Worshiping God on the ninth day of the first lunar month

 

Worshiping God on the ninth day of the first lunar month

On the ninth day of the first lunar month, there is a particularly popular and solemn folk custom in the southeastern coastal areas of southern China, especially in southern Fujian. This is "Bai Tiangong", which is one of our country's traditional folk customs. The ancients believed that nine is the largest yang number. The ancients regarded the sky as yang and the earth as yin, so "nine" was used to represent heaven.

According to the "Lihai Collection" written by Wang Kuai of the Ming Dynasty: "The gods are born to initiate righteousness. If the Jade Emperor is born on the ninth day of the first lunar month, the yang number starts from one and ends at nine, which means the original will end. also."

The "Yue Ling Ming Yi" written by Huang Daozhou of the Ming Dynasty also recorded: "On the first day of the first lunar month, the heavens, gods and earth only worship the Jade Emperor of the Three Qing Dynasties; on the ninth day of the lunar month, the Jade Emperor celebrates his birthday."

In the concept of ancient people, "Heaven" is the master of all things in the universe and the origin of the growth and development of all things. Therefore, we must respect Heaven, fear destiny, and follow the path of Heaven. The Jade Emperor is the highest god who dominates the heaven. He represents the supreme "Heaven", which is what people call "God" for generations. From this, we can also see the reverence of Chinese ancestors for nature.

On the ninth day of the first lunar month, people will hold a grand sacrificial ceremony to celebrate the birthday of the Jade Emperor. On this day, people in many areas have to look up to the sky and worship, and hold the most solemn sacrificial ceremony. Three animals and fruits are used to worship the Jade Emperor's birthday, praying for God's blessings and hoping for good weather and a good harvest in the coming year.

Among the customs of worshiping God in various places, the most solemn are in southern Fujian and Fujian. People in southern Fujian regard the ninth day of the first lunar month as one of the most important days of the year.