TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Families across Taiwan are preparing elaborate offerings to honor deities and ancestors as the island celebrates the Year of the Horse. The tradition peaks on Lunar New Year's Eve when families honor the Jade Emperor (玉皇大帝), the supreme deity in Taoist belief, household gods, house spirits, and ancestors. Worshippers also pay tribute to the Jade Emperor on the first and ninth days of the Lunar New Year.
Families perform these rituals with specific offerings, including meats, fruits, and rice cakes, while burning paper money known as "heavenly gold." They pay respects to ancestors and the Earth God in the morning and evening, using everyday dishes and fruits. Timing proves crucial, with ancestral rites ideally completed by 9 a.m. and offerings placed toward the kitchen for the Earth God.
Burning incense and paper money remains central to these customs, symbolizing communication with the divine and transferring wealth to ancestors. Incense also serves to purify spaces, ward off evil, and send wishes to deities. Environmental concerns have prompted temples like Taipei's Xingtian Temple (行天宮) to reduce paper money burning and adopt eco-friendly practices. The temple's shift reflects growing awareness of balancing spiritual traditions with environmental responsibility.
This movement reflects broader efforts to balance tradition with sustainability across Taiwan. Temples now use eco-friendly paper money and promote environmental consciousness, underscoring reverence and resourcefulness in traditional faith practices. With the Year of the Horse symbolizing new beginnings, these rituals honor the past while setting the stage for future prosperity and environmental stewardship. Many Taiwanese view the Year of the Horse as a time of opportunity and action. ◼