Customs & Etiquette

136 entries in total

Sacrificial Rites: worshipping deities or ancestors by setting up an altar with offerings and performing rituals.
Praying for blessings: Praying to deities for peace and smooth success, which often includes fulfilling vows to thank the gods.
Praying for Offspring (Qiú Sì): Praying to deities for the birth of children. 'Sì' means descendants.
Kaiguang (Consecration): A ritual performed after a new deity or Buddha statue is completed to officially consecrate it for worship.
Sù Huì (Sculpting and Painting): The craft of sculpting or painting divine and Buddhist statues, where 'sù' refers to sculpting and 'huì' to painting.
Zhai Jiao: A Daoist ceremonial ritual. 'Zhai' refers to purifying the body and mind, while 'Jiao' refers to setting up an altar to worship and report to the gods.
Repaying a Vow to the Gods (Chóu Shén): A one-sentence explanation (under 200 characters): Fulfilling a vow by making offerings to thank the gods after a wish has been granted.
fēn xiāng (burning incense): The ritual act of burning incense to honor deities or ancestors.
Stove God Worship: Worshipping the Stove God. Traditionally, the Stove God is sent to heaven on the 23rd or 24th day of the 12th lunar month.
temple construction: The act of building a temple.
Carving: Carving deities or ritual objects.
Pudu: A ritual during the Ghost Festival to offer sacrifices to unattended wandering spirits, also written as 'Pudu'.
Jiechu: Jiechu (解除) is a ritual to dispel misfortune and cleanse impurities, marking an end to a streak of bad luck.
Xie Tu: A ceremony to thank the local earth god after construction, acknowledging the disturbance caused by breaking ground.
Removing the Deity Tablet and Incense (Chū Huǒ): Remove a worshipped deity tablet and its incense from its original location, usually as the first step before moving house or renovating.
Placing the Incense Burner (Ān Xiāng): the act of installing an incense burner or spirit tablet for deities or ancestors in its designated place.
Marriage & Wedding: The auspicious day for holding the wedding ceremony and welcoming the bride into the groom's family.
Engagement: The formal establishment of a marriage contract.
Ding Meng: The formal exchange of birth-date cards (bazi) between two families to finalize a marriage agreement. Formerly known as 'Wen Ding'.
Nacai: The groom's family prepares gifts and goes to the bride's home to propose marriage; it is the first of the six traditional wedding rites.
Asking the Name: One of the Six Rites: The groom's family sends someone to ask the bride's family for her name and birth date and time, used for matching compatibility.
Marriage Into the Bride's Family (Nà Xù): Marriage where the groom moves into the bride's family home.
Bride's First Return Home (Guī Níng): The custom of a bride making her first visit back to her parents' home after the wedding.
Face Threading (Wǎn Miàn): A traditional beauty ritual where fine facial hair is removed using twisted cotton threads, commonly performed on brides before their wedding day.
Bridal Facial Grooming (Kāi Róng): A pre-wedding facial beautification ritual for the bride, a different term for the practice known as 'wǎnmiàn'.
Coming-of-Age Ceremony (Guān Jī): Coming-of-age ceremony: capping for men (guān) and hairpinning for women (jī).
hézhàng (merging the curtain): Sewing a canopy or mosquito net, which in the old days was one of the items in preparing the trousseau.
Tailoring: Making new clothes. Historically, it specifically referred to tailoring wedding garments or burial clothes, hence the need to choose an auspicious day.
Jin Renkou: The addition of new members to a household, such as through adoption or formal inheritance; historically also included hiring long-term laborers.
Visiting Friends and Relatives: Visiting or hosting relatives and friends for meals.
separation of households: Brothers dividing the family property and setting up their own separate households.
Dong Tu: The first digging to start construction for a yang (residential) building. ⚠️ For tombs, see 'Po Tu'; they are different.
Breaking Ground for a Grave (Pò Tǔ): The ceremonial breaking of ground for the construction or repair of a tomb (yinzhai). ⚠️ For construction involving a dwelling for the living, the term '動土 (Dòng Tǔ)' is used.
Xiu Zao (Construction and Renovation): The construction or renovation of a house; a broader term than 'Dong Tu' (Breaking Ground), encompassing the entire project.
