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VietNamNet Bridge - From early morning, people go to rivers and lakes to release carp to see the Kitchen God out to the heaven in the hope of a peaceful new year to everyone.
Kitchen God Worship Day is the 23rd day of the last lunar month of the Year. The Vietnamese believe that three gods reside in each family's kitchen: two male gods and one female. According to their beliefs, the Kitchen God rides a red carp - which some say later transforms into a dragon - on his way to heaven in the 12th lunar month to deliver his annual report on the household's activities. So every year, Vietnamese families prepare a feast to say goodbye to the Kitchen God before he takes off for his journey, offering him carp to ride.
In Hanoi, this year less plastic bags were thrown into rivers and lakes thanks to the signboards "Release carps, do not drop plastic bags" held by many students and volunteers.
In Saigon:
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Some people free carbs at ponds in pagodas.
This woman releases hundreds of breeding carps.
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In Hanoi
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Some people throw incense ash and old altars into the Red River.
Incense ash covers the surface of a lake in Hanoi.
This lake is polluted by ash and garbage discharged by people on the Kitchen God's Day.
On the Long Bien Bridge, dozens of young people stood along the bridge in the early morning with the signboards "Release carps, do not drop plastic bags to the river."
Volunteers prepared bags to contain plastic bags that people leave after freeing carbs into the river.
Plastic bags left on the Long Bien Bridge.
Sanitation workers said this year the amount of garbage in lakes and rivers was less than the previous years.
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A family in Hanoi prepares for the Kitchen God's Festival
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Buying red carps for the Kitchen God.
Preparing a feast for the Kitchen's God.
Preparing the altar.
The altar is ready.
All family members pray in front of the altar.
Burning votive paper for the Kitchen's God.
Releasing carps. |
VietNamNet/Zing/VNE
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