Local Festivals Around the Year
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Lantern Lighting Ceremony

15th of the First Month of the Lunar Calendar


Starting from the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, villages in the New Territories organized Lantern Lighting Ceremonies to inform their ancestors and deities about the male new born child in their villages. Shui Tau Tsuen and Shui Mei Tsuen at Kam Tin were two places where the ritual was the most boisterous. The family with new born male child would go to the ancestral hall to light the lantern and enjoy the “lantern congee” feast; in the same afternoon the Kam Tin Heung would celebrate the Hung Shing Festival. The two events attracted large crowds of villaggers to return to the village to join the celebrations.

Lantern Lighting and Male Offsprings


Using “lanterns” (Cantonese Pronunciation: dang1) as a symbolism for “male offspring” (Cantonese Pronunciation: ding1) is a long-running tradition because the two characters share similar pronunciation and etymology. Lighting the lantern wick and placing it in a festival lantern is a symbolism for bearing male offspring and perpetuating the family lineage. Generally, lantern lighting ceremonies includes such steps as lantern lighting, lantern celebrations, and lantern dousing. The festive lanterns would be placed in the ancestral hall, temple, shrine hall, shrine of the Earth God, and provisional lantern scaffoldings to celebrate the joys of male offspring birth. A sumptuous banquet was then held for all villagers. The Tang Clan in Kam Tin in particular has retained certain traditional customs which gives urban dwellers a glimpse into the rural life.

The purpose of the lantern lighting


The birth of male offspring is an important occasion for rural dwellers. Male offspring implies the continuation of family lineage as well as the obtaining of birthright – the clansman identity and claim over the ancestors’ inheritance. The lantern lighting ceremony is a de facto “registration” of the male child on the family genealogy, implying that he is now formally a member of the clan or the village. Even if the whole family has migrated overseas, in case of male newborn, the family would come back during the Lunar New Year to join the lantern lighting festival to establish the identity of the new member.

As the birthrate of the society drops, some villages would cancel the year’s lantern lighting ceremony. For example, in the case of Tang Clan in Kam Tin, if only one or three male offspring are born in a family in a particular year, the lighting ceremony would be cancelled for the reason that single or triple male offspring is a bad omen.

Lantern Lighting Ceremony in Kam Tin


The lantern lighting ceremony was held at the ancestral hall. The most boisterous of such occasions was held at the Tang Ching Lok Ancestral Hall and the Tan Chan Yui Kuen Ancestral Hall. The former hall belonged to the eldest son; the latter belonged to the other three sons. The family blessed by the birth of male offspring had to pick a date to light the lantern at their own ancestral hall by putting the wick dish into the large festival lantern. On the 15th day of the 1st month, each family would bring their own cooked dishes and congee to the ancestral hall to worship their ancestors, followed immediately by a feast in the hall to treat their family. The ritual was much like a First Month Celebration banquet.

 

The dishes prepared by the elderly son family were carried in rectangular boxes. Such boxes were divided into 8 to 12 compartments, each carrying one dish. The dishes included Diced Pork with Cashew Nuts, Squid with Celery, Chinese Sausage with Snow Peas, Dried Mushroom with Dried Oysters, prawns, chicken, duck and others. The dishes were covered by Chinese celery symbolizing the hope of children being diligent in the coming days. Because the banquet was prepared for the children, traditionally congee was served instead of rice, which is called “male offspring congee” or “lantern congee”. After the feast, the family with male newborn child retrieved the wick and placed it in a covered bucket, which was then enshrined inside the house.

     


     

Hung Shing Festival at Kam Tin


Hung Shing Festival is usually held on the 13th of the 2nd month of the Lunar Calendar. At Kam Tin, however, this festival is held on the 15th of the 1st month – the same day as the lantern congee feast. On that day, an ad hoc stage would be built in front of the Hung Shing Temple at Shui Tau Tsuen. While the clansmen were enjoying the lantern congee feast, the Paper Floral Tribute Societies (Fa Pau Wui) arrived with roast suckling pigs and paper floral tributes. Artists and singers would sing on stage, with paper floral tribute lucky draw as the climax activity.

There were in total twelve Paper Floral Tributes. With the exception of the ninth one which was kept by the Hung Shing Temple, the rest were redistributed through lucky draw. Although firecrackers and use of gunpowder to fire tributes are now banned, lion dance and song performances before the lucky draw provide villagers some great entertainments.

