Tuesday, February 26, 2013

2013 Chinese New Year 3: 初九,拜天公


The 9th day of Chinese New Year is the new year for Hokkien, which also when the Hokkiens 拜天公 (pronouns as "bai ti gong").

Many many years ago, at Jing Men in Taiwan, there was a war. The soldiers told themselves, whenever the war stop, that day would be their New Year. So the war stopped on the 9th day of Chinese New Year.

And sometimes you will see sugarcanes at the house or while the Hokkiens are praying the god, it's because the Hokkien soldiers were hiding behind the sugarcanes back then. 

So the Hokkiens 拜天公 on the 8th day of Chinese New Year at 11pm. The picture above shows how we 拜天公, we face the sky or outside the house. 



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