JingZhe (惊蛰)

Today is JingZhe (惊蛰) – the Chinese tradition of ‘appeasing the White Tiger and punishing the Small People’.

* Small People = people who are going to ‘harm’ you in any way during the year.

Punishing them in this ritual will apparently stop them from harming you, according to popular superstition.

So early in this morning, Ama followed all the ‘old women’ to one of the oldest temples in KL called Si Ya Temple (师爷庙).

Appeasing the White Tiger and punishing the Small People step-by-step:

1. Bought the sacrificial items & ‘weapons’. (RM5)

2. Burning joss sticks and candles.

3. Burn out the eyes, mouth, hands and feet of the Small People depicted in a special diagram (吉纸) on a piece of paper. (Careful no to burn the Good People)

4. Paste a red cut-out representing your Benefactor (贵人) on the green horse on the wall, so that he/she will come look for you.

5. Tie up the paper cutting representing the Small People.

6. Queue up to meet the Master. He will ask for your details and perform the ceremony. Mainly, he’ll take a piece of lard and egg to stuff the mouths of the Tiger. Step and beat the tied up paper cuttings to finish them.