The Important Dates for Lunar 7 Month (農曆七月之重要日子)

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A lot of People/Folks have always being freak-off by the arrival of Lunar 7 Month and with the Wrongly Publicity of Articles & Comments by various so-called Well-known Geomancy Masters over the World, it added on the Wrong-concept and In-accurate Teaching of Lunar 7 Month (民間誤傳而使民眾驚心膽顫﹐搞的農曆七月有如"人間煉獄"﹐導致眾人忘記其實農曆七月有著很多重要的日子).

To be more Correct and Confirmed, Lunar 7 Month is a Month for Oneself to perform Reflection, Obtaining the Correct Mindset of doing Good Deeds and also, to show our Care, Concern & Filial Piety to our own Family Members and also the other Beings.

In the following, Jave will like to list out a few Important Dates that the Ancient Taoists/Chinese were conducted Rituals/Ceremonies:

1) Xian Tian Festival (先天節)

This is a Day for the Taoists/Chinese to honour Xuan Yuan Huang Di aka Yellow Emperor (軒轅黃帝).

This Festival was Officially being fixed in Song Dynasty (AD1012 大中祥符五年) by the 3rd Emperor of Song Empire known as Song Zhen Zong (宋真宗) aka Emperor Zhao Heng (趙恆).

According to Emperor Zhao Heng, this was the Day that Yellow Emperor descended into the Mortal Realm to reborn as his Grand-Ancestor known as Zhao Xuan Lang (趙玄朗).

In AD 1012, after Emperor Zhao Heng got a Dream of Zhao Xuan Lang reminding him that their Family Lineage started from Yellow Emperor, from then, Emperor Zhao Heng had decided to mark this Important on the Lunar Calendar and pass-it-down to his Descendants and after serious discussion with his Official Officers, on AD 1012, Lunar 10 Month (Leap Month 潤十月), Emperor Zhao Heng announced an Edict to the Whole Country of fixing 1st Day of Lunar 7 Month as Xian Tian Festival aka Pre-Heavenly Immortality Day (農曆七月初一日為先天節) and on this Day, it will be a Public Holiday for the whole Country.

And according to Taoist Contexts, Zhao Xuan Lang was later being Manifested into Heavenly Marshal Zhao Gong Ming (趙公明天君) aka Deity of Wealth. And so, in Folks Culture, 1st Day of Lunar 7 Month is also a Day for the Commoners to get the Wealth Blessing from the Deity of Wealth (財神).

2) Kui Xing Honouring (魁星會)

Kui Xing Honouring, a Special Ceremony that conducted by the Scholars & Schools in the Ancient Era, according to Records, this Honouring was found being practices far before Tang Dynasty.

On the 7th Day of Lunar 7 Month (農曆七月初七日), it was known as the Manifestation Anniversary of Star Lord Kui Xing – in-charge of Academic Study & Career. On this Day, Scholars, Students & Schools were conducted a small scale of Honouring & making Offerings to Lord Kui Xing in the Evening.

During this Honouring, Scholars, Students or even Teachers were take turns to pay their respect to Lord Kui Xing by making 3 times of Kneeling-down and 9 Kowtows (三跪九叩), hoping that, Lord Kui Xing would bestowed the Academic & Good Career Blessing on them and giving them a Bright Future.

After the Honouring, Scholars & Students were ate 3 types of Dried/Preserved Fruits/Nuts, they were:

Gui Yuan (桂圓) aka Dried Longans (龍眼干) – for the Blessing of getting 1st in the Imperial Examination known as Zhuang Yuan (狀元).

Qin Zi (秦子/榛子) aka Hazelnuts or Chestnut – for the Blessing of getting 2nd in the Imperial Examination known as Bang Yan (榜眼).

Hua Sheng (花生) aka Peanuts – for the Blessing of getting 3rd in the Imperial Examination known as Tan Hua (探花).

3) Qi Xi Honouring (七夕祭)

Qi Xi Honouring (7th Day of Lunar 7 Month 農曆七月初七日), a Day to remember the Love of Niu Lang (牛郎) aka Cowherd & Zhi Nv (織女) aka The Weaven Fairy.

On this Day, the Ladies were prepared an Altar, facing the Sky, by the time of Sunset, the Ladies were gathered around the Altar to pay their respect to Zhi Nv, hoping that Zhi Nv would bestowed a Good Love Blessing for them, in-order for them to find a Good & Handsome Husband in the future.

After the Honouring, the Ladies were used the Water that being Offered to Zhi Nv for the washing of their face and then, put on the Perfume that they had got for Zhi Nv to increase their Love-Luck and also to gain the Blessing of becoming more Beautiful.

Upon the completion of the Washing-up, the Ladies were ate the Sweet Items that being Offered to Zhi Nv for “Sweetness Blessing (甜甜蜜蜜)”, hoping that their Future Husband would Love them forever without Fail.

7th Day of Lunar 7 Month is also being known as the 2nd Lunar Valentines (華夏情人節) for the Chinese (1st is on the 15th Day of Lunar 1 Month & 3rd in on the 15th Day of Lunar 8 Month).