Laying the Foundation: Laying the foundation and building the base of a house.
Laying Foundations and Breaking Ground: Laying the foundation and the first dig, referring to the very beginning of construction.
Shù zhù (Erecting Pillars): The process of setting up the house's pillars.
Raising the Ridgepole (Shàng Liáng): The moment when the main ridge beam is raised onto the columns, traditionally the most critical step in house construction.
Zuoliang: The process of crafting the main ridge beam of a house.
Timber Felling: Cutting down trees. The first step in obtaining materials for house construction in old times.
Felling Trees for Beams: Cutting down trees to harvest timber and shape it into roof beams.
dingsang: Placing the stone base beneath a pillar. 'Sang' is the stone that supports the pillar's foot.
Chiseling Mortise Holes (Kāi Zhù Yǎn): To chisel a mortise hole on a beam or column for a tenon joint.
Erecting Scaffolding (Jià Mǎ): Set up a wooden work platform, similar to modern scaffolding.
Gai Wu: Constructing a house and covering the roof.
House Construction: The act of building a house.
Ridge Assembly: Joining the two roof slopes at the ridge, i.e., capping the roof.
Gaiwu Heji: Covering the roof and capping it at the ridge.
An Men: Install a door panel.
Door Repair: Repairing doors.
Demolition: the act of tearing down a house or building.
Demolishing a House: The act of tearing down a building.
Demolishing Walls: To tear down walls. '垣' means wall.
Breaking Down Houses and Walls: Demolishing houses and walls. In almanac annotations, this is usually 'suitable,' as demolition is an activity that requires choosing a specific day.
Bu Yuan: Repairing walls.
Wall Repair and Renovation: Repairing or painting walls.
Sealing Caves: Sealing holes and crevices, traditionally to prevent insects and rodents.
Zuozao (Stove Installation): The installation or construction of a stove. Since the stove has a Stove God, choosing an auspicious day for the work is necessary.
Building the Latrine (Kāi Cè): Constructing a toilet.
zuo-ce: Constructing a toilet.
Zao Cang (Building a Granary): Constructing a warehouse.
Zao Cangku: Constructing a warehouse.
Zao Chu Chou: Construct livestock pens. 'Chou' here refers to enclosures for penned livestock.
Installing the Mortar and Mill (Ān Duì Wéi): Install the stone mortar for pounding rice and the stone mill for grinding flour.
Setting Up Machinery: Installing machinery and equipment.
An Ji (Loom Setup): Setting up machinery, historically referring to the installation of a loom.
Vehicle and Tool Manufacturing: The making of vehicles and tools.
shipbuilding: The construction of ships.
Bridge construction: The building of bridges.
Dike Construction: building dikes.
Pingzhi Daotu: to repair and level the road surface. 'Tu' (塗) refers to a road.
well digging: digging a well.
Digging Ponds (Kāi Chí): Digging a pond, traditionally often for water storage or fish farming.
Digging Wells and Ponds: Excavating wells and ponds.
Kai Qu: Digging waterways and ditches.
fang shui: To release water into fields or ponds.
Planting: The act of planting crops or trees.
mùyǎng (Animal Husbandry): Raising livestock. Differs from 'nàchù' (purchasing livestock) as it refers to ongoing care, not the initial acquisition.
Adopting Livestock (Nà Chù): Purchase or adopt livestock and poultry.
Training Cattle and Horses: The process of training livestock such as cattle and horses for work.
Capture: capturing pests or birds and beasts.
Tianlie: Hunting.
Catching Fish (Qǔ Yú): Fishing — the act of catching fish.
Jie Wang: Weaving a fishing net.
Gē Mì (Honey Harvest): The seasonal harvesting of honey from beehives.
Duan Yi: Eliminating termites.
Opening for business: A commercial establishment opening for the first time, or resuming business on the first day after a holiday.
transaction: a completed sale.
Li Quan (Establishing Contracts): To establish a contract or sign a written agreement. 'Quan' (券) is an ancient contractual document.
Contract Signing and Transaction Completion: Sign a contract and complete a transaction.
