Huron Chinese Students' Society
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The ninth day is the birthday of the Jade Emperor (the supreme deity of Taoism). The Jade Emperor is identified as the God of Heaven, the Ruler of all Heavens, Earth and the Underworld, Creator of the Universe, later the Emperor of the Universe, and Lord of the Imperial Court. He is said to have been born several millennia before our era as the offspring of the King of the Pure Felicity Kingdom of Lofty Heavenly Majestic Lights and Ornaments and of the Empress of Precious Moo...nlight. According to Taoist legend, all the deities of heaven and earth celebrate this day, and there are grand ceremonies in Taoist temples. Activities include: - Setting off firecrackers continuously from midnight of the eighth day of Chinese New Year to 4:00 AM on the 9th day. - Offering sacrifices to the Jade Emperor, before which the whole family will first take a shower as a sign of respect to the Emperor. #Chinesenewyear #Springfestival #Lunarnewyear

The eighth day is believed to be the birthday of millet, an important crop in ancient China. According to folk proverbs, if this day is bright and clear, then the year will bring forth a good harvest; otherwise, the year will suffer a poor harvest. In addition, it is also thought to be the day when all the stars visit the world - the day when people best observes the stars at night. Usually, parents take teenagers outside at night to look at the stars and tell them about the ...forktales behind these stars. At midnight, people pray to the Jade Emperor. #chinesenewyear #springfestival #lunarnewyear

According to legend, the mother goddess Nu Wa created human beings on the seventh day, so the seventh day of the Chinese New Year is commonly referred to as "rén rì" ( the Day of the Humans). People in some regions eat Qi Bao Geng (, a thick soup with seven kinds of vegetables) on this day to ward off misfortune and disease. In some rural places of Shandong Province, people make torches with straw, light them and send them out of the village, to express their wish that t...here will no fire-related disasters in the year ahead. Other celebrations include making paper cut-outs in the shape of people, hiking, and writing poetry. #chinesenewyear #springfestival #lunarnewyear

On the sixth day, people usually throw away their ragged clothes, rubbish, and clean their homes, hoping to drive away from the ghost of poverty from the past and welcome a prosperous and successful new year. According to legend, the Ghost of Poverty is a son of Emperor Zhuan Xu. He was short and weak and liked wearing ragged clothes and eating poor-quality porridge. Even when people presented him with new clothes, he would not wear them until he ripped them up or burned them.... He was christened "The Man of Poverty", and with time, he became the Ghost of Poverty. #chinesenewyear #springfestival #lunarnewyear

The fifth day is commonly known as the Festival of pò w ( "pò" means "to break"). Many taboos can be broken on this day. This day is believed to be the birthday of the God of Fortune. People will celebrate with a large banquet. They will also keep their doors or windows open as a welcoming gesture towards the God of Fortune, let off firecrackers in an attempt to attract the attention of the God of Fortune, thus ensuring his favor and good fortune for themselves and their f...amilies year ahead. #chinesenewyear #springfestival #lunarnewyear