Deities and Faith
After worshipping the household guardian once, will missing later festivals cause problems?
English translation draft · Based on the Chinese article. This is not a word-for-word translation approved by Master Shengyuan.
Do not frighten yourself simply because you cannot worship the household guardian at every festival after doing so once. I prefer sincere relations, clear explanation of circumstances, and good care for the home. Worshipping once does not mean never being allowed to miss an occasion.
I generally introduce five major occasions: New Year’s Eve, Qingming, Dragon Boat Festival, Ghost Festival, and Mid-Autumn Festival. If work is busy, worshipping early is acceptable. If only some occasions are possible, or you worshipped when moving in but later face practical difficulties, explain during worship and ask for understanding. Each household’s situation matters; I cannot guarantee every guardian is exactly alike.
A chicken-leg boxed meal is a simple offering. Chicken legs were once a rare treat, so offering one expressed regard and sincerity. Joss paper varies with local habits. Directions vary too: I have discussed arrangements in kitchens, rear balconies, and doorways facing inward. Do not simply copy another home without considering your own environment.
In our religious service experience, cases of guardians deliberately causing trouble or injury are uncommon, though not nonexistent. More often, we discuss a guardian too weak to protect the household, which differs from intentional revenge. Work, family, or financial problems should not all be blamed on the guardian. Only after understanding the situation and judging it genuinely related would we suggest how to address it.