Einsteins god

Gold rush on the God of Wealth Day

February 11, 2021 by www.vir.com.vn

getting a piece of gold on the god of wealth day prov

At 6.30 am, the jewelry shop in Tran Nhan Tong street opens for buyers, 4-5 people are allowed to come in at a time.

Buyers therefore trying to push one another to get into the shop

Frustration seen on the buyers’ face

Tickets issued by the jewelry are useless in this case

Bodyguards working hard to keep buyers in order

Popular products including rings in 3.75 gram, 7.5 gram and 37.5 gram

The spirit animal of the year, the Dog, also a good sale on the day

3.75 gram of gold on the day sold at VND3.75 million ($170.45) (1 tael = VND37.5 million ($1,704.5)

It’s a belief among many Asian families that buying gold on the God of Wealth Day can secure luck and good business during year

On the 10th of January, almost all gold merchants are overloaded, with buyers queuing as early as 6 AM to wait for the shops to open. Bodyguards are seen having breakfast in front of the shop to prepare for the day

By Minh Trang

Hanoi: Environment protection message is delivered on the Kitchen God Farewell’s day

February 4, 2021 by hanoitimes.vn

The Hanoitimes – The volunteer group, called itself as “Ca Chep” or The carp, delivers a message of environmental protection: “Release fish- Not plastic bags”.

The “Ong Cong – Ong Tao” (Land Genie and Kitchen God) or the “Kitchen God” farewell ritual which falls on 4 February this year. Since the early morning of the day, a group of youth volunteers from Hanoi gathered in Long Bien bridge, helping people to do the ritual of fish releasing in an environmentally friendly way.

The volunteer group called itself as “Ca Chep” or the carp, features 50 young volunteers who are responsible for helping people releasing fish into the Red River and collecting plastic bags.

They stand along the bridge, holding signs conveying the message of environmental protection: “Release fish- Not plastic bags”. This is the group’s annual activity. The project is called “Kitchen God’s Journey”.

Traditionally, the kitchen god farewell ritual is usually observed on the 23rd day of the last month of the lunar year. And alive carps or goldfishes are considered as the means for Land Genie and the Kitchen God to ride to Heaven to deliver an annual report on the household’s activities to the Jade Emperor.

In addition, for Vietnamese, the image of carp also conveyed the aspiration of “Carp transforms to Dragon”, which implies sublimation, persistent spirit to conquer knowledge and success. Live fish releasing ritual is also considered a kind act which people think would be redeemed with good luck.

According to Nguyen Duc Toan- the head of the Ca Chep group, this annual activity not only aims at lending people a hand to release fish on a special and busy day of the year, but also delivering the message of environment protection among Hanoians.

Many people gave fish to the volunteers, asking them to release the fish into the water.

Volunteers used pulleys to transfer fish bags from the Long Bien bridge to the Red River beach, preparing for the fish release.

Measures to prevent the Covid-19 pandemic are strictly followed by these young people. They all wear face masks and keep the safe distance.

A volunteer waits on the Red River’s mudflats, receiving the fish and release into the water; at the same time, collect the plastic bag.

“Kitchen God” farewell ritual: Wishing for a prosperous Lunar New Year

February 4, 2021 by hanoitimes.vn

The Hanoitimes – Kitchen God farewell ritual is a very old custom in Vietnam. On the 23rd day of the December in the Lunar Calendar, Land Genie and the Kitchen God ride carps to Heaven to deliver an annual report on the household’s activities to the Jade Emperor.

The “Ong Cong – Ong Tao” (Land Genie and Kitchen God) or the “Kitchen God” farewell ritual which falls on 4 February this year, is one of the most important for the Vietnamese people in a new Lunar Year, which kick off the Tet celebration in the country.

The offerings for Kitchen God farewell ritual. Photo: To Hung Giang

Traditionally, the kitchen god farewell ritual is usually observed on the 23rd day of the last month of the lunar year. Legend has it that Land Genie and the Kitchen God are sent down to earth by the God of Heaven for monitoring and recording all the good or bad manners of the human during the year.

Then, on the 23rd day of the twelve months in the Lunar Calendar, they ride carps to Heaven to deliver an annual report on the household’s activities to the Jade Emperor.

According to this report, the Jade Emperor will decide to bless or punish that family in the next year. Also, he will forward the household prayer for a prosperous and peaceful Lunar Year to the Supreme.

