HANOI Instead of live carp or votive paper fish, the offerings to the Kitchen Gods of many families include carp made from jelly, sticky rice, sweet rice balls, dumplings or sausages.
On the last day of January, Ms. Dang Thuy, 39 years old, in Nam Tu Liem district, prepared a vegetarian tray to send the Kitchen Gods back to heaven. This year, her family's offering tray did not have three live carp as per tradition, but was replaced by a plate of jelly shaped like fish. The votive paper money and three sets of paper hats and clothes were also omitted.
Ms. Thuy said these changes were because she did not want to kill animals, and was tired of the scene of releasing fish into the lake while people waited to electrocute them or set up nets. Burning votive paper is both wasteful and pollutes the environment.
The offering tray for the Kitchen Gods of Ms. Pham Hoa in Ha Dong district on February 2. Photo: Hoa Pham
On the morning of February 2 (December 23), Ms. Pham Hoa, 37 years old, in Ha Dong district spent two hours preparing an offering tray including chicken, spring rolls, ham, salt-roasted catfish, stir-fried vegetables, vermicelli, and mushroom soup. The carp was replaced with a pair of fish cakes, green lotus sticky rice, and red dragon fruit jelly shaped like a fish to offer to the Kitchen Gods.
Ms. Hoa has maintained the habit of not offering and releasing carp for 13 years, since she got married. Ms. Hoa explained that her place of residence is not near rivers or lakes, and many areas have dirty water, so it is not possible to release animals, so she decided to offer sticky rice shaped like fish, cakes or jelly shaped like fish for convenience, adding color to the feast. This decision was supported by both parents, and then the elders also followed suit.
"I believe that worshiping is all about sincerity and trying to prepare as thoroughly as possible. Some customs can be changed to suit the circumstances," said Ms. Hoa.
Ms. Minh Ngoc in Ngoc Thuy ward, Long Bien district said that in recent years, she has started offering sticky rice with fish or jelly cakes. "The carp-shaped products offered on the 23rd of December are very beautiful and eye-catching. After burning incense, you can ask for blessings. This is also a dish that my children love very much, so I also prioritize choosing it," Ms. Ngoc said.
Minh Ngoc's child stands in the ceremony after preparing offerings to the Kitchen Gods with her mother at her home in Long Bien district, late January. Photo: Do Minh Ngoc
There are many families in the capital choosing to make offerings of carp made from sticky rice, jelly, banh troi or cha like the families of Dang Thuy, Pham Hoa or Minh Ngoc. A survey by VnExpress since the beginning of January has found that services providing products shaped like carp have been widely advertised on social networks. Traditional markets have been selling these items for about two weeks now.
Ms. Tran Phuong Nga, a Vietnamese culinary culture artisan, said that the demand for making carp to worship the Kitchen Gods from jelly and other products appeared about 3-4 years ago and tends to become more and more popular.
"The reason is that many families in the capital are not near ponds or lakes, making it difficult to release fish or worrying about being caught or electrocuted. Some people, after releasing animals, throw plastic bags haphazardly on the sidewalks, in rivers and lakes, causing pollution. Meanwhile, carp jelly cakes can be used as a dessert after offerings to prevent boredom," said Ms. Nga.
In addition to creating new jelly fish designs to meet people's needs, Ms. Nga also makes molds to make gold bars for decoration. The artisan believes that making gold bars from jelly when worshiping can replace votive paper, which is convenient for families living in cramped apartments, preventing fires and explosions, and avoiding waste.
The vegetarian offering tray for the 23rd of December with carp jelly was made by Ms. Dang Thuy in Nam Tu Liem district at the end of January. Photo: Dang Thuy
Sharing on VnExpress , cultural and historical researcher Tran Dinh Son said that the Ong Cong Ong Tao festival has a history of thousands of years with the profound purpose of reminding people to live according to morality and ethics. However, modern life today favors formality and showing off, causing traditional values to fade. Every year, this occasion causes a stir in the widespread burning of votive paper and the indiscriminate release of animals.
According to Mr. Son, burning votive paper and releasing fish are two long-standing folk customs. People are allowed to burn votive paper according to state regulations. However, they should not burn too much votive paper as it pollutes the environment.
According to folk belief, releasing carp provides a means for the Kitchen God to return to heaven. Releasing fish in the temple is called releasing animals. There is nothing wrong with releasing animals if it is to save precious animals or animals that are about to be slaughtered and returned to the wild. Releasing animals, especially those that harm the environment, or releasing fish indiscriminately, littering the environment, is not in accordance with folk belief, as well as Buddhism.
Quynh Nguyen - Vnexress.net
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