The eighth day of the first lunar month is the traditional folk Shunxing Festival. Every year, the eighth day of the first lunar month is the time when all the star gods gather, so it is necessary to "receive the stars". What day and festival is the eighth day of the first lunar month in 2019? For more details about the 2019 New Year and the first month of the lunar calendar, please visit Mr. Shuimo’s website for consultation!What day and festival is on the eighth day of the first lunar month in 2019?February 12, 2019, Tuesday1. Shunxing Festival The Chinese people regard the eighth day of the first lunar month as the day when all the stars descend to the earth. They make small lanterns and light them to offer sacrifices to them, which is called "Shunxing", also known as "offering sacrifices to the stars" and "receiving the stars". According to Taoism and astrologers, each person has a star in charge every year, also called the "annual star" (the nine stars, namely Sun, Moon, Mercury, Mars, Wood, Venus, Saturn, Luohou and Ketu, take turns to be in charge of the year). A person's fate for the year is entirely controlled by the star in charge of the year. The eighth day of the first lunar month every year is the day when all the star gods gather, and it is also said to be the day when "all the stars descend to the world". Therefore, by offering sacrifices to the star god (i.e. Shunxing) on this day, it is possible to obtain the star god's blessing. Therefore, some people go to the Baiyun Stargazing Temple (also known as the Yuanchen Temple) to burn incense and pray to the stars. But no matter whether one goes to the temple to burn incense or not, on that evening, after all the stars come out in the sky, every family will hold a star-following sacrificial ceremony. 2. Grain Festival According to folk customs, the seventh day of the first lunar month is "Human Day" and the eighth day of the first lunar month is "Grain Day". According to Chinese folklore, the eighth day of the first lunar month is Guzi’s birthday. If the weather is clear on this day, it means a good rice harvest this year; if it is cloudy, it means a poor harvest. The custom on Grain Day is to worship tablets with the names of grains written on them and not to eat cooked grains. This custom embodies the idea of attaching importance to agriculture and cherishing food. What are the customs on the eighth day of the first lunar month?1. "Receiving Stars" during Shunxing FestivalThe main purpose of this day is to learn about astronomy by reading the names of the stars listed on the star god horse invited from the incense and candle shop. The star worship ceremony of Shunxing Festival is held at night. Rich families put up 108 lanterns, while ordinary families can put up 49 lanterns, and the minimum is 9, representing the nine fortune-telling stars: sun, moon, water, fire, wood, metal, earth, Luo Hou and Ji Du. The lamp bowl is shaped like a small goblet, made of clay or copper, with soybean oil inside, and the wick is made of "lamp flower paper". 2. Grain Festival Customs : The Grain Day of Wu Zi is about spring. When the Grain Day of the New Year comes, it is a happy sight to see the bright sunny day. The accumulated snow melts into sweet water, and the fragrant breeze awakens the fertile fields. The farmer strokes the plow with his stick, and the boy holds the horse's reins. Sweat fills the granary, and poetry is written in the prime of life. 1) Divination for Rice: Chinese people believe that if the weather is good on this day, it means a good rice harvest this year, but if it is bad, it means a poor harvest this year. 2) On the day of the Grain Viewing Festival, the whole family leaves the city and goes to the countryside. The adults introduce basic agricultural knowledge to the children, and the whole family watches the growth of various overwintering crops, allowing children and adults to get close to agriculture and helping children establish awareness of respecting agriculture, farmers, and cherishing food. During the experience, children are also inspired to care for the ecological environment. During the Spring Festival, going to the fields in the suburbs is also a good way to relax and take a hike. 3) After returning home from eating cereal , the children will prepare a cereal dinner for the whole family. For example, let the children knead the dough and steam buns, make noodles, wash the rice and steam rice, and cook porridge by themselves. Adults only need to provide necessary guidance and do not take over. In this way, children can more clearly understand the preciousness of food and the difficulty of labor. 4) The pace of life in urban areas is very fast and people rarely get close to nature. It is recommended that on the Grain Day, the whole family go to the flower market to buy some ornamental crops (available in the market, such as "ornamental millet") and cultivate them at home, and carefully maintain this "crop" all year round. 3. Worship Tai Sui . "Yanjing Sui Shi Ji" says: "On the eighth day, after dusk, use paper dipped in oil, light 108 lamps, burn incense and worship it. This is called 'Shun Xing'." The first step in the star-following ceremony is to find your own natal star. According to Chinese folklore, everyone has a "Tai Sui Star God" who is in charge of their life, called "Benming Tai Sui"; and every year there is a "Nian Tai Sui" (also known as "Liunian Tai Sui") who is in charge of everything for the year (such as people's health, work, career, marriage, etc.). The Tai Sui for the Year of the Pig in 2019 is General Xie Tai. Friends who have the conditions can burn incense, kowtow, and make donations in front of his statue. Legend has it that this can bless you with a smooth year. 4. Some shopping malls or stores are opened today, mainly for the purpose of "prosperity". May your business prosper and you be prosperous all year round. 5. Release of Life On the eighth day of the first lunar month, there is a "release of life" activity, which is to take some fish and birds raised at home outside and release them into the wild. Releasing animals on the eighth day of the first lunar month not only reflects the ancient people's virtue of respecting all things in nature and living in harmony with them, but also expresses the good wishes for the prosperity of all living things in the world at the beginning of the new year. 6. Worshiping the Eight Immortals The Chinese people took the pronunciation of the word "eight" and turned the eighth day of the first lunar month into the Festival to Honor the Eight Immortals. The Eight Immortals are Li Tieguai, Han Zhongli, Zhang Guolao, He Xiangu, Lan Caihe, Lü Dongbin, Han Xiangzi and Cao Guojiu in Chinese folk legends. Because he was not afraid of power, despised wealth and fame, he often went deep into the people to help them in times of distress and difficulty, and was deeply loved by the working people. On this day, Chinese people have the custom of preparing delicious food and fruits to worship the Eight Immortals. |
>>: What date is the eighth day of the first lunar month in 2019? What festival is it?
During the Minor Snow solar term, the yin energy d...
Buying a house requires caution, and moving requi...
It is also necessary to check the almanac when tra...
Newlyweds need to choose a good day for their wedd...
Which days in September of the lunar calendar in 2...
Is it suitable to pick up the car on the eighth d...
Introduction: A new life is born every day, and ch...
Although everyone knows about the Ghost Festival, ...
Introduction: A haircut can make people look more ...
What are the days that are not suitable for marria...
The Fortune Teller website has prepared a large a...
April is the beginning of summer, when golden whea...
Is the fate of a baby boy born on the seventh day ...
The sixth month of the lunar calendar is the seas...
Introduction: The God of Wealth has an important p...