Weiya

Weiya (Chinese: ) is a traditional annual celebration for Tu Di Gong (the earth god, also known as Fude Zhengshen (福德正神), the god of wealth and merit) on the 16th of the 12th lunar month in Chinese society, especially in Taiwan. Weiya is the last of the bimonthly Ya festivals honoring the earth god in the Chinese lunar calendar. In Taiwan, Weiya is also an occasion for employers to treat their employees to a banquet to thank them for their hard work throughout the year.

Ya (traditional and simplified Chinese: 牙), originally means the agent who is trading in the market. In ancient times, the Chinese used the character ‘hu’ (互) to describe the action of trading. In the Tang dynasty, ‘hu’ (互) and ‘ya’(牙) became similar in writing, so people started to use ‘Ya’(牙) to describe the action of trading instead of ‘hu’(互) ever since then.

The Ya-festival was first started to celebrate and show people’s respect to Tu Di Gong, believing that Tu Di Gong was the god who could protect their business and bring more customers. Taiwanese businessmen, especially, have traditionally been superstitions on dedicating to many different gods who may be able to prevent accidents or to improve their business. Businessmen who are trading in the market believe Tu Di Gong is the god who has the power to protect the ground, while they mostly have actual shops to do business. Since then, the ’Ya’-festival has been a tradition in Chinese society and especially in Taiwan.

The public will usually gather some meat and fruit for the ceremony, and they will share the food after the ceremony. During normal times in a year, the ceremonies tend to be small, but the end of year ceremony (Weiya) is the biggest one. Traditionally, Weiya is the day to hold a ceremony for the ‘Fude Zhengshen’ (Tu Di Gong). There will be a series of ceremonies in front of the Tu Di Gong temple. People will bring firecrackers, candles, and sacrifices to the temple.

Weiya in modern times has taken on another role in Taiwanese culture and society. It is not only a religious ceremony, but has also become a social event in many companies. Employers will treat their employees to a traditional Weiya banquet to show their thankfulness for their employee’s hard work over the past year. It is a way for the employers to communicate with their employees, so it has become a big catering event in many companies. Many different entertaining shows come along with the Weiya banquet. Many large companies will spend a lot on hiring performers or having a prize draw.

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Wikipedia