There were several lit candles on a table out in Jin De Yuan

Many candles dedicated to Jin De Yuan — Candles dedicated to Jin De Yuan

There was a table in the precinct of Jin De Yuan in Jakarta, with several red candles erected on it. Every candle was lit. A thin candle was erected in the front and a thicker candle in the back. This table seemed to be specially put out for the approaching Chinese New Year to make sure that worshippers could set up candles so that they could have a good New Year. As I watched, the worshipper came to this table one after another and everyone put candles on the table.

In Chinese culture, at the end of the year, they send the deity of the furnace to heaven, and at the New Year, they send the deity of the furnace from heaven again and they welcome the deity. It's a sort of rebirth tale, but I'm not sure if that has anything to do with this candle or not. In Japan, a large wood fire is kept burning in a furnace at the end of the year called "Yotsugi Hoda" or "Toshinohi". It is an act of wishing for the rebirth and perpetuation of the universe so that the old time can give birth to the new time. This red candle may have a similar meaning.

Comment via

日本語