Kitchen God farewell ritual is a very old custom in Vietnam. According to legend, Land Genie is the god who governs the land in the house, and Kitchen God is a trinity of a wife and her two husbands who take care of the kitchen. Both of them take care of ensuring the family’s happiness and well-being.

Each family in each region throughout Vietnam has their own ways of preparing offerings for the Kitchen Gods. Photo: Ngo Phuong Lan

On this day, every family is busy staging a ceremony to see off the Land Genie and the Kitchen God of the household who will embark on their yearly journey to Heaven.

Preparing a hearty worshiping tray filled with abundant of votive offers, somehow, is the way that Vietnamese families show their thankfulness to the deities. At the same time, they also wish that the Land Genie and the Kitchen God will tell the good things about them to the Jade Emperor, as well as asking, on their behalf, for a peaceful and prosperous coming New Year.

Each family in each region throughout Vietnam has their own ways of preparing offerings for the Kitchen Gods. Common offerings include incense, flowers, fruit, betel and areca nuts, sticky rice, chicken, pork paste, spring rolls, and bamboo shoot soup.

Indispensable offerings for the ritual are votive paper shoes, robes, mandarin bonnets, and paper or alive carps, which the Kitchen Gods can ride to Heaven.

The Kitchen God farewell ritual kicks off the Tet celebration in the country. Photo: Dau Tra Mi.

In the north, households usually prepare three little alive carps or goldfishes on a small bowl, placing next to the offering tray on the altar.

In addition, the image of carp also conveyed the aspiration of “Carp transforms to Dragon”, which implies sublimation, persistent spirit to conquer knowledge and success.

In the Central region, it is common to worship paper horses with full harnesses. In the South, only paper horses and hats are prepared.

After the ritual, the paper tents are burned, live tents are released into the nearby lake or rivers, which is considered a kind act to pray for good luck, then the most famous Vietnamese festival officially starts, the Tet.

Busy gold shops ahead of the God of Wealth Day

February 19, 2021 by dtinews.vn

Gold shops in Hanoi are receiving an increasing number of customers ahead of the God of Wealth Day.

Gold and jewelry businesses have launched new lucky gold products in an effort to meet the increasing demand of customers on God of Wealth Day on the 10th day of the first lunar month, which falls on February 21.

Gold items in the shape of a buffalo are introduced to celebrate the lunar New Year 2021 – the Year of the Buffalo.

Bao Tin Minh Chau offers new 24k products worth VND2 million to satisfy the desires of customers to receive luck in the new lunar year.

According to some gold firms, this year has seen gold sales drop slightly compared to previous years due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

A representative from Bao Tin Minh Chau Company, Nguyen Huu Thuyet, said that they have well-prepared to serve an increasing number of customers during this occasion. Covid-19 preventive measures are applied at all the shops.

A customer, Nguyen Phon Chien, said that he always purchases a piece of gold on the God of Wealth Day in hope of receiving good luck and wealth in the new lunar year.

Customers wait to buy gold at a shop in Cau Giay Street on February 18.

Red carp ready to give Kitchen Gods a ride back to heaven ahead of Tet

February 6, 2018 by e.vnexpress.net

Fish farmers in many parts of Vietnam, especially in the north, get their hands all busy these days as it is the harvesting season of red carps, which are believed to be a transport means for the Kitchen Gods, who is in charge of looking after Vietnamese families and record the good and bad deeds they have done.

Fish farmers in many parts of Vietnam, especially in the north, have their hands busy at the moment harvesting red carp. Legend has it that the Kitchen Gods, who are in charge of looking after Vietnamese families and recording their good and bad deeds, ride the fish back to heaven before Tet , or Lunar New Year.

Thuy Tram Village in the northern province of Phu Tho is home to one of the biggest red carps farm in Vietnam. As a tradition, Vietnamese will release the red carps on the 23rd day of the last lunar month, which will fall on Thursday this year, so that the Kitchen Gods can ride back to heaven and report to the Jade Emperor what human have done during the past year.

Thuy Tram Village in the northern province of Phu Tho is home to one of the biggest red carp farms in Vietnam. Following tradition, the carp are released into rivers on the 23rd day of the last lunar month, which will fall on Thursday this week, so that the Kitchen Gods can ride them back to heaven and report what humans have been doing for the past year to the Jade Emperor , before returning a day before the new lunar year.

