First Moon

Among the Hsien of the Middle Kingdom, First Moon is the Spring festival of the New Year.

Overview

First Moon is one of the longer and more elaborate Moon Festivals, taking place over the course of many days each with their own special meaning and significance. The first if the birthday of fowl, the second of dogs, the third of pigs, the fourth of ducks, etc... until the seventh day which celebrates the birth of humans and is a day of rest. Traditionally on the seventh day men must eat seven red beans and women fourteen red beans to ensure good health throughout the year. At about the same time, Li Ch'un, or the formal beginning of spring, is celebrated with a feast. In the past this included a sacrifice of oxen or other livestock to the gods. Today the offerings are smaller but no less heartfelt.

The fifteenth day of the month is the Feast of Lanterns when offerings are made to the gods in the hope of receiving peace and longevity. Offerings to heaven are made on the eighteenth day and on the nineteenth, families gather together. Wives visit their parents and most families retire early. Towards the end of the month fairs open near most major cities.

Fortunes

• Festival of the First Moon - Wood
• Tsai Chen: the God of Wealth - Earth
• Li Ch'un - Wood

References

1. CTD. Land of Eight Million Dreams, pp. 46, 109.