the following memorabilia:
- A tray of betel nut with 5 fruits. That is the five-fruit tray to worship at the beginning of the year
- Oil lamp
- Plate of fine salt
- 5 cups of tea
- Jam cake
- Votive
- 1 vase of flowers
This ceremony usually takes place on the 3rd or 7th to end.
3.3 Outdoor New Year’s Eve rice tray
The tray of rice they have on New Year’s Eve can be made as a vegetarian or a savory meal depending on the conditions of each family. After praying, I will clean up
- For savory dishes: 1 boiled chicken. Chung cake. Gac sticky rice. Tea. Alcohol. Water. Spring rolls. The savory rice soup dishes depend on. Along with the corresponding bowl and chopsticks.
- The vegetarian meal will include: Cake, candy, Tet jam. Vegetarian rice soup, water tea.
4. Indoor New Year’s Eve Rice Tray 2023 Lunar New Year
For the New Year’s Eve dinner tray in the house, the furniture is also simple, not too fussy. On the altar, you only need to have things like: Tet confectionery, fruits, flowers, oil lamps, votive papers, incense cards, filtered water, tea. The family altar is displayed until the 3rd or 7th is the end. After this time, it will be turned into gold to show respect to the Ancestors who did not manage the long distance to come and celebrate Tet with their children and grandchildren.
4.1 The votive offering
The offerings you need to prepare for worship at home will include:
- 1 plate of betel nut
- 1 fruit platter of 5 arbitrary types (But you should choose red fruits to show luck and fortune in the house)
- 1 plate of salt
- 1 plate of white rice
- 3-5 cups of tea
- Cakes and jams of all kinds
- 1 vase of flowers
- Votive
4.2 A tray of rice for New Year’s Eve offerings in the house
The traditional New Year’s Eve offerings of the people in the North will have: 6 bowls and 6 pairs of chopsticks or 8 bowls and 8 pairs of chopsticks. In addition, there are dishes such as:
- Bowl: A bowl of bamboo shoot soup, a bowl of mixed ball soup, a bowl of chicken heart vermicelli,…
- Plate: Plate of boiled chicken, plate of spring rolls, salted egg, plate of mannequin, plate of fried spring rolls, plate of onions,…
See more: 19+ Vietnamese Tet dishes indispensable in Tet 2023
5. Notes when preparing the New Year’s Eve tray
5.1 Do not use artificial flowers
Flowers displayed on the altar or anywhere in the house are 100% real flowers. Because the ancients often had the concept that: “If using fake flowers, plastic flowers are showing falsehood, not paying respect to the ancestors”. This detail is very small, but the bridesmaids pay attention!
5.2 Offering land and lands outside first, then coming inside
According to the concept of feng shui, it is: “A New Year’s Eve offering is to worship the god who governs the new year and see off the god who governs the old year. Therefore, it must first be worshiped outdoors first. Then, the worshiping ceremony is performed to the ancestors and gods. Spirit is in the house”.
REFERENCES MORE NICE EVENT NEWS HERE: https://thucphamkho.vn/tin-tuc-su-kien/
5.3 Other Notes
- The offering tray needs to be prepared neatly, cleanly, thoughtfully, in accordance with fine customs and traditions. Preparation may depend on each family’s circumstances and finances. However, you should not prepare too poorly.
- The customs of each regional culture are completely different. But it will still be necessary to have products such as: Incense sticks, oil lamps, tea, white wine, rice, salt, fruits, sticky rice gac, banh chung, …
- In addition, on New Year’s Eve, family members should be happy and cheerful. Avoid quarrels, raise noises with each other, avoid breakdowns, do not sweep the house in the new year
- Do not look in the mirror on New Year’s Eve. Because the ancients believed that, if you look in the mirror at this moment, you will easily encounter ghosts and bad luck.
AUTHOR EDIT: NGUYEN THANH TUNG
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