9th Day Of Chinese New Year
My boy gets a day off today as his school declared The 9th Day of Chinese New Year as a holiday. It's not a public holiday though as the holiday does not apply to all schools as I heard some of them are classes as usual. Each school is granted few days of "internal" holidays (not sure how many days though) declared at the discretion of the school management, so I was told.
The ninth day of the New Year is a day for Chinese to offer prayers to the Jade Emperor of Heaven (天宮) in the Taoist Pantheon. The ninth day is traditionally the birthday of the Jade Emperor. This day is especially important to Hokkiens. Come midnight of the eighth day of the new year, Hokkiens will offer thanks giving prayers to the Emperor of Heaven. Offerings will include sugarcane as it was the sugarcane that had protected the Hokkiens from certain extermination generations ago. Incense, tea, fruit, vegetarian food or roast pig, and paper gold is served as a customary protocol for paying respect to an honored person.
We do not celebrate it in a big way as the in-laws are Cantonese Chinese though today is a big day and considered even more important than the 1st day itself by the Hokkiens. My mom in-law will cook some simple dishes for offering to the ancestors and a dinner together if it coincides with a non-working day.
Labels: Celebrations
posted by Inspired Momx1 @ 9:42 AM
6 Comments:
I know this day is a big day for Hokkien. Sharp at 12am, for sure can hear 'pilipalak!!!..pilipalak!!..'..LOL!!
Thank god my anak anak tak ada sekolah,,,if not sure cannot wake up one lah,,,,,,,,,very very noisy here in my place Penang famous for this,
have a great weekend ya
It's a big celebration for the Hokkiens and everyone enjoys the firecrackers and fireworks the most, regardless adult or children. Too bad my daughter doesn't have holiday today, she needs to attend school with her heavy sleepy eyes.
This year is the first year I prayed to the Jade Emperor at my house. Will blog about it soon.
Actually i only knew this is a big day for hokkien after i come to KL. I think we don't have big celebration in Sibu on this day.
My in law are cantonese, they don't celebrate it. One of our neighbour down the road, every year he will get lion dance and light up firecrackers and fireworks, more happening than the chinese new year eve.
Its an important event for the Hokkien! Gotto prepare alot of food, burning incense and some firecrackers ^^
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