Know why sugar cane stalks are a must during the prayer ceremony for the Jade Emperor during the ninth day of the first lunar month?
Firstly, sugar cane (kam chia) in the Hokkien dialect sounds like thank you (kam siah) and since the ninth day of the Chinese New Year is also the birthday of the Jade Emperor, a pair of sugar cane is a must during the thanksgiving ceremony to this Taoist deity. The sugar canes will be propped up or leaned against the gate of the main entrance to the house. At the end of the ceremony, the sugar cane leaves are burnt along with the yellow paper (kim jua) which is burnt with the paper replica of the Jade Emperor's heavenly palace.According to legend, the people of the Fukien (Hokkien) province in China were under bondage to demonic forces and weren't able to celebrate new year for a long time. Then along came the Jade Empero, Who descended on earth on the eighth day of the lunar new year and liberated them at midnight.
It was during the battle between the Jade Emperor and the demonic forces that Hokkien people hid in the sugar cane plantations. After good had triumphed over evil, the Hokkien people came out to celebrate the new year for the first time, hence the thanksgiving. At that time, the people wanted to give thanks to the Jade Emperor and also honour him on his birthday on the ninth day of the lunar new year but unfortunately at that time they did not have anything except sugar canes to worship with. And so that was why the tradition of using sugar canes to thank the Jade Emperor on the eighth night of the lunar new year has carried on until present day.
Here is a related article on this celebration.
Hokkiens rush to buy stuff to please the Jade Emperor
By HAN KAR KAY
hankk@thestar.com.my
GEORGE TOWN: The Hokkien Taoist community thronged markets here to buy various items and offerings as they prepared for the Thnee Kong Seh (Jade Emperor's birthday) celebration.
Among the items which sold like hot cakes were the ngor siew th'ng (pink pagoda-shaped candy), bit chien (skewered sweets), bee koe (sweet glutinous rice) and pineapple-shaped thnee kong kim (gold for the God of Heaven).
Also popular was the thnee kong poh (offerings folded in gold-coloured paper for the Jade Emperor).
A must were sugar cane stalks, which play a significant role in the festival because the Hokkiens believe that their ancestors from Fujian province in China survived persecution from Sung Dynasty soldiers by hiding in a sugar cane plantation for nine days during Chinese New Year. They emerged unharmed on the Jade Emperor's birthday and believed that they were protected by the god.
At the Chowrasta Market yesterday, sugar cane seller Tan Weng Chaw, 56, said that he sold more than 200 long leafy stalks.
“The figure is more or less the same compared to previous years,” he said, adding that each stalk costs between RM5 and RM6.
Also enjoying brisk business was Ong Jeng Teik, 60, who sold some 40ngor siew th'ng within a few hours. He sells the pagoda-shaped candy for between RM10 and RM12 a packet.
“Customers like to buy the candy and glutinous rice to mark the Jade Emperor's birthday,” Ong said.
Devotees were also seen looking for giant-sized thnee kong poh at shops in Carnavon Street.
Trader A.L. Chan, who has been selling prayer items for more than 10 years, said the locally made offerings in gold-coloured paper were popular among the Hokkiens.
Although the Jade Emperor's birthday falls on the ninth day of Chinese New Year tomorrow, the grand celebration will kick off tonight.
Devotees will set up altars and offer various prayer items and food to honour the Jade Emperor.
A focal point of the celebration here is Thni Kong Tnua (Jade Emperor Temple) at the foot of Penang Hill, where thousands of devotees usually pay homage to the deity.
Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2013/2/17/nation/12722835&sec=nation
Hokkiens rush to buy stuff to please the Jade Emperor
By HAN KAR KAY
hankk@thestar.com.my
GEORGE TOWN: The Hokkien Taoist community thronged markets here to buy various items and offerings as they prepared for the Thnee Kong Seh (Jade Emperor's birthday) celebration.
Among the items which sold like hot cakes were the ngor siew th'ng (pink pagoda-shaped candy), bit chien (skewered sweets), bee koe (sweet glutinous rice) and pineapple-shaped thnee kong kim (gold for the God of Heaven).
Also popular was the thnee kong poh (offerings folded in gold-coloured paper for the Jade Emperor).
A must were sugar cane stalks, which play a significant role in the festival because the Hokkiens believe that their ancestors from Fujian province in China survived persecution from Sung Dynasty soldiers by hiding in a sugar cane plantation for nine days during Chinese New Year. They emerged unharmed on the Jade Emperor's birthday and believed that they were protected by the god.
At the Chowrasta Market yesterday, sugar cane seller Tan Weng Chaw, 56, said that he sold more than 200 long leafy stalks.
“The figure is more or less the same compared to previous years,” he said, adding that each stalk costs between RM5 and RM6.
Also enjoying brisk business was Ong Jeng Teik, 60, who sold some 40ngor siew th'ng within a few hours. He sells the pagoda-shaped candy for between RM10 and RM12 a packet.
“Customers like to buy the candy and glutinous rice to mark the Jade Emperor's birthday,” Ong said.
Devotees were also seen looking for giant-sized thnee kong poh at shops in Carnavon Street.
Trader A.L. Chan, who has been selling prayer items for more than 10 years, said the locally made offerings in gold-coloured paper were popular among the Hokkiens.
Although the Jade Emperor's birthday falls on the ninth day of Chinese New Year tomorrow, the grand celebration will kick off tonight.
Devotees will set up altars and offer various prayer items and food to honour the Jade Emperor.
A focal point of the celebration here is Thni Kong Tnua (Jade Emperor Temple) at the foot of Penang Hill, where thousands of devotees usually pay homage to the deity.
Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2013/2/17/nation/12722835&sec=nation
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