     
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15th of the First Month of the Lunar Calendar


Starting from the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, villages in the New Territories organized Lantern Lighting Ceremonies to inform their ancestors and deities about the male new born child in their villages. Shui Tau Tsuen and Shui Mei Tsuen at Kam Tin were two places where the ritual was the most boisterous. The family with new born male child would go to the ancestral hall to light the lantern and enjoy the “lantern congee” feast; in the same afternoon the Kam Tin Heung would celebrate the Hung Shing Festival. The two events attracted large crowds of villaggers to return to the village to join the celebrations.

Lantern Lighting and Male Offsprings


Using “lanterns” (Cantonese Pronunciation: dang1) as a symbolism for “male offspring” (Cantonese Pronunciation: ding1) is a long-running tradition because the two characters share similar pronunciation and etymology. Lighting the lantern wick and placing it in a festival lantern is a symbolism for bearing male offspring and perpetuating the family lineage. Generally, lantern lighting ceremonies includes such steps as lantern lighting, lantern celebrations, and lantern dousing. The festive lanterns would be placed in the ancestral hall, temple, shrine hall, shrine of the Earth God, and provisional lantern scaffoldings to celebrate the joys of male offspring birth. A sumptuous banquet was then held for all villagers. The Tang Clan in Kam Tin in particular has retained certain traditional customs which gives urban dwellers a glimpse into the rural life.

The purpose of the lantern lighting


The birth of male offspring is an important occasion for rural dwellers. Male offspring implies the continuation of family lineage as well as the obtaining of birthright – the clansman identity and claim over the ancestors’ inheritance. The lantern lighting ceremony is a de facto “registration” of the male child on the family genealogy, implying that he is now formally a member of the clan or the village. Even if the whole family has migrated overseas, in case of male newborn, the family would come back during the Lunar New Year to join the lantern lighting festival to establish the identity of the new member.

As the birthrate of the society drops, some villages would cancel the year’s lantern lighting ceremony. For example, in the case of Tang Clan in Kam Tin, if only one or three male offspring are born in a family in a particular year, the lighting ceremony would be cancelled for the reason that single or triple male offspring is a bad omen.

Lantern Lighting Ceremony in Kam Tin


The lantern lighting ceremony was held at the ancestral hall. The most boisterous of such occasions was held at the Tang Ching Lok Ancestral Hall and the Tan Chan Yui Kuen Ancestral Hall. The former hall belonged to the eldest son; the latter belonged to the other three sons. The family blessed by the birth of male offspring had to pick a date to light the lantern at their own ancestral hall by putting the wick dish into the large festival lantern. On the 15th day of the 1st month, each family would bring their own cooked dishes and congee to the ancestral hall to worship their ancestors, followed immediately by a feast in the hall to treat their family. The ritual was much like a First Month Celebration banquet.

 

The dishes prepared by the elderly son family were carried in rectangular boxes. Such boxes were divided into 8 to 12 compartments, each carrying one dish. The dishes included Diced Pork with Cashew Nuts, Squid with Celery, Chinese Sausage with Snow Peas, Dried Mushroom with Dried Oysters, prawns, chicken, duck and others. The dishes were covered by Chinese celery symbolizing the hope of children being diligent in the coming days. Because the banquet was prepared for the children, traditionally congee was served instead of rice, which is called “male offspring congee” or “lantern congee”. After the feast, the family with male newborn child retrieved the wick and placed it in a covered bucket, which was then enshrined inside the house.

     


     

Hung Shing Festival at Kam Tin


Hung Shing Festival is usually held on the 13th of the 2nd month of the Lunar Calendar. At Kam Tin, however, this festival is held on the 15th of the 1st month – the same day as the lantern congee feast. On that day, an ad hoc stage would be built in front of the Hung Shing Temple at Shui Tau Tsuen. While the clansmen were enjoying the lantern congee feast, the Paper Floral Tribute Societies (Fa Pau Wui) arrived with roast suckling pigs and paper floral tributes. Artists and singers would sing on stage, with paper floral tribute lucky draw as the climax activity.

There were in total twelve Paper Floral Tributes. With the exception of the ninth one which was kept by the Hung Shing Temple, the rest were redistributed through lucky draw. Although firecrackers and use of gunpowder to fire tributes are now banned, lion dance and song performances before the lucky draw provide villagers some great entertainments.