Farmers in Thuy Tram, a village in Tuy Loc Commune of Phu Tho, 50 kilometers (30 miles) northwest of Hanoi, spare 30 hectares (3,000 ares) to raise red carps and harvest up to 40 tons of the fish each year.

Farmers in Thuy Tram, 120 kilometers (75 miles) northwest of Hanoi, raise red carp on an area of 30 hectares (3,000 acres) and harvest up to 40 tons of the fish each year.

They started to let the fish mate in June. The strong fish which is used for mating receive special care and live in a separated pond.

The fish started mating in June. The stronger fish that are used for mating receive special care and live in a separate pond.

Farmers only sell fingerlings and keep the parent fish for the next season or sell them at a much higher price. All members in my families have to join a hand these days or call for help from neighbors to catch the fish because once we drain the ponds, we have to catch the fish as quick as we can or else they will die from a lack of oxygen, said a farmer named Nguyen Thi Thien.

Farmers only sell fingerlings and keep the parent fish for the next season or sell them for a much higher price. “All of my family have to work together at this time of year, and sometimes we have to ask our neighbors for help because we need to catch the fish quickly when we drain the ponds or else they will die from lack of oxygen,” said a farmer named Nguyen Thi Thien.

The fish will be categorized to sell at different prices as those with spots and lines are less favored.

The fish are categorized and sold for different prices. Fish with spots or stripes are less favored.

This parent fish costs VND150,000 ($7).

According to farmers here, 6 kilograms of parent fish will produce 200 kilos of fingerlings.

According to farmers, 6 kilos of parent fish produce 200 kilos of fingerlings.

My family produces 300 kilos of fish this year. We will sell them at VND120,000 per kilo, said a farmer named Ha Cong Vu. He added that the price of red carps is higher this year compared to VND80,000 per kilo last year.

“My family has produced 300 kilos of fish this year, and we’ll sell them for around VND120,000 per kilo,” said a farmer named Ha Cong Vu. He added that the price of red carp is higher this year compared to VND80,000 per kilo last year.

Wholesalers will retail the fish across the northern region, where the tradition of releasing red carps is preserved better.

Wholesalers will sell the fish across the entire northern region, where the tradition of releasing red carp is better preserved.

As holiday fever grips Saigon, muddy hands bring Kitchen Gods to life

February 8, 2018 by e.vnexpress.net

Tran Van Tieps is the only family producing clay ovens in the commercial Saigon. Around 20 workers have been sweating burning the stoves at his factory in District 8 on recent days to serve families who need new Kitchen Gods for the new year. Kitchen Gods in each Vietnamese family are believed to keep guard of them during the year, and leave for heaven to report their affairs to the Jade Emperor one week before the Lunar New Year, which is Thursday this week.

Tran Van Tiep’s family is the only one left producing clay ovens by hand in commercial Saigon. Around 20 workers have been stoking the kilns at his factory in District 8 to produce ovens that symbolize the Kitchen Gods for the Lunar New Year. The Kitchen Gods are believed to guard Vietnamese families throughout the year, before leaving for heaven to report their affairs to the Jade Emperor one week before Tet .

Tiep makes an oven from wet clay. He said there are nearly 20 steps to a final oven. His factory buys fine clay from rural villages outside the city.

Tiep makes an oven from wet clay. He said there are nearly 20 steps needed to complete an oven. His factory buys fine clay from rural villages outside the city.

A worker adds three pieces that help hold pots. These supporters represent the trio of Kitchen Gods: a woman and her two husbands, who all very much in love with each other and die because of that.

A worker adds three mini turrets to the oven to represent the three Kitchen Gods: a woman and her two husbands who all die in a tragic love story.

The ovens will be fixed and aired to dry. Customers have many options now, so its very important that we make sure the ovens are of high quality and good shapes, a worker said.

The ovens are then aired to dry. “Customers have many options now, so it’s very important that we make sure our ovens are high-quality with a good shape,” a worker said.

Once they are dry enough, the ovens will be burned in kilns for two days. Tiep sells each oven for VND30,000-100,000 depending on their sizes. I believe the traditional ovens are always loved in time of Tet, Tiep said.

Once they are dry, the ovens are fired in kilns for two days. Tiep sells each oven for VND30,000-100,000 ($1.32-4.40) depending on size. “I believe traditional clay ovens will always be loved during Tet ,” Tiep said.