THANKING TAI SUI

My mum with the Tai Sui offering set
Some of the people praying to Tai Sui
A lady kneeling down with prayer set and saying her gratitude to Tai Sui

My mum pouring oil onto the lamps

At the beginning of each new year, the Taoists would go and pray to the reigning Tai Sui for the year the Grand Duke Jupiter to ask for blessings for a smooth and peaceful year ahead. Then a few days before the Winter Solstice (which usually falls on the 22nd of December), those who had asked for the favour from Tai Sui would head to the temples in which they had gone to ask for the blessings to show their gratitude to Tai Sui. They would bring along 5 fruits, 5 pieces of Fatt Koe (a type of chinese cake) and a bottle of oil. At the temple they purchase some joss-sticks, candles and prayer papers and write their particulars on the paper. After lighting the joss-sticks and candles and placing them on all the urns inside and outside of the temple, they get the help of one of the temple people to recite their thanks to the deity.

I went with my mum to the Paloh Old Temple to offer our prayers of thanks to Tai Sui this afternoon. They were quite a lot of people who had also gone there for the same purpose. By the way not everyone need to perform the special prayers to Tai Sui. It is usually those offending or conflicting with Tai Sui who are advised to do so. Anyway, my mum and I usually pray to Tai Sui every year even if our animal zodiacs are not in conflict. We are Kiasu people. It is better to have Tai Sui on our side.