4) Heavenly Lord Tai Yi Descending Day (太乙天尊下降日)

In Taoism, certain Contexts marked the 11th Day of Lunar 7 Month (農曆七月十一日) as the Manifestation Day of Heavenly Lord Tai Yi (誤傳為太乙天尊聖誕) but to be more Accurate, this Day shall be known as the Descending Day of Lord Tai Yi for the Salvation of the Suffering & Wandering Souls (較正確的應該是太乙天尊廣大慈悲救苦拔幽濟度朝/日).

Heavenly Lord Tai Yi, the Supreme Heavenly Lord that In-charge of the Salvation of Souls & Spirits in Taoism. And can said that, he is the Only One that being Official Recognised in Taoism for the Compassionate & Passion of Salvaging the Suffering Souls.

During this Day, in Taoism, special & grand Rituals/Ceremonies would be conducted for the Taoist Priests to evoke the Energies & Blessing from Heavenly Lord Tai Yi in-order to Divert/Direct/Dedicate the Salvation Blessing to the Suffering Souls & Wandering Spirits and lead them Back to the Source where after a Mortal pass-on – Dong Ji Qing Hua Chang Le Jie (東極青華長樂界) aka The Eternal Joyous & Serenity Realm of the Eastern Palace.

And maybe due to the Misunderstanding of the other Non-Taoist Faiths, telling People that 7th Month is a Month for the Releasing of Hungry Ghosts from the Hell to the Mortal Realm, many Folks had combined these 2 Events together to become the so-called “Hungry Ghost Festival (被民間誤導而稱農曆七月為餓鬼節)”.

For those who can Understand how the Official Taoism had functioned and how the Upright Teaching that our Taoist Ancestors had pass-down, I, personally think that, a lot of Practises & Mindsets must be changed in-order to return the Truth Identity of 7th Month Festival back to the Original Objective & Purpose.

5) Heavenly Lord of Earthly Realm Inspecting the Mortal Realm (地官大帝考校人間)

15th Day of Luanr 7 Month Honouring aka Zhong Yuan Ji (中元祭), started in Zhou Dynasty (始于周朝), this is a Festive Day for the Taoists & Chinese to pay respect to their Ancestors, Passed-on Parents, Masters, Teachers, etc. A Month or a Festive Period of remembering the People who had Positive-ly Influence oneself.

This Day, it was also known as the Manifestation Anniversary or Inspection Day of Di Guan Da Di (中元地官大帝下降考校日) aka The Heavenly Lord of the Earthly Realm.

On this Day, Taoist Priests would be engaged to perform the Salvation Rituals for the Passed-on, in-order to assist them to ascend to the Eastern Palace to enjoy the Eternal Joyous and also, to assist a Good Cultivated Person to attain Enlightenment.

Besides that, also to show the Filial Piety of oneself or the descendants of assisting the Passed-on Ancestors or Parents to get out of any form of Sufferings after their Mortal-Departure (Please take note that, in Zhou Dynasty, there have yet to have the Nether-World Theory and so, Salvation for the Passed-on is usually mend for assisting the Passed-on to reach Enlightenment faster, etc).

And also, to seek Forgiveness for the Pass-ons/Living Beings from the Deities in-order to lessen their Sins & Debts (敬求赦罪).

Another saying is that, Zhou Dynasty Zhong Yuan Salvation Rituals were conducted dedicating to those who died in Wars, Accidents, Accused-to-Death, Died-of-Diseases, Homeless-souls, etc. A Day to show our Gratitudes to this group of Passed-on or to show Compassionate & Kindness to the Poverty.

6) Honouring to Lord Tai Sui (值年太歲誕祭)

19th Day of Lunar 7 Month (農曆七月十九日), the Manifestation Anniversary of Lord Tai Sui (為值年太歲星君壽辰) aka Deity In-charge of Years & Age.

For those who had seek Lord Tai Sui’s Blessing & Protection during the Lunar New Year Period, on this Day, Oneself will need to return to the respective Temple to pay respect to Lord Tai Sui, thanking Lord Tai Sui for looking after Oneself for the Past 6 Months. The next round of thanking Lord Tai Sui will be before Lunar 12 Months before the New Lunar Year arrived.

In Summary

Don’t always think that Lunar 7 Month is a Month that Oneself will see Ghosts or Encountered Ghosts. To be more accurate, if Oneself is fated to see Ghosts, everywhere Oneself goes, the Ghost will followed.

In Taoism, Lunar 7 Month is a Month full of Passion & Compassionate (農曆七月應該是慈悲之月﹐而非民間所誤傳的"鬼月").

If Oneself is able to put down ALL the misconceptions & misunderstanding, I think, ALL Ghosts will disappear and return back to where they shall belong too in a faster pace rather than hanging around now in this Messy & Unreasonable Space.

Do think twice again in the future before Oneself thought that Lunar 7 Month is filled with ALL types of Ghost. For those who have such Thought, usually in their Mindset, they are out there to perform Nasty Issues (心裡有鬼).