MAJOR FESTIVALS OF TAOIST DEITIES

The following festivals are celebrated in most Taoist temples:

First Lunar Month

• 1st day. Tai-shang Lao-chun (Lao-tzu). Lao-tzu is the founder of Taoism; deified, he is seen as the embodiment of Tao – the origin of all of manifestation.
  
  
• 8th day. Yuan-shih Tien-tsun, or Wu-chi Tien-tsun -- the Jade Pure One. The first of the “Three Pure Ones” – emanations of Lao-tzu.
  
  
• 9th day. Yu-ti -- the Jade Emperor.
  
  
• 15th day. Tien-kuan -- the Officer of the Celestial Realm. The Festival of Lanterns is also part of this celebration.
  
  

Second Lunar Month

• 2nd day. Tu-ti -- the Earth Father.
  
  
• 3rd day. Wen-chang Ti-chun. Patron of the arts & literature.
  
  
• 6th day. Tung-yueh Ti-chun -- the Emperor of the Eastern Mountain.
  
  
• 15th day. Tao-te Tien-tsun -- Shang-ching or High Pure One. The third of the “Three Pure Ones,” rules the realm of pa-kua.
  
  

Third Lunar Month

• 15th day. Chiu-tien Hsuan-nu -- the Mysterious Lady of the Nine Celestial Domains.
  
  
• 18th day. Chung-yueh Ti-chun -- the Emperor of the Central Mountain.

Fourth Lunar Month

• 14th day. Immortal Lu tung-pin. The patriarch of Internal alchemy.
  
  
• 18th day. Tzu-wei Shing-chun -- Star Lord of the Star of Purple Light. The Lord of the North Star – ruler of all stars.

Fifth Lunar Month

• 5th day. Chu-Yuan. This feast day is known as the Dragon Boat Festival.

Sixth Lunar Month

• 1st day. Wen-ku and Wu-ku Stars -- the Lords of the Scholar and Warrior Stars of the Northern Bushel. Patron of scholars and warriors.
  
  
• 23rd day. Ling-pao Tien-tsun -- Tai-ching or Great Pure One. The second of the embodiments of Lao-tzu, ruler of the realm of Tai-chi.

Seventh Lunar Month

• 7th day. His Wang-mu -- Mother Empress of the West. Keeper of the gateway to immortality.
  
  
• 15th day. Ti-kuan -- Officer of Earth.

Eighth Lunar Month

• 3rd day. Tsao-chun -- the Kitchen Lord. Guardian of the stove and the flame; records the deeds of people in their homes.
  
  
• 10th day. Pei-yueh Ti-chun -- the Emperor of the Northern Mountain.

Ninth Lunar Month

• 1st through 9th day. Descent of the Northern Bushel Star Lords to Earth. Each person is said to be born under one of the nine Star Lords of the Northern Bushel Constellation. On each of these nine days, one of these stars visits the mortal realm to bless those born under their guardianship.
  
  
• 1st day. Descent of the North Star Lord.
  
  
• 9th day. Tou-mu -- the mother of the Bushel of Stars. Patron of medicine, Internal Alchemy, and all healing arts.

Tenth Lunar Month

• 14th day. Fu Hsi. Patron of all forms of divination.
  
  
• 15th day. Shui-kuan -- the Officer of Water.

Eleventh Lunar Month

• 6th day. His-yueh Ti-chun -- the Emperor of the Western Mountain.
  
  
• 11th day. Tai-i Tien-tsun -- Celestial Lord Tai-i. Reputed to have transmitted the Festival of Chung-yuan -- All Souls Festival -- to humanity.

Twelfth Lunar Month

• 16th day. Nan-yueh Ti-chun -- the Emperor of the Southern Mountain.
  
  
• 24th day. Kitchen Lord ascends to the celestial realm. At the end of the year, the Kitchen Lord reports the deeds of all humans to the Jade Emperor.