The fifth day of the first month of the 2024 Lunar New Year is a special day and one of the most important festivals among Chinese people. On this day, people hold a grand celebration to welcome the arrival of the God of Wealth. Rich or poor, every family prepares a four-course meal and does two things, implying a year of prosperity.
In traditional Chinese culture, the fifth day of the first lunar month is regarded as the day to send off the five poor. These five povertys refer to intellectual poverty, academic poverty, literary poverty, life poverty, and friendship poverty, which symbolize wisdom, learning, art, destiny, and social difficulties and setbacks, respectively. People are convinced that sending off the five poor on the fifth day of the first lunar month will be able to resolve these misfortunes and difficulties in the new year.
Regarding the origin of the birth of the God of Wealth and the celebration of the fifth day of the first lunar month, there is a tortuous history and legend. Legend has it that the fifth day of the first lunar month is the birthday of the God of Wealth, and merchants believe that worshipping the God of Wealth will bring prosperity and prosperity. As the years passed, this custom gradually spread and became an integral part of Chinese culture.
It is important to note that the God of Wealth worshiped on the fifth day of the first lunar month is not a single deity. The God of Wealth is divided into civil and military, the God of Literature and Wealth has Bigan, Fan Li, etc., and the God of Wealth is related to Yu and Zhao Gongming. In addition, there are different sayings such as the God of Wealth on the Five Paths. People choose to worship different gods of wealth according to their beliefs and needs.
On this day, every family prepares a four-course meal and does two things. The four dishes are fish, meat, eggs, and tofu, which means that there is more than enough every year, wealth and health. The two things are firecrackers and red paper, which means driving away bad luck and ushering in good luck.
At this moment, let's share this beautiful custom and pass on the blessings of the God of Wealth to our relatives and friends! May we all have good fortune and a thriving career in the new year! At the same time, I also hope that everyone can overcome difficulties, welcome good luck, and live a happy and fulfilling life in the new year!