     
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Lantern Lighting Ceremony

15th of the First Month of the Lunar Calendar


Starting from the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, villages in the New Territories organized Lantern Lighting Ceremonies to inform their ancestors and deities about the male new born child in their villages. Shui Tau Tsuen and Shui Mei Tsuen at Kam Tin were two places where the ritual was the most boisterous. The family with new born male child would go to the ancestral hall to light the lantern and enjoy the “lantern congee” feast; in the same afternoon the Kam Tin Heung would celebrate the Hung Shing Festival. The two events attracted large crowds of villaggers to return to the village to join the celebrations.

Lantern Lighting and Male Offsprings


Using “lanterns” (Cantonese Pronunciation: dang1) as a symbolism for “male offspring” (Cantonese Pronunciation: ding1) is a long-running tradition because the two characters share similar pronunciation and etymology. Lighting the lantern wick and placing it in a festival lantern is a symbolism for bearing male offspring and perpetuating the family lineage. Generally, lantern lighting ceremonies includes such steps as lantern lighting, lantern celebrations, and lantern dousing. The festive lanterns would be placed in the ancestral hall, temple, shrine hall, shrine of the Earth God, and provisional lantern scaffoldings to celebrate the joys of male offspring birth. A sumptuous banquet was then held for all villagers. The Tang Clan in Kam Tin in particular has retained certain traditional customs which gives urban dwellers a glimpse into the rural life.

The purpose of the lantern lighting


The birth of male offspring is an important occasion for rural dwellers. Male offspring implies the continuation of family lineage as well as the obtaining of birthright – the clansman identity and claim over the ancestors’ inheritance. The lantern lighting ceremony is a de facto “registration” of the male child on the family genealogy, implying that he is now formally a member of the clan or the village. Even if the whole family has migrated overseas, in case of male newborn, the family would come back during the Lunar New Year to join the lantern lighting festival to establish the identity of the new member.

As the birthrate of the society drops, some villages would cancel the year’s lantern lighting ceremony. For example, in the case of Tang Clan in Kam Tin, if only one or three male offspring are born in a family in a particular year, the lighting ceremony would be cancelled for the reason that single or triple male offspring is a bad omen.

Lantern Lighting Ceremony in Kam Tin


The lantern lighting ceremony was held at the ancestral hall. The most boisterous of such occasions was held at the Tang Ching Lok Ancestral Hall and the Tan Chan Yui Kuen Ancestral Hall. The former hall belonged to the eldest son; the latter belonged to the other three sons. The family blessed by the birth of male offspring had to pick a date to light the lantern at their own ancestral hall by putting the wick dish into the large festival lantern. On the 15th day of the 1st month, each family would bring their own cooked dishes and congee to the ancestral hall to worship their ancestors, followed immediately by a feast in the hall to treat their family. The ritual was much like a First Month Celebration banquet.

 

The dishes prepared by the elderly son family were carried in rectangular boxes. Such boxes were divided into 8 to 12 compartments, each carrying one dish. The dishes included Diced Pork with Cashew Nuts, Squid with Celery, Chinese Sausage with Snow Peas, Dried Mushroom with Dried Oysters, prawns, chicken, duck and others. The dishes were covered by Chinese celery symbolizing the hope of children being diligent in the coming days. Because the banquet was prepared for the children, traditionally congee was served instead of rice, which is called “male offspring congee” or “lantern congee”. After the feast, the family with male newborn child retrieved the wick and placed it in a covered bucket, which was then enshrined inside the house.

     


     

Hung Shing Festival at Kam Tin


Hung Shing Festival is usually held on the 13th of the 2nd month of the Lunar Calendar. At Kam Tin, however, this festival is held on the 15th of the 1st month – the same day as the lantern congee feast. On that day, an ad hoc stage would be built in front of the Hung Shing Temple at Shui Tau Tsuen. While the clansmen were enjoying the lantern congee feast, the Paper Floral Tribute Societies (Fa Pau Wui) arrived with roast suckling pigs and paper floral tributes. Artists and singers would sing on stage, with paper floral tribute lucky draw as the climax activity.

There were in total twelve Paper Floral Tributes. With the exception of the ninth one which was kept by the Hung Shing Temple, the rest were redistributed through lucky draw. Although firecrackers and use of gunpowder to fire tributes are now banned, lion dance and song performances before the lucky draw provide villagers some great entertainments.

