The Kitchen Gods’ Send-Off: A Treasured Vietnamese Custom
The Kitchen Gods Farewell Ritual kicks off the Vietnamese Lunar New Year celebrations with a touching love story that has been passed down through the ages. The Kitchen Gods Farewell Ritual, an ancient Vietnamese custom with a poignant love story at its heart. Photo: Le Thu Huyen This annual tradition, held on the 22nd of January this year, is steeped in folklore, with the most popular tale involving the Tao Quan or Kitchen Gods. In Vietnamese culture, it is believed that the Land Genie presides over the household and its land, while the Kitchen Gods, represented by a woman and her two husbands, are tasked with overseeing the kitchen and the family’s happiness and well-being. The legend goes that Trong Cao and Thi Nhi, a married couple, struggled with childlessness, which led to frequent quarrels. After one heated argument, Thi Nhi left home and, in time, married Pham Lang. Trong Cao, realizing his mistake, spent months searching for his wife. He eventuall...