Sending Off of Kitchen Deity for Wu Zi Year (灶君返天儀式簡介)

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Within another 10 Days, the Taoists and Chinese will be ushering in the Lunar New Year, but usually before we usher in the New Prosperity Year, we Taoists needed to perform a very important Task - Conducting an Official but Simple Sending Off of Kitchen Deity back to Heaven.

Last Year, I had touched on some Practises in the Sending Off of Kitchen Deity at: http://javewutaoismplace.blogspot.sg/2008/01/la-yue-customs-lunar-12-month-customs_9407.html, this Year, I will like to add on a bit on the Sending Off in-order to make it a more complete introduction.

As everyone knows that, in Taoism, Kitchen Deity is a Deity that stay hold in everyone's Home to do protection and also, to do recording of everyone's Merit & Credit.

Alot of Folks might not realised that, actually in every Chinese Home (with or without an Altar set for Kitchen Deity), Kitchen Deity will present to do the guarding and recording. But due to the Modern People's Thinking, without an Altar, there wont need to have any form of Sending Off, which this is not True & Accurate.

Due to the changes in the Fast & Modern Society, a lot of our Taoists and Chinese had tend to give up alot of our precious Culture and at the end, resulting in the losing and ending of certain Good Practices and Knowledge.

So for those who claimed that they are the Descendants of our Dearest Yellow Emperor, we shall try our best to keep such Culture & Practices going on, best to pass-down Generation by Generation.

Okay, let us move back to the Main Topic.

For those who does not have an Altar set for Kitchen Deity, you just need to keep it simple and official, just prepared the necessary items as shown below and I'm sure Kitchen Deity will be able to get your Sincerity and understand your Faithfulness.

For those who have an Altar for the Kitchen Deity, then this will be a Must-to-Task for this Period.

So when do oneself needed to Send Off Kitchen Deity?

According to Traditional Chinese Customs, here's the List of Sending Off for different Group of People:

1) 23rd Night of Lunar 12 Month - Before 0000 Hour in Singapore & Malaysia

The Family who had Ancestors being Bestowed by the Imperial Court as Officer or the Family is related to the Imperial Court (such as Dukes, Lords, etc)

2) 24th Morning of Lunar 12 Month - From 0400 Hour to 0900 Hour in Singapore & Malaysia

The Normal Family aka Commoners

3) 25th Morning of Lunar 12 Month - From 0400 Hour to 0600 Hour in Singapore & Malaysia

The Poor Families. This may sound a bit weird and unpleasant, but yes, this is the Culture of the Sending Off of Kitchen Deity. Reason for the Poor Families to send off the Kitchen Deity at this Day and this Timing - to allow Kitchen Deity to know that the Family is too poor to have enough Funding for the Offerings, hope that Kitchen Deity can assist in reporting this issue to Jade Emperor of Heaven, in order to get the necessary Good Blessing for the next Lunar New Year.

Another reason is that, allow Jade Emperor of Heaven to notice of the Family's situation while Jade Emperor of Heaven is conducting his Inspection of the Mortal World.

Okay, now let us proceed with the preparation of the Offerings.

Food Offerings

1) 1 Set of Oranges (一副桔子)

2) Nian Gao aka New Year Glutinous Rice Cake (年糕)

 

3) Fa Gao aka Huat Kueh (發糕)

 

4) Ji Hong aka Kiat Hong (吉紅)

 

5) Chun Fan aka Spring Rice (春飯 a Bowl of Cooked Rice with the Paper Spring Flower) - Hokkien Clan

6) Rice Wine aka Bai Mi Jiu (白米酒)


7) Chinese Tea (上等茶)

8) 3 types of Meat Offerings (三牲 Chicken, Duck & Fish or Roast-meat, Cuttlefish & Chicken) - Optional

Incenses & Paper Offerings

1) 1 Set of Good Quality Long Incenses (長壽香 about 48 cm)

2) 1 Pair of Red Candles or Dou Zhu (紅燭/斗燭)

3) 3 Stacks of Tian Gong Jin aka Tai Ji Jin (天公金/太極金 ) - For Official Families

4) 3 Stacks of Shou Jin aka San Bao Jin (壽金/三寶金 )

5) 1 Stacks/Packs Da Gui Ren aka Men Wai Gui Ren Lu Ma Zhi (大貴人/門外貴人祿馬祇 )

6) 1 Stacks/Packs Gui Ren Zhi (貴人紙 )

7) 1 set of Orange Paper Robe (一副橙色神袍 )

8) Song Shen Ma aka Sending-off Paper (送神甲馬)

Once All the necessary Offerings are being prepared, on the Sending Off Day, you can lay them out onto the Altar before the Ceremony is Officially Initiated.

When the timing hit-on, you can start to make your respect the Kitchen Deity, reporting to him that today is the Sending Off Day, hoping that he will bring back Good Blessing for the Lunar New Year while he returned.

For those who are conducting the Sending Off in the Morning, remember to do it before 11.00Am.

After 15 Minutes from the Offering of the Incenses, burn off the Paper-offerings, once the Paper-offerings are being sent off, the Ceremony will considered as completed.

Remain the Offerings on the Altar until the Eve of Lunar New Year.

So when do we Usher Back the Kitchen Deity?

In Chinese Customs, there are 2 Dates:

1) Eve of Lunar New Year before 8.00Pm

2) 4th Day of Lunar New Year before 8.00Pm

So what to prepare while Ushering Back?

1) 1 set of Oranges

2) Chinese Teas

3) 1 Stacks of Shou Jin aka San Bao Jin (壽金/三寶金 )

4) Ying Shen Ma aka Ushering-back Paper (迎神甲馬)

Place all the Prepared Offerings on the Altar and then light 3 Incenses to report to Kitchen Deity that the Whole Family sincerely Usher him back into the Home.

Again, after 15 Minutes, burn off the Paper-offerings and the whole Ushering Back will considered as done.

Last of All, wished All of you here will be Blessed by our Kitchen Deity with Good Luck and Prosperity.