Receiving Wealth (Nà Cái): Receiving money, such as collecting payments, stocking inventory, or making deposits. ⚠️ Shares the same pinyin as 'nà cǎi' (marriage proposal) but uses different characters.
Seeking Wealth: The act of pursuing financial profit or gain.
Opening the Warehouse: To open a warehouse for dispatching goods.
Dispatching Goods & Wealth: Sending out goods or money.
Property Acquisition: Acquiring real estate such as land or property.
Buy Vehicle: purchasing a vehicle.
Hiring: Hiring personnel.
Hanging a Plaque: The ceremony of hanging a plaque, performed when a temple, shop, or residence is completed.
Warp and Weft Threading (Jīng Luò): Not the TCM meridians: In almanac annotations, it refers to setting up a loom and organizing silk threads, a step in weaving.
Brewing / Fermentation: the process of brewing wine.
Dyeing Cloth (Zuò Rǎn): Dyeing cloth.
Casting and Smelting (Gǔ Zhù): smelting metal and casting objects.
Litigation: engaging in lawsuits, filing lawsuits.
Ruzhai (House-Entering): Moving into a new residence and formally beginning to live there, commonly known as 'Ru Cuo'.
Relocation (Yí Xǐ): Moving or relocating one's residence. ⚠️ Differs from '入宅' (Rùzhái) in that it is not limited to moving into a new house.
Bed Placement (Ān Chuáng): placing a bed in its position or moving an existing bed.
Travel: Going out for a long journey, specifically referring to a long-distance trip or the first day of such a journey.
Taking a boat: riding a boat.
Crossing Water: crossing a river or body of water.
Taking Up Office (Fù Rèn): Taking up a new official post or job position.
Meeting the Worthy: To meet a respected elder or a person in a position of power.
Entering School: Entering school to pay respects to a teacher and begin studying.
Apprenticeship: Formal apprenticeship to a master artisan, traditionally begun on an auspicious date.
Mùyù (Ritual Bathing): Ritual purification bathing, referring to cleansing the body before a sacrifice or important ceremony, not daily washing.
Haircutting: Shaving or trimming hair. In the past, a baby's first haircut of its birth hair was also included.
haircut: shaving hair.
Nail Trimming: Trimming fingernails and toenails. In the old days, the first time a baby's nails were cut required choosing a specific day.
Seeking Medical Treatment: to seek and receive medical care.
Seeking Medical Treatment (Qiú Yī): Seeking medical treatment.
Seeking Medical Treatment: seeking medical care and undergoing treatment.
Acupuncture: Undergoing acupuncture treatment.
visiting the sick: visiting a sick person.
Anzang (Interment): Burial, placing a coffin or ashes into the ground.
Rù Liàn (Placing in the Coffin): The formal ritual of placing a deceased person's body into the coffin.
Chéngfú (Donning Mourning Garments): The first time mourners formally don mourning attire in a funeral ritual, usually after the encoffining.
Chúfú (removal of mourning dress): At the end of the mourning period, removing the mourning clothes. Also called 'tuō xiào' (removing mourning).
Xíngsāng (Holding a Funeral): Holding a funeral ceremony and conducting the burial procession.
Moving the Coffin (Yí Jiù): Move the coffin.
Opening the Coffin to Collect Remains (Qǐ Zuān): The ritual of opening a coffin and collecting the bones during reburial. Also written as 'qǐ cuán'.
Repairing Tombs (Xiū Fén): the renovation of a grave.
Gravestone Installation: The act of erecting a tombstone.
Pre-Construction of One's Own Grave (Kāi Shēng Fén): Building one's own tomb while still alive.
Making a Longevity Coffin (heshoumu): Having one's coffin made in advance during one's lifetime. 'Longevity coffin' is a euphemism for a coffin.
Nothing is auspicious: This day is unsuitable for undertaking any kind of activity.
Do Not Engage in Other Activities: Besides the auspicious activities listed above, do not engage in any other activities.
Sǎo Shè (Sweeping the Dwelling): Sweeping and cleaning a dwelling, especially one that has been unused for a long time or is being prepared for use. Full name: 'Sǎo Shè Yǔ' (Sweeping the Dwelling House).