Lantern Festival

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Lantern Festival

发布时间：2020-08-08

This is when Cuiheng Village is the liveliest in a year. Early in the morning of January 15 of the lunar calendar, all villagers, men or women, old or young, will go to Beiji Hall to burn incenses, worship and draw divination sticks. The villagers will also invite their relatives and friends from all places to join them in the celebration and add the liveliness.

On the day of the Lantern Festival in each year, the villagers will carry the joss of the Pak Tai God(Road God), strike gongs, beat drums, hold banners and dress up as historical figures in cruising along the main roads in and around the village to pray for safety and soundness of the whole village in the upcoming year.

In the evening of the Lantern Festival, a grand activity of "shooting up firecrackers" is carried out in front of Beiji Palace. The firecrackers are divided into two types: first, second and third firecrackers; "grandson firecrackers". In unlimited quantity, the so-called "grandson firecrackers" can be taken back home to be enshrined so long as contributions are made to Beiji Hall and a ceremony is held by the temple attendant. There is only one first firecracker so that the scramble for it is the "finale" in the evening of the festival. After all the villagers gather before the village temple, lion dance and marshal art performances will be held in celebration of the day. Then, the village head will preside over the igniting of the first cracker.Thefirst crackerwill then shoot into the air and blow up there. Afterthe "filling" in the first firecracker drops,whoever snagitwill receive the blessing of the Pak Tai God and remain safe in all seasons of a whole year. By January 15 of the lunar calendar of the next year, the worshipper is supposed to return the "filling" to the temple respectfully along with some rice to thank the god for the blessing.