     
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15th of the First Month of the Lunar Calendar


Starting from the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, villages in the New Territories organized Lantern Lighting Ceremonies to inform their ancestors and deities about the male new born child in their villages. Shui Tau Tsuen and Shui Mei Tsuen at Kam Tin were two places where the ritual was the most boisterous. The family with new born male child would go to the ancestral hall to light the lantern and enjoy the “lantern congee” feast; in the same afternoon the Kam Tin Heung would celebrate the Hung Shing Festival. The two events attracted large crowds of villaggers to return to the village to join the celebrations.

Lantern Lighting and Male Offsprings


Using “lanterns” (Cantonese Pronunciation: dang1) as a symbolism for “male offspring” (Cantonese Pronunciation: ding1) is a long-running tradition because the two characters share similar pronunciation and etymology. Lighting the lantern wick and placing it in a festival lantern is a symbolism for bearing male offspring and perpetuating the family lineage. Generally, lantern lighting ceremonies includes such steps as lantern lighting, lantern celebrations, and lantern dousing. The festive lanterns would be placed in the ancestral hall, temple, shrine hall, shrine of the Earth God, and provisional lantern scaffoldings to celebrate the joys of male offspring birth. A sumptuous banquet was then held for all villagers. The Tang Clan in Kam Tin in particular has retained certain traditional customs which gives urban dwellers a glimpse into the rural life.

The purpose of the lantern lighting


The birth of male offspring is an important occasion for rural dwellers. Male offspring implies the continuation of family lineage as well as the obtaining of birthright – the clansman identity and claim over the ancestors’ inheritance. The lantern lighting ceremony is a de facto “registration” of the male child on the family genealogy, implying that he is now formally a member of the clan or the village. Even if the whole family has migrated overseas, in case of male newborn, the family would come back during the Lunar New Year to join the lantern lighting festival to establish the identity of the new member.

As the birthrate of the society drops, some villages would cancel the year’s lantern lighting ceremony. For example, in the case of Tang Clan in Kam Tin, if only one or three male offspring are born in a family in a particular year, the lighting ceremony would be cancelled for the reason that single or triple male offspring is a bad omen.

Lantern Lighting Ceremony in Kam Tin


The lantern lighting ceremony was held at the ancestral hall. The most boisterous of such occasions was held at the Tang Ching Lok Ancestral Hall and the Tan Chan Yui Kuen Ancestral Hall. The former hall belonged to the eldest son; the latter belonged to the other three sons. The family blessed by the birth of male offspring had to pick a date to light the lantern at their own ancestral hall by putting the wick dish into the large festival lantern. On the 15th day of the 1st month, each family would bring their own cooked dishes and congee to the ancestral hall to worship their ancestors, followed immediately by a feast in the hall to treat their family. The ritual was much like a First Month Celebration banquet.

 

The dishes prepared by the elderly son family were carried in rectangular boxes. Such boxes were divided into 8 to 12 compartments, each carrying one dish. The dishes included Diced Pork with Cashew Nuts, Squid with Celery, Chinese Sausage with Snow Peas, Dried Mushroom with Dried Oysters, prawns, chicken, duck and others. The dishes were covered by Chinese celery symbolizing the hope of children being diligent in the coming days. Because the banquet was prepared for the children, traditionally congee was served instead of rice, which is called “male offspring congee” or “lantern congee”. After the feast, the family with male newborn child retrieved the wick and placed it in a covered bucket, which was then enshrined inside the house.

     


     

Hung Shing Festival at Kam Tin


Hung Shing Festival is usually held on the 13th of the 2nd month of the Lunar Calendar. At Kam Tin, however, this festival is held on the 15th of the 1st month – the same day as the lantern congee feast. On that day, an ad hoc stage would be built in front of the Hung Shing Temple at Shui Tau Tsuen. While the clansmen were enjoying the lantern congee feast, the Paper Floral Tribute Societies (Fa Pau Wui) arrived with roast suckling pigs and paper floral tributes. Artists and singers would sing on stage, with paper floral tribute lucky draw as the climax activity.

There were in total twelve Paper Floral Tributes. With the exception of the ninth one which was kept by the Hung Shing Temple, the rest were redistributed through lucky draw. Although firecrackers and use of gunpowder to fire tributes are now banned, lion dance and song performances before the lucky draw provide villagers some great entertainments.

     
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