Is there any tradition in the north about worshipping the God of Wealth on the second day of the first lunar month? Legend of the God of Wealth
Introduction: In our folk legends, the God of Wealth is the deity in charge of the wealth of the world, and therefore he is widely believed by people. The second day of the first lunar month is the day to worship the God of Wealth in northern China. So, is there any tradition about worshiping the God of Wealth on the second day of the first lunar month? Are there any issues I need to pay attention to? Now, let’s follow the editor to take a look. The festive culture of the Chinese New Year is rich and colorful, and extraordinary. If you want to know more related content, just search in the Spring Festival special topic carefully compiled by Mr. Shui Mo!Worship the God of WealthPeople in the north worship the God of Wealth on the second day of the first lunar month. On this day, both commercial shops and ordinary families hold activities to worship the God of Wealth. Every family offers sacrifice to the God of Wealth welcomed on New Year's Eve. In fact, the crude prints purchased were burned. At noon on this day, people eat wontons, commonly known as "yuanbao soup". The sacrificial offerings were fish and mutton. The big businesses in old Beijing all held large-scale sacrificial activities on this day. The sacrifices had to be the "five major offerings", namely a whole pig, a whole sheep, a whole chicken, a whole duck, and a live red carp, etc., in the hope of getting rich this year.Successive Gods of WealthThere are different opinions about who the God of Wealth is. There are mainly the following:Zhao Gongming, also known as Zhao Xuantan, was ordered by Zhang Tianshi to guard Xuantan. This person comes from "The Investiture of the Gods", and Jiang Ziya named him "the God of the Golden Dragon Ruyi Zhengyi Longhu Xuantan Zhenjun". Zhao Minglang, courtesy name Gongming, is the god of Xuanwu in Taoism, commonly known as Master Zhao Gong. This theory comes from the Complete Collection of Three Religions' Gods. The full title of the saint is: "Marshal Zhao, the General Manager of the Shangqing Zhengyi Xuantan Flying Tiger Golden Wheel Law Enforcement". Fan Li: A minister under King Gou Jian of Yue during the Spring and Autumn Period. He helped the king defeat the State of Wu. Later he made a fortune in business and changed his name to Tao Zhugong. Later generations regarded him as the God of Wealth. Guan Yu: Guan Yu in the Three Kingdoms is an "all-round" character who values loyalty the most. Later generations equate "righteousness" with "profit" and worship him as the God of Wealth. Most businesses worship Guan Yu, believing that he can protect their businesses. Among the above-mentioned gods of wealth, Zhao Gong Tianshi is the authentic god of wealth, Fan Li is called the civil god of wealth, and Guan Yu is called the military god of wealth. In addition, there are those who worship Taibai Star, called "God of Wealth". Because Taibai Star is also called Venus, it is associated with the God of Wealth. There are also those who regard the Monkey King and the Fortune Boy as the God of Wealth. The deity worshipped by the people mostly is Zhao Gongming. His printed image is very majestic, with a black face and thick beard, wearing a helmet and armor, and holding a whip in his hand. There are patterns of cornucopias, big ingots, corals and the like painted around him to set off the rich and luxurious effect. Temple of the God of WealthThe second day of the Lunar New Year is the day for old Beijingers to worship the God of Wealth. On this day, people would rush to the God of Wealth’s temple to burn the “first stick of incense”.There are two temples of the God of Wealth in old Beijing. One is at Liuli Bridge outside Guang'anmen, called the "Wuxian God of Wealth Temple". A temple fair is held from the second to the sixteenth day of the first lunar month every year, so the second day becomes the day to worship the God of Wealth. But in fact, according to legend, the God of Wealth's birthday is the fifth day. In the past, pilgrims would wait outside the temple and at the Guang'an Gate in the middle of the night in order to get the first incense stick. After the incense burning is finished, you also have to "invite" some red velvet flowers with the words "Fu" and "Shou" written on them, gold-cut paper flowers, gold ingots, etc. from the Temple of the God of Wealth to take home. This means inviting "Fu" home. If one gets rich in the next year, one has to go to the temple again to fulfill a vow, return the paper gold ingots that were "invited" home last year to the temple, and buy double the amount of new paper gold ingots. The temple keeper will also get rich because of this. Because there are too many people coming to burn incense on the second day of the Lunar New Year every year, many people cannot enter, so they light incense at the temple gate and throw it into the temple. This poses a hidden danger to fire protection, so the temple uses large wooden barrels to hold water, ready to pour water to put out fires at any time. Whoever is splashed with water is believed to become rich in the coming year, because "water" brings wealth. The "Wuxian God of Wealth Temple" temple fair was discontinued in the 1950s. The temple was demolished when the overpass was built in 1987. Today, there are two ancient trees as the only remaining relics of the temple. Another temple of the God of Wealth in Beijing is the "Huangwa God of Wealth Temple", located on the east side of the south entrance of Beiluoguxiang. The temple was first built in the late Ming Dynasty. The God of Wealth is divided