CHINESE FESTIVALS, FEASTS, AND OBSERVANCES.
19
Fête of Hinen T'ien Shang-ti, the supreme ruler of the Sombre heavens, or
Peh-te, Tauist god of the North Pole.
Fête of Chang Fi (see 27th August).
Fête of I-ling, a deified physician, and of the god of the Sombre Altar, wor-
shipped on behalf of sick children.
Fête of Heu Tu, the goddess worshipped behind graves; of the god of the
Central mountain, and of the three brothers.
Fête of Tien Heu, Queen of Heaven, Holy mother, goddess of sailors. Fête of Tsz Sun, goddess of progeny.
National Festival of Ts'ang Kieh, inventor of writing.
Summer sets in.
April III Moon.
28
ཌཋ ཿ༔ བླློཊྛིཾ༠༠༠༠ ཌཧཱ 8སོ8t88
11
1
First day of the third moon.
13
8
14
25
15
18
23
26
28
29
IV. Moon.
11
1
14
A
18
8
20
10
24
14
25
15
17
18
30
20
June.
2
23
7
10
14
T.
28
Moon.
1
5
20
11 13
16
R**
27
18
July. VI. Moon. July.
1
21
13
27
19
29
21
Aug.
24
1
VII. Moon.
1
First day of the fourth moon.
Fête of the Bodhisattva Mandjushri; worshipped on behalf of the dead. Fête of San Kai, ruler of heaven, of earth, and of hades; also a fête of
Buddha.
Fête of the dragon spirits of the ground.
Fête of Lü Sien, Tauist patriarch, worshipped by barbers. Fête of Chung Li-kien, discoverer of the elixir vitæ.
Fête of Kin Hwa, the Cantonese goddess of parturition.
Fête of Wa To, a deified physician, and of Tsz Mi, the star god of malaria, Fête of the goddess of the blind.
Fête of Samanta Bhadra, patron of monasteries. Fête of Yoh Wong, the Tauist god of medicine.
First day of the fifth moon. Fête of the god of the South pole. National fête day. Dragon boat festival and boat races. On this day the Cantonese frantically paddle about in long narrow boats much orna- mented. In each boat is a large drum and other musical instruments used to incite the crew to greater exertions. The festival is called Pa Lung Shun or Tiu Wat Uen, and is held to commemorate the death of the Prince of Tsoo, who, neglecting the advice of his faithful Minister Wat Uen, drowned himself about B.C. 500.
National fête of Sheng Wang, the tutelary god of walled towns. National fête of Kwân Ti, god of war, and of his son General Kwan. Fête of Chang Tao-ling (A.D. 34), ancient head of the Tanist sect. His des- cendants still continue to claim the headship. It is said "the succes- sion is perpetuated by the transmigration of the soul of each successor of Chang Tao-ling, on his decease, to the body of some youthful member of the family, whose heirship is supernaturally revealed as soon as the miracle is effected. Fête of Shakyamuni Buddha, the founder of Bud, dhism.
Summer solstice.
The first day of the sixth moon.
Fête of Lu Pan, the god of carpenters and masons. Fête of the goddess of mercy.
Fête of the god of horses.
Anniversary of Kwin Ti's ascent to heaven. Fête of Chuh Yung, the spirit
of fire; and of the god of thunder.
First day of the seventh moon. During this moon is held the festival of all souls, when Buddhist and Tauist priests read masses to release souls from purgatory, scatter rice to feed starving ghosts, recite magic incanta- tions accompanied by finger play imitating mystic Sanskrit characters which are supposed to comfort souls in purgatory, burn paper clothes for the benefit of the souls of the drowned, and visit family shrines to pray on behalf of the deceased members of the family. Exhibitions of groups of statuettes, dwarf plants, silk festoons, and ancestral tablets are com- bined with these ceremonies, which are enlivened by music and fire- works. Fête day of Lao Tasu, the founder of Tanism.
Page 30Page 31
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.