What is the eighth day of the first lunar month? What customs are associated with it? According to legend, this day marks the birthday of millet. Folk traditions involve paying homage to tablets inscribed with grain names, while refraining from eating cooked grains. This custom embodies the values of respecting agriculture and cherishing food. Also known as the Festival of Aligning with the Stars, it is believed to foretell one's fortune for the year.
What are the customs for the eighth day of the first lunar month?
1. The custom of the eighth day—Honoring the Eight Immortals: Folk tradition plays on the pronunciation of the date's characters, transforming it into the Festival of Honoring the Eight Immortals.The Eight Immortals refer to the legendary figures Li Tieguai, Han Zhongli, Zhang Guolao, He Xiangu, Lan Caihe, Lü Dongbin, Han Xiangzi, and Cao Guojiu. Revered for defying authority, disdaining wealth, and frequently aiding the common people in times of need, they hold deep affection among laborers. On this day, it is customary to prepare delicacies and fruits to honor the Eight Immortals.
2. Customs on the Eighth Day of the First Lunar Month—Release Day: The eighth day of the first lunar month is also the traditional folk custom of releasing life. On this day, people take fish and birds kept at home and release them into the wild. Liu Tong of the Ming Dynasty recorded in Scenes of the Imperial Capital: "On the eighth day of the first month, in Shideng Alley, people release life—caged birds and sparrows, potted fish and shrimp, baskets of snails and clams,before the Luotang Temple. Monks chanted sutras in Sanskrit as thousands faced each other. Birds took flight, landing on rooftops before departing. Aquatic creatures were released into the Imperial City's Golden Water River, where nets and bamboo traps rarely caught them. This practice not only reflected ancient respect for nature's harmony but also expressed New Year hopes for flourishing life.
3. Customs of the Eighth Day of the First Lunar Month—Star Worship Day: According to Taoist and astrological traditions, each person has an annual ruling star, also known as the "star illuminating one's destiny for the year" (the nine stars—Sun, Moon, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu, and Ketu—rotate annually to govern one's fate).A person's annual fortune is entirely governed by this ruling star. The eighth day of the first lunar month is considered the gathering day for all star deities and traditionally believed to be when these stars descend to the mortal realm. Thus, worshipping the star deities (known as "following the stars") on this day may secure their divine favor. Consequently, some people go to temples to burn incense and pay homage to the stars.Regardless of whether one visits temples, on this evening after all the stars appear in the sky, every household performs a Star Worship ritual. The Record of Annual Customs in Yanjing states: "On the eighth day, after dusk, one dips paper in oil, lights one hundred and eight lamps, burns incense, and worships them, calling it 'Star Worship'."