Peachy day for goddess' birthday
By Zhang Qian |
April 12, 2013, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
GODS and goddess, sprites and fairies all around China are rushing to the abode of immortals to attend the birthday banquet today of the Western Mother Goddess.
It's more often called the Immortal Peach Banquet because the legendary peaches of immortality are served - peaches are a symbol of longevity - washed down with fairy wine.
The peaches are said to blossom once very 3,000 years and to bear fruit 3,000 years later. They belong to the legendary Western Mother Goddess who only shares them with other gods and goddesses on her birthday - the third day of the third month on the Chinese lunar calendar (today). Many Chinese, especially Taoist followers, see the Western Mother Goddess as the symbol of longevity.
The most famous Immortal Peach Party is, of course, the one that was ruined by Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, who was ordered to guard the peaches but instead, angry that he wasn't invited. He ate them all and drank all the wine. He became immortal and caused tremendous uproar in heaven.
This day is also known as the Shangsi Festival, referring both to the lunar calendar day and ancient method of calculation by 12 earthly branches.
And the Western Mother Goddess is not the only mythic figure born on this day. The Yellow Emperor, the legendary ancestor of all Chinese, and Zhenwu Dadi, the Taoist god of war and military arts, also celebrate their birthday on the Shangsi Festival.
Rituals of celebration will be held in Taoist temples where followers pray, chant and burn incense. Some people burn incense at home.
Beware the netherworld
Washing oneself in the river is an ancient tradition on the festival to prevent catching diseases when yin and yang energies change shift in the universe in early spring.
The tradition was later expanded to various water-side activities including banquet at the river lake, floating egg or jujube in the river and dating.
On the Shangsi Festival, people should be careful since it is one of the days when the gate between the world of the living and the dead opens and mortals can move into other realm.
According to legend, the streets in the underworld are brightly lighted and there are lion dances, dragon boats and flower boats. The underworld is even more alluring than the world of the living during Spring Festival, the Chinese lunar New Year.
Many spirits of the living may be seduced to enter the next world, watching the fun and visiting their ancestors. Most return to their mortal bodies at dawn, but some party so much that they forget to return. Monks or Taoist priest can summon some spirits back, but some may die since their spirit has been gone from the body for too long.
Guanyin, the goddess of mercy, was begged for help to keep mortals safe from seduction by the underworld on this day. She appeared in an old woman's dream and gave her fairy grass to make baba, a sticky rice cake, that would protect humans. When the woman awakened, she was holding wormwood, a potent ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine. She spread the word and everyone made wormwood baba. Nobody died on the festival and baba became a traditional food on the Shangsi Festival.
It's more often called the Immortal Peach Banquet because the legendary peaches of immortality are served - peaches are a symbol of longevity - washed down with fairy wine.
The peaches are said to blossom once very 3,000 years and to bear fruit 3,000 years later. They belong to the legendary Western Mother Goddess who only shares them with other gods and goddesses on her birthday - the third day of the third month on the Chinese lunar calendar (today). Many Chinese, especially Taoist followers, see the Western Mother Goddess as the symbol of longevity.
The most famous Immortal Peach Party is, of course, the one that was ruined by Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, who was ordered to guard the peaches but instead, angry that he wasn't invited. He ate them all and drank all the wine. He became immortal and caused tremendous uproar in heaven.
This day is also known as the Shangsi Festival, referring both to the lunar calendar day and ancient method of calculation by 12 earthly branches.
And the Western Mother Goddess is not the only mythic figure born on this day. The Yellow Emperor, the legendary ancestor of all Chinese, and Zhenwu Dadi, the Taoist god of war and military arts, also celebrate their birthday on the Shangsi Festival.
Rituals of celebration will be held in Taoist temples where followers pray, chant and burn incense. Some people burn incense at home.
Beware the netherworld
Washing oneself in the river is an ancient tradition on the festival to prevent catching diseases when yin and yang energies change shift in the universe in early spring.
The tradition was later expanded to various water-side activities including banquet at the river lake, floating egg or jujube in the river and dating.
On the Shangsi Festival, people should be careful since it is one of the days when the gate between the world of the living and the dead opens and mortals can move into other realm.
According to legend, the streets in the underworld are brightly lighted and there are lion dances, dragon boats and flower boats. The underworld is even more alluring than the world of the living during Spring Festival, the Chinese lunar New Year.
Many spirits of the living may be seduced to enter the next world, watching the fun and visiting their ancestors. Most return to their mortal bodies at dawn, but some party so much that they forget to return. Monks or Taoist priest can summon some spirits back, but some may die since their spirit has been gone from the body for too long.
Guanyin, the goddess of mercy, was begged for help to keep mortals safe from seduction by the underworld on this day. She appeared in an old woman's dream and gave her fairy grass to make baba, a sticky rice cake, that would protect humans. When the woman awakened, she was holding wormwood, a potent ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine. She spread the word and everyone made wormwood baba. Nobody died on the festival and baba became a traditional food on the Shangsi Festival.
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