正月初一头炷香【CNY First Prayer】

Updated: January 2024 更新: 2024年1月 |

每一年的年初一许多信徒都会到各大庙宇，在庙门开始抢插头炷香祈福一年的兴旺，健康和平安。您有参加过吗？

但是每一年，因小部分的信徒争先恐后的行为造成了其他信徒的不便或受伤。神明是公平的，祂是以功德和恶业而赏罚分明。要是在抢头香时伤了其他的信徒，那也不是造了恶业。那么就算抢到了头香也无法得到神明的赏赐了吗。

开庙门，抢头香的活动是为了给每人能插个人的 「头香」，让每个信徒有个美好的新年，感受喜气的活动。

要是您家有安神，您可以在您家插头炷香来为您和家人祈福。天亮才到庙里拜拜。

在家这么拜

在年除夕晚上的11点【子时】(2024 年2月9日)后就是农历的正月初一。您可以在这个时辰上香祈福。在之前要准备-

• 桌子和红桌布(如果您的神台不够大才需要)
• 鲜果(可选择1，3，5种)
  • 椪柑 – 5粒
  • 凤梨 – 1粒
  • 香蕉
  • 柚子
  • 苹果
• 糕点(可选择1，3种)
  • 发糕
  • 包发
  • 年糕
  • 红龟粿
• 甜碗
• 斋碗
• 茶 – 3杯
• 白米酒 – 3杯 (可以不用)
• 香
• 金纸和拜料

在子时【晚上11点】后，召集您的家人和亲友，点香然后有一人带领祈福，可用一下的建议-

弟子/信女拜请xxx【神称呼】，今天是甲辰年正月初一。

祈求xxx庇佑家宅安康，事业兴旺，财运亨通，事事顺心，学业进步。

在此弟子/信女感恩xxx的庇佑。

祈福后，把所有人的香同时插入香炉。那么不是每人都插头香了吗？

First Incense on CNY

Every year many devotees will visit local temple on eve of lunar new year, waiting for the clock to strike midnight. As the temple opens the door, many will try to rush in, in order to “plant” the first incense. Over the years, due to and pushing and shoving behaviors of a few devotees, temple setup a queue and enforce strict entry pathway.

The idea of been the first to “plant” the first incense is the belief of be the first to receive blessing and good fortune for the whole year. But over the years, the pushing and shoving behaviors of minority devotee had cause the misfortune of others.

Deities are fair and will not only bless the first one who “planted” the incense. Deities will bless everyone according to the merits and karma.

Thus for those who had indeed caused someone to be injured in the quest of been “the first one”, will suffer from bad karma rather than blessing.

Devotee may visit the temple at any time on the first day to seek blessing. The main objective of gathering at the temple on the eve of CNY to wait for the opening of the temple doors is for everyone to enjoy an happy occasion.

How to Pray at Home For CNY first day.

It is also perfectly alright to “plant” the first incense at home for devotee who has an deity altar at home. Better still, gather your family members and friends together, pray and offer all the incense at once. Everyone gets to offer the first incense of the year.

Altar Setup

Prepare the following items.

• Portable table & red cloth/cover (if your altar is not big enough to place all items)
• Fruits (Choose 1, 3, 5 types)
  • Mandarin Orange【椪柑】- 5 pieces
  • Pineapple – 1 piece
  • Banana – 1 bunch
  • Pomelo – 1 piece
  • Apple – 5 pieces
• Confectionaries (Choose 1, 3 types)
  • Huat Kueh + Red Bao on top 【包发】
  • Huat Kueh 【发糕】
  • NianGao 【年糕】
  • Ang Ku Kueh 【红龟粿】
• Sweet Items 【甜碗】
• Vegetarian Items 【斋碗】
• Tea – 3 Cups
• Rice Rice (optional) – 3 cups
• Incense
• Joss Paper

How- to

Get ready the table with all the offerings. When the clock strike 11 pm on new year eve (For 2024: 9^th Feb 2024 11pm) gather all your family members and friends and someone can lead a simple prayer if you only have 1 deity on the altar –

弟子/信女拜请xxx【神称呼】，今天是甲辰年正月初一。

祈求xxx庇佑家宅安康，事业兴旺，财运亨通，事事顺心，学业进步。

在此弟子/信女感恩xxx的庇佑。

If you really need to lead the prayer in English, even though many will tell you preferably in Chinese. We believe deities are able to understand and they do have assistants to translate.

Today is the first day of the lunar New Year, we pray to seek xxx’s(deity) blessing for this new year,

Please blessing us with good health, successful career, good fortune, and our kids to do well in school.

We give thanks for xxx’s blessing

After the prayer, gather all the incense together and put them into the incense urn. There you go, all get to “plant” the first incense.

After the incense is burnt to about half, you can start to burn the joss paper.