Many days in lunar calendar are significant meaning for Chinese. For example, 15th, January is lantern festival; 5th, May is dragon boat festival; 15th, August is moon festival. Each one has its own history or fable. Before lunar New Year, the last special day in lunar calendar is 24th, December which we send Chinese gods back to court of heaven.
Actually, the fable of 24th, December is that Chinese gods, Tai Sui and Kitchen god was sent back court of heaven. Totally, there are 60 Tai Suis in Chinese gods, and they will come and turn every year, so we have to send back Tai Sui every year too. The fable of kitchen god is that Jade emperor will appoint kitchen gods to families to supervise them whether their behavior is good or not, so kitchen gods will be sent back every year. People will offer sweet food and thank kitchen god in order to let kitchen god tell Jade emperor the word of praise.
For a long time, people send back Tai Sui and kitchen god went back court of heaven in Chinese traditional culture, so 24th, December was become a festival which people send all Chinese gods back to court of heaven. All the gods will leave joss on 24th, December, and then people will clean the joss and the table of joss in order to welcome gods back on 4th, January.
Chinese sent back gods that was a traditional activity when the god was offered in the private house in agricultural society. Currently, we are living in industrial society which people don’t have offered gods in house and recent houses haven’t enough space to offer gods. Finally, 24th, December has been forgotten more and more.
沒有留言:
張貼留言