What is special about the Apple New Year in Vietnam and other Asian countries?

Not only Vietnam but also some countries in Asia such as China, Japan and South Korea also have the custom of worshiping Mr. Cong and Mr. Apple.

Vietnam

According to the traditional customs of the Vietnamese, every year on December 23, families prepare gifts, offerings, and sacrifices for Mr. Cong and Mr. Tao. This day is also called by the Chinese New Year of the Apple Army. Since ancient times, the Vietnamese have thought that the Apple Army is the god to protect the family, and at the end of the year, the Apple Army will go to heaven to report everything good and bad to the Jade Emperor. New Year's Eve, the new Apple Army returned to earth to continue the work of looking after the family fire.

Offering ceremony for Mr. Cong and Mr. Apple on December 23: Three hats of Mr. Cong and Mr. of Apple with two hats of Mr. Apple with dragon wings, one of Ms. Apple's hat without dragonflies. In addition to the hat, families often prepare a salt trays and other offerings such as confectionery, betel nut, wine, incense, candles, vases, fresh fruit plates, five fresh fruits, gold coins and 3 live carp. .

The tray of worship for Mr. Cong and an Apple of the Vietnamese people.(Photo: @ nghiemthuytrang68).

People release carp to see off the Apple army on the 23rd of December.(Photo: @ pum.nguyenn).

China

Chinese New Year of the Apple Army is almost the same as the Vietnamese people. On December 23, the kitchen gods of the graced families reported to the Jade Emperor about the good and bad deeds of everyone for a year.

The Chinese call their kitchen god Apple King. Rice trays for the Chinese kitchen god include sticky rice, sugar cakes, deep fried donuts and bean soup.

According to the concept, the Apple King of the Chinese people only has a grandparents. They often set up an altar in the kitchen with paintings or statues of Mr. Apple and Mrs. Apple.

The Chinese prepare votive objects for the Chinese New Year.(Photo: Xinhua).

On December 23, people often apply honey to paintings or the statue of Apple King. In China instead of offering common carp, people often offer water and some hay, considering this is a horse feed for apples.

South Korea

Korean people worship the kitchen god on December 29 and call their kitchen god Jowangsin. On this day, the people of the land of kimchi devote themselves to preparing a cozy meal consisting of fruits and fried rice cakes to pay homage.

According to legend, Jowangsin was a woman, she was the goddess of water. Her appearance is to help Korean families wash away all bad luck, and welcome peace and good things in the new year.

Sacrifice for Korean kitchen god.

Therefore, Koreans often put a small cup of water under the kitchen, this cup will be changed regularly by women in the house on the 1st and 15th of the month.

Singapore

Singaporean people also conduct the ceremony to worship the kitchen god on December 23 every year like the Vietnamese. They have the custom of burning Mr. Tao's figure to see him off to heaven. Just like in Vietnamese beliefs, Mr. Apple returned to Heaven to report to the Emperor in the past year and looked forward to a new year of lots of joy and happiness.

After reporting, Mr. Eve will return to the Earth to watch the fire of each home.

About the basic tray quite similar to the Vietnamese. But only they will spread honey, sugar, sweet wine on the lips of Mr. Apple with the expectation that the Apple will report good things to the Emperor.

Japan

The Japanese have the male god Daikokuten who is the god of housework, cooking, and fortune of the homeowner. In the concept of Japanese folklore, he is the god of grain, one of the 7 lucky gods.

The Daikokuten deity has a big face, a bright smile, and is often painted dark brown. The ancient Japanese conception at the year-end fair, if anyone "steals" a picture or statue of Daikokuten without being 'caught in the act', the new year will meet a lot of lucky money.

Daikokuten often carries a golden mallet, this is a lucky mallet, bringing money, the god is often depicted sitting on rice and having mice running around by rats in Japanese culture. Homeowners have a lot of food to eat, mice know should pull to 'begging'.

On New Year's Eve, the statue of Daikokuten will be sold as a lucky item to bring home. The image of Daikokuten has previously been depicted on Japanese banknotes.

1. Ceremony to worship Mr. Cong and Apple
2. How to prepare the tray of offerings to Mr. Cong Mr. Apple is the most true and complete
3. Do you worship Mr. Cong Apples in the kitchen or on the altars?
4. Why worship Mr. Cong to only release carp?
5. The legend of Mr. Cong Mr. Apple