Offering carp to the Kitchen God in a new style.

HANOI - Instead of live carp or paper fish, many families' offerings to the Kitchen God include carp made from jelly, sticky rice, glutinous rice balls in sweet soup, steamed buns, or meatballs.

On the last day of January, 39-year-old Dang Thuy from Nam Tu Liem district prepared a vegetarian feast to bid farewell to the Kitchen God. This year, her family's offering did not include the three live carp as per tradition, but instead a plate of jelly shaped like a fish. The paper money and three sets of paper hats and robes were also omitted.

Ms. Thuy explained that these changes stemmed from her unwillingness to kill animals, her weariness with the scene of people waiting to electrocute or net fish as soon as she released them into the pond. Burning votive paper is both wasteful and environmentally polluting.

The offering tray for the Kitchen God and Stove God prepared by Ms. Pham Hoa in Ha Dong district on February 2nd. Photo: Hoa Pham

On the morning of February 2nd (the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month), Ms. Pham Hoa, 37 years old, from Ha Dong district, spent two hours preparing an offering tray including chicken, spring rolls, pork sausage, salt-roasted catfish, stir-fried vegetables, rice noodles, and meatball soup. The carp was replaced with a pair of fish-shaped cakes, green lotus-shaped sticky rice, and red dragon fruit jelly shaped like a fish for the Kitchen God.

Ms. Hoa has maintained the habit of not offering sacrifices or releasing carp for the deceased for the past 13 years, since she got married. She explained that because she lives far from rivers or lakes, and many areas have polluted water, releasing fish is not feasible. Therefore, she decided to offer sticky rice shaped like fish, or cakes or jelly shaped like fish, for convenience and to add color to the offering tray. This decision was supported by both sets of parents, who subsequently followed suit.

"In my view, the most important thing when performing rituals is sincerity, and I try to prepare as thoroughly as possible. However, some customs can be modified to suit the circumstances," Ms. Hoa said.

Ms. Minh Ngoc, residing in Ngoc Thuy ward, Long Bien district, said that in recent years she has started offering sticky rice with fish or jelly cakes as offerings. "The products shaped like carp offered on the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month are very beautiful and eye-catching. After lighting incense, one can ask for blessings. This is also a dish my children love, so I prioritize choosing it," Ms. Ngoc said.

Minh Ngoc's daughter stands respectfully after helping her mother prepare the offerings for the Kitchen God and the Stove God at their home in Long Bien district, at the end of January. Photo: Do ​​Minh Ngoc

Many families in Hanoi, like Dang Thuy, Pham Hoa, and Minh Ngoc, choose to offer carp-shaped offerings such as sticky rice, jelly, glutinous rice balls, or carp patties. A survey by VnExpress conducted since the beginning of January shows that services offering carp-shaped products are being heavily advertised on social media. Traditional markets have been selling these items for about two weeks now.

Ms. Tran Phuong Nga, a culinary artisan from a Vietnamese traditional craft village, said that the demand for making carp-shaped offerings for the Kitchen God and Stove God from jelly and other products has emerged in the last 3-4 years and is becoming increasingly popular.

"The reason is that many families in the capital are not near ponds or lakes, making it difficult to release fish or causing concerns about them being caught or electrocuted. Some people, after releasing the fish, carelessly throw the plastic bags on the sidewalks or into rivers and lakes, causing pollution. Meanwhile, the carp-shaped jelly cakes, after being offered as sacrifices, can be consumed as a dessert to prevent boredom with the same old dishes," Ms. Nga said.

Besides creating new jelly fish designs to meet people's needs, Ms. Nga also makes molds for gold bars to display alongside them. The artisan believes that making gold bars from jelly for offerings can replace paper money, is convenient for families living in cramped apartments, helps prevent fires, and avoids waste.

The vegetarian offering tray for the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month, featuring carp-shaped jelly, was prepared by Ms. Dang Thuy in Nam Tu Liem district at the end of January. Photo: Dang Thuy

In an interview with VnExpress , cultural and historical researcher Tran Dinh Son stated that the Tet Ong Cong Ong Tao (Kitchen God Festival) has a history spanning thousands of years, with the profound purpose of reminding people to live according to moral principles and ethics. However, modern life prioritizes ostentation and showing off, causing traditional values ​​to fade. Every year during this time, there is a surge in the widespread burning of votive paper and the indiscriminate release of animals into the wild.

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, excessive burning of votive paper should be avoided as it pollutes the environment.

According to folk beliefs, releasing carp provides a means for the Kitchen God to ascend to heaven. Releasing fish in temples is considered freeing living beings. There's nothing wrong with freeing animals if it's about saving valuable animals or those about to be slaughtered and returning them to nature. However, releasing animals, especially those harmful to the environment, or releasing fish indiscriminately and littering the environment is contrary to folk beliefs and Buddhist teachings.

Quynh Nguyen - Vnexress.net

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