Exercises

New Year’s offerings

Photos courtesy of Bangkok Post

Chinese New Year isn’t just the beginning of a new year. It is a time full of special symbols, beliefs and customs. Read the story from the Bangkok Post to learn more about this important date on the Chinese calendar.

Shrines play an important and symbolic role in the celebration of Chinese New Year. Offerings are made to the celestial beings that are believed to inhabit these shrines. These spirits are believed to have the power to offer protection, help in difficult times and make businesses secure.

HOUSE PROTECTION

Chinese households usually have a shrine devoted to the god that watches over the house and its grounds. The small, red shrine is set on the floor inside the house. Offerings of tea and oranges are made to it every day.

During Chinese New Year, these offerings are increased to include boiled pork belly, boiled chicken, duck or steamed fish.

OFFERINGS TO ANCESTORS

After the household god has been worshipped for Chinese New Year, offerings are placed on a shelf where portraits of the ancestors are displayed. Offerings for the ancestors include pork, chicken, duck and long, fried wheat-flour noodles. The length of the noodles is symbolic of long life and security. Rice, liquor, tea and fruit are also commonly offered.

Ancestor worship must be completed before 11 am. Silver and gold paper are burned, symbolically sending money to the ancestors. Once offerings have been made to the household god and the ancestors, a feast is eaten by the family with friends and other relatives.

HOMELESS HELPINGS

In the afternoon, offerings are made to other spirits. Helpings of food are set outside for the homeless spirits that are believed to wander outside the house. Incense is lit to call upon the spirits and resin sticks are lit to provide light so that they can see what has been offered.

BUSINESS MEETINGS

In the case of households that run a family business, employees are invited to a meal, with the head of the household acting as host. In the past, these meals were conducted like meetings, summarising the achievements of the past year. If the host turned a chicken head towards a particular employee, it mean that they had been doing a good job.

SHRINE TIME

In the evening, offerings are taken to a local shrine to be presented to the deity. The offerings vary with the status of each household. Typical offerings include pork, chicken, duck, fish and fruit. Most offer oranges, which are considered essential.

Pork is considered to be the most important offering, as the pig is a large animal. When placing the offerings, pork is placed in the centre, with chicken and duck set beside it.

When different types of fruit are offered, oranges are usually placed in the centre. The most auspicious fruit of all is the peach, which represents long life. Peaches are also associated with beauty. A branch of a peach tree is believed to offer protection against ghosts and demons.

Exercises

Read the story. Then, answer the following true or false questions.

1. The orange is associated with beauty.

2. Resin sticks are used to call upon the homeless spirits.

3. Ancestor worship must be completed by noon.

4. Pork is the most important offering.

	shrine (n): a place where people come to worship because it is connected with a holy person or event offering (n): something that is given to a god as part of religious worship celestial (adj): of the sky or of heaven ancestor (n): a person in your family who lived a long time ago feast (n): a large or special meal, especially for a lot of people and to celebrate something wander (v): to walk slowly around or to a place, often without any particular sense of purpose or direction deity (n): a god or goddess auspicious (adj): showing signs that something is likely to be successful in the future