Worshipping the Bed Mother on Qixi Festival
There is a custom of worshipping the Bed Mother on the Qixi Festival, as the seventh day of the seventh lunar month is the birthday of the Bed Mother.The Bed Mother is the guardian deity of children, so on this day, families with children will worship the Bed Mother at the bedside of the child in the evening, placing offerings including oil rice, chicken wine (or sesame oil chicken), and burning "Four-direction Gold" and "Bed Mother's Clothes".
However, it should be noted that the time for worshipping the Bed Mother should not be too long, unlike regular worship where wine is poured three times. After placing the offerings and lighting the incense, one can prepare to burn the Four-direction Gold and the Bed Mother's Clothes. Once these are burned, they can be removed.
In fact, worshipping the Bed Mother does not necessarily have to be done on the Qixi Festival, but it is the most important on this day. The purpose of worshipping the Bed Mother is to hope that the child grows up quickly, but it should not be done for too long, otherwise the Bed Mother might spoil the child, leading to problems like the child being lazy in getting up.
How to Worship the Bed God and Goddess
When the Bed God and Goddess are worshipped together, they are called the "Bed Deities." In Chinese folk beliefs, the Bed Deities are considered important deities among the household gods.The general purposes of worshipping the Bed Deities are either to pray for a harmonious and happy marriage or to pray for the healthy and happy growth of children.
The Bed Deities have male and female forms, known as the Bed God and the Bed Goddess. The Bed Goddess likes alcohol, while the Bed God prefers tea. Therefore, "wine is offered to the Bed Goddess, and tea is offered to the Bed God," which is known as "tea for men and wine for women." When worshipping the Bed Deities, tea, wine, cakes, and fruits are placed in the bedroom, and incense is burned at the head and foot of the bed (but candles are not lit), praying for "a peaceful sleep all year round."
The time for worshipping the Bed Deities varies by region. In some areas, the Bed Deities are worshipped right after the Kitchen God is welcomed on New Year's Eve; in other areas, it is done on the day after the Lantern Festival, that is, the 16th day of the first lunar month. Apart from the 16th day of the first lunar month, the act of "worshipping the Bed Deities" is also performed during daily life events such as marriage, childbirth, illness, and funerals.
Additionally, the custom of "setting up the bed" for newlyweds is related to the Bed God and Goddess. The "setting up the bed" custom involves placing a new bed in the bridal chamber a few days before the wedding. The position of the bed must be determined according to the birth dates of the bride and groom, the window direction, and the altar position. It should avoid facing tables, cabinets, or wardrobes, and a favorable date and time must be selected. After setting up the bed, the couple should worship the Bed Mother that night, hoping that the Bed Mother will protect the newlyweds to be as close as glue and lead a happy and fulfilling life.
