Tian Gong - The God of Heaven

Today is the eighth day of Chinese New Year (CNY), if I remember it correctly the Hokkien community performs a ritual where offerings are made to Tian Gong, the God of Heaven. To most of them the actual Chinese New Year begins on the 9th day. The history stated that there are an ethnic group was fighting with the Hokkien-chinese and so they have fled to a sugarcane plantation. As the sugar cane was tall it helps them to hide. They actually stayed there until the 8th day of CNY when their enemies are gone.

On the 9th day of CNY, the hokkien only starts to celebrate their CNY. My mother side was hokkien, so today my cousin has bought a lot food to be offer as thank you to the Tian Gong God of heaven. The more food you offer, the better is it for the coming year. Some actually will put sugarcanes in front of their house. It is some sort like another reunion dinner whereby all family members will actually be around before 12 o’clock and eat all the foods together. Some of the foods will be roast pork, cakes (Red color cakes with red beans or Ang Ko in hokkien). I do not actually celebrate it, maybe my generation is not that particular anymore, my cousin will celebrate it every year and their will pray for wealth and health during the offering of foods.