New Moon (Shuo), Full Moon (Wang) & Moon-hiding Period (Hui) in Chinese Custom (朔望晦三日之簡介)

Upon request, heres the explanation on the above mentioned periods.

 

New Moon, in Chinese known as Shuo Ri (朔日), meaning a new start of a Month, definitely will be on the 1^st Day.

 

Full Moon, in Chinese known as Wang Ri (望日), meaning the mid of a Month, usually falls on 15^th Day or sometime, on the 16^th Day.

 

Moon-hiding Period, in Chinese known as Hui Ri (晦日), meaning the ending of a Month or the Moon wont be seen for the next 8-10days, etc (Hui Ri can also meant the Lunar Eclispe 月蝕日).

 

In the Ancient Era (Chinese History), on Shuo Wang Days, the Officers or the Imperial Court would stop operation/handling of cases, meaning these 2 days were considered as the weekends for the Official Departments (古時,朔望二日為朝廷不辦公之日).

 

While having the break, Officers would do whatever they wanted to do or settled issues that they wish to settle, such as showering (according to the calculation of Ancient Auspicious Dates, a person only shower at an average of 90++ days in a year, meaning 4 days 1 shower, but if the day that they planned to shower is not an auspicious day, the showering will need to be postponed), getting necessities, visiting of friends or paying respect to Deities at home or in the Temples.

 

Due to practices being passed down by our Ancestors, today on Shuo & Wang Ri, folks still follow the custom of paying respect to the Deities at home or visit Temples (and of cos, due to different influences on Religious Teaching, Shou Wang Day become very Religious, etc).

 

Whereas on the Hui Ri, in the Ancient Era, folks would stop working or have a rest and they would stayed at home to pay respect to Ancestors, Di Ji Zhu (地基主) or Hou Fang Gong (后方公).

 

So what is Di Ji Zhu & Hou Fang Gong?

 

Di Ji Zhu, the Protecting Spirits that stayed in one home to protect the people staying inside the physical house.

 

Hou Fang Gong, the wandering Souls that do not have offerings from families or relatives.

 

Why Only on Hui Ri, then the folks pay respect to Di Ji Zhu, Hou Fang Gong or Ancestors?

 

According to folks belief, Hui Ri is the day that mark an end of the whole month, which is consider as the Extreme Yin Day before it turn to a new start for a New Month – the Extreme Yang Day. And so, due to such saying, folks will tend to pay respect to the Yin Element Spirits or Deities on the Month-end (different contexts will have different explanation on the paying respect to the Yin Element Spirits or Deities, such as because they are low-ranking Spirits, they can only get offerings on the last day, etc).

 

Today, in Hokkien Custom, some of the Hokkiens still practice that, we address this Ceremony as Bai Yue Wei aka Pai Ghuey Buey (拜月尾/作月尾).

 

So during the Bai Yue Wei, what shall one self/family prepare?

 

Usually for Bai Yue Wei, simple dishes or offerings needed to be prepared.

 

Such as cooked rice, 2 dishes – usually are vegetables & cooked chicken (not necessary to be in a whole), one set of fruits and some quantity of incense-papers.

 

Set up a temporary Altar in the kitchen or backyard, placed all the Offerings on the Altar and then start to ask the Di Ji Zhu & Hou Fang Gong to come and have their offerings. Usually for such paying of respect, no requests are to be made. Just simply offer incenses and then, after 15 minutes, burn off the Incense-papers and its consider end.