The Last Free Dinner Day before Chinese New Year
The 16th lunar day of 12th Chinese Lunar Month
Every the second and 16th day of the lunar month, the family worship The God of Local Land (like town mayor) with food and sacrifice. If the family run a business, they will treat employees dinner at the nights of 2nd and 16th lunar days. The 16th day of 12th lunar month is the employee last free dinner of the year (like Christmas Party dinner). One thing special is worth to mention. Usually there is whole chicken as the sacrifice on the table. The boss put the chicken head pointing to an employee, that means he or she is fired. If the chicken head points to boss, then nobody is fired. Therefore, not everyone really wants to attend this free dinner. Probably, no one serves chicken head on the table today.
Why do Chinese want to worship the God of Local Land? The answer is simple - bribery with food. Chinese hope that God of Local Land will mention something about their good conduct, not bad behavior when The God of Local Land returns to the heaven and reports to the God of Heaven. The God of Local Land is the lowest rank officer among the Taoism and he is the one the most closest to people. We can find his statue in many small roadside shines today.
More stories about The God of Local Land...
Some Chinese treat the God of the Local Land as the God of Wealth. They must ask the God of the Local Land for their money luck before. the God of the Local Land make their dream fulfilled.
Chinese New Year Articles
By Master Allen Tsai on November 1, 2021