into civil and military gods, Zhao Gongming. In 2005, as part of the Gulou East Street style protection and environmental improvement project, non-cultural heritage buildings around the Temple of the God of Wealth were demolished, the main hall was exposed, and renovations were carried out. In addition to these two temples of the God of Wealth, Beijing also has a Zhurong Temple. Because fire represents wealth, some people also come here to pray for wealth on the second day of the Lunar New Year. Legend of the God of WealthIt is said that the God of Wealth is worshipped by rich people, and he will not appear if worshipped by poor people. There is a story about "The God of Wealth Divorcing His Wife" circulating among the people: Once upon a time, the God of Wealth in the God of Wealth Temple was always accompanied by a dignified and beautiful Goddess of Wealth. Later, this kind female Bodhisattva suddenly disappeared. It turned out that she was divorced by the God of Wealth.Why did the God of Wealth want to divorce his wife? This story begins with a beggar. There was a beggar who was so poor that he had nowhere to go. He passed by an ancient temple while begging for food. After entering the temple, he did not worship any Bodhisattvas, but only went to the statue of the God of Wealth, bowed down and prayed to the God of Wealth for wealth. When Marshal Zhao saw that it was a beggar, he thought to himself, "He can't even afford to light incense and candles, so how can he come to ask for wealth?" There are so many poor beggars in the world, can I help them all? But the beggar thought the opposite. He believed that the God of Wealth would always help the poor. If the rich didn't have enough food and clothing, what was the point of asking for money? And he kept on worshipping. At this time, the Goddess of Wealth was moved with compassion and wanted to wake up the sleepy God of Wealth and persuade him to be kind and give some alms to the beggar. But the God of Wealth ignored him, yawned twice and closed his eyes. Although she is the Goddess of Wealth, the financial power is in the hands of her husband. How can she give money to a beggar without her husband's approval? The queen had no choice but to take off her earrings and throw them to the beggar. The beggar suddenly felt something thrown down from the shrine. It was a pair of gold earrings. He knew it was a gift from the God of Wealth. He kowtowed hurriedly and shouted "Thank you, God of Wealth" repeatedly. When the God of Wealth opened his eyes, he discovered that the goddess had given the token of love that he had given her to a poor beggar. He became furious and drove the God of Wealth out of the shrine. Since then, for hundreds of years no poor person became rich by worshiping the God of Wealth. Summary: Through the above article, we have a certain understanding of the origin of the northern custom of worshiping the God of Wealth on the second day of the first lunar month and the legend about the God of Wealth. I hope that the above article can help you gain some knowledge or serve as a reference. I wish you all the favor of the God of Wealth and prosperity in the new year! |
<<: How much do you know about the differences between the Spring Festival and New Year’s Eve?
Recommend
What's a good name for a girl born on the Ghost Festival in 2021 whose five elements lack water?
Naming a baby is a relatively profound subject. It...
What flowers should I send on Labor Day? What flowers have good meanings when sending on May Day?
May 1st Labor Day, also known as International Lab...
Is it good to give birth to a girl on the second day of the twelfth lunar month in 2018? What are the auspicious and inauspicious days?
The birth of a baby is a crucial moment for every ...
Is the 29th day of the second lunar month in 2018 suitable for funerals?
China has a history of about 5,000 years. Funerals...
Query of auspicious times on March 11, 2019, and query of auspicious and unlucky times
An ancient poem says, "Fireworks are everywh...
Which zodiac signs are in conflict with the Winter Solstice in 2019? Is it not suitable to move into a new house on the Winter Solstice in 2019?
Introduction: Different days have different inausp...
Can I go out on July 29th of the lunar calendar in 2022? Is this a suitable day to travel?
The seventh month of the lunar calendar is coming ...
Can I hold a wedding on the sixth day of the third lunar month in 2020? Is it okay to get engaged or married?
Everyone is full of fantasies about their own wed...
2019 New Year's greetings and blessings for the 11th day of the first lunar month
The Spring Festival is one of the major festivals ...
Is it a good idea to get engaged on August 23, 2019? Does the Beginning of Autumn represent the end of summer?
Introduction: Engagement is also an important even...
Which anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China is the National Day in 2018? How many days of holiday will there be for the National Day in 2018?
Introduction: National Day is an important festiva...
Is it possible to pray for an offspring on August 29th of the lunar calendar in 2019? When is the due date?
According to medical regulations, the expected dat...
Analysis of the 27th day of the second lunar month in 2022, is it a good time to start renovation?
Different days have different good and bad times. ...
Is it good to be born on the Dragon Boat Festival for a person of the Sheep Zodiac? What is the fate like?
When talking about the fate of the zodiac, we ofte...
Is it possible to pray for a child on the ninth day of the fifth lunar month in 2019? When is the due date?
Every day is changing, and the do’s and don’ts of ...