CELEBRATION OF KUAN YIN'S BIRTHDAY

Actually there are three celebrations to honour Kuan Yin or the Goddess of Mercy each year. Last Sunday which was the nineteenth day of the second lunar month was the first celebration. The second will be on the nineteenth day of the sixth lunar month and the last is on the nineteenth day of the ninth lunar month. According to my mum, the main festival to celebrate Kuan Yin's birthday is the one in the sixth lunar month.

My godmother told me that those who are born on the nineteenth day of the sixth lunar month would face a lot of challenges in life but they will be blessed with a tough disposition to carry on. I actually know two persons born on such a day. One is a lady who runs a vegetarian restaurant. She had married early and had three children. After giving birth to her third child her husband left her to fend for herself and her children. That was more than ten years ago. Her children are grown-up now. If my memory serves me, one of her children died a few years back. She told me that her life has been very challenging thus far but I noticed that she seems to be one very strong lady.

The other person I know is the son of my friend. The little boy is only 5 years old this year. His mum died when he was barely one year old. When the boy was born, I had noticed that it was on Kuan Yin's birthday and I did remember what my godmother told me about those born on that particular date. I actually did not really put much into the significance of her words until the little boy's mum became seriously ill and finally succumbing to her illness at only twenty years of age.
For the Chinese, if their children happen to be born on such a type of date, they would usually find godparents for them. Better still if the godparents are very much older. In such a way, the luck of the child would become better. For the Taoists, they would look for some Deities to be the Godparent of the child. The Goddess of Mercy is one of the most popular Godparents among the pantheon of Taoists deities. And it is usually during celebrations of Her birthdays that a ceremony is held for them to be officially 'adopted' by Kuan Yin. The Goddess will then protect and keep Her godchildren safe from harm's way.