The issue of ancestor worship is complex. It would be impossible to express exactly what it is and what it means to the Taiwanese. Each year I’m here I understand a little more. And, now that I’ve married into a Taiwanese family–as a daughter-in-law to the first born son–I understand even more.
And, still words fail to truly express all that is embodied in ancestor worship. It is more than simply worship.
Worship of the ancestors and showing filial piety is of utmost importance to the Taiwanese.
The worship of ancestors is probably the most difficult aspect of conversion to Christianity for new Taiwanese Christ-followers. Giving up idol worship and temple worship is much easier than giving up ancestor worship.
Why?
Here are my thoughts on the matter:
(1) When a young believer (18-35 yrs old) tells his parents he is Christian, his parents hear “I don’t love you, and I am ungrateful for the fact that you have given me life and provided for me all these years. I don’t care what happens to you after you die–rot in hell for all I care!”
(2) Ancestor worship is corporate worship. It is almost never done alone. The family gathers, two or three pass out incense and the worship commences. If you refuse to participate, it appears that you are ungrateful, disrespectful and have no manners. It’s almost as if you are spitting in the face of those who gave you life. So, the pressure–not peer, but rather familial–is STRONG, VERY STRONG.
(3) The social function of ancestor worship is more than just “worship.” The coming together to clean a family tomb and pay respects is a form of family reunion. To be expelled from participating in qing ming jie is perhaps the most severe punishment that could be given in traditional society–it means that you are no longer seen as part of this family.
Dr. George MacKay, the first presbyratian missionary to Taiwan, had this to say:
This venerable cultus, the worship of ancestors, in indeed the most stubborn obstacle Christianity has to face. It is so ingrained in the nature, and appeals touchingly to the heart, that it requires the strongest conviction and the finest moral courage to beak its thralldom and brave the scorn of friends and relatives, to whom neglect of one’s ancestors in the spirit world is the most inhuman and cruelest of crimes. (Far from Formosa, emphasis mine)
In 1925, the author of an article entitled “Chinese Ancestor Worship: A Study of Its Meaning and Its Relations with Christianity” concluded that “the problem [of ancestor worship] will ultimately be solved by the Chinese themselves. Only those who have grown up within a system in which ancestor worship is central can wisely make provision for its future evolution and sublimation. Ancestor worship still awaits treatment at the hands of those who are both truly Chinese and truly Christian. In their hands we may safely leave its destiny.”
One Christian family I know, uses a scroll to maintain the family tree instead of using ancestral tablets. The names are still kept, family history still proudly displayed and the deceased still remembered. We know lineage and family history is important to God–why else would there be so many lists of who begot who in Scripture if it were not?
Another family held a graveside worship service the year after their mother/grandmother had passed away on qing ming jie. They read Scripture, prayed to the Most High God, sang praises to him, and told stories of remembrance.
I think these are great alternatives . . . the advantage these two families have is that they are not alone. They are families of believers. The first one was a first generation believer, but he is the oldest son and now the head of the household, and his wife and children are also believers. The second one is a several generation Christian family (what a blessing!).
So, for those that are first generation believers, the only one in their family, the challenge to show respect to those who have gone before them and yet also want to make a stand for their faith is huge. One alternative for first generation believers who are also the first believers in their families is to attend the ceremonies, but not participate.
This is what Lawrance and I did. We did not hold incense, we didn’t join the group in their prayers and bows, and we burned no paper money. After they had finished their corporate worship and had gone to line up to place incense before the gods who protected the tombs, Lawrance placed flowers inside the structure at the tomb area.
Lawrance has been a believer for 11 years now, so his parents have had time to grieve and accept the fact that he will not worship them after they’ve passed on. Even so, Lawrance still has to stand up to the pressure from aunts and uncles to join in the worship.
My point in this very long winded post is actually quite simple. Your Taiwanese brothers and sisters in Christ need your prayers. Would you please intercede on their behalf? Would you pray for them to have “the strongest conviction and the finest moral courage to beak its thralldom and brave the scorn of friends and relatives”? Ask the Most High God to give them wisdom and courage to say and do the things that are pleasing to Him.
Since you haven't seen much of him recently, here's a picture of gilby, our silly, silly dog who sometimes sits on the top of the sofa.
Oh, and just for the record, I think Lawrance might love Mr. Gibs more than I do. :)
I also just found this silly photo of him sitting on the same spot on the same sofa . . . He's dressed for one of the Christmas parties we had at our house last year. He's proudly sporting a Christmas shirt from Auntie Sarah and an elf costume from Nonny (his maternal grandmother).
For the first time in 30 years, I went to school (aka: work) on Christmas day as did Lawrance. In fact, since he didn't come home till after 10, there was no point in cooking a special meal. So, in order to still do something special, after lighting our advent candles and opening gifts, we made tong yuan.
We also made these sticky sweet dumplings right after we decorated our Christmas tree in late November.
Below is a video of Lawrance showing you how to prepare tong yuan.
We’ve had a great first Christmas! Hope your Christmas was wonderful too!!
With love, The Wu’s
P.S. Below is our little gift to you . . . we had to practice a long time, but we finally got all the steps right . . . hope you enjoy our choreography!
"[The Taiwanese] people take their fireworks extremely serious," as another Amanda living in Taiwan said a few weeks ago. And she is very right!
There are fireworks that swirl, fireworks that explode into sparkling red hearts, and fireworks that burst into two or three colored smiley faces. It’s amazing what fireworks can do!
The first time I celebrated Chinese New Year in Taiwan, I could NOT believe the amount of fireworks and firecrackers that were used during the celebration of the New Year. It begins on or even before New Year’s Eve. ALL NIGHT LONG firecrackers and fireworks explode seemingly EVERYWHERE.
That first night, something cracks, whizzes, or pops at least every ten minutes. And, sometimes the cracks, pops, and whizzes last for ten consecutive minutes.
And, we are not talking only formal displays from cities, schools, and companies. We are talking normal people shooting off fireworks (in the little allies between high rises). And, they don’t just go off at night, sometimes firecrackers and even fireworks are lit during the day. This year when we were at the day market on New Year’s Day, someone lit fireworks over the market area at 10 in the morning. We were sprinkled with ashes. It’s crazy, I tell you! Crazy!!
About two or three days after the New Year the use of fireworks and firecrackers slows down a little until the Lantern Festival, which this year is on the 21st. (As I write this, on Thursday evening, I’ve already seen eight different firework shows from my study window in less than an hour!)
Below are two videos taken at my friend’s school on Chinese New Year’s Eve. They are each about one minute from about 10-15 minutes of a fireworks show at her school. So, just multiply each video by about 7, and you more or less can get the full effect.
According to my Chinese teacher and a video we watched in Chinese class (11 years ago! oh my!!), firecrackers are a part of Chinese New Year because of a legend about a dragon named "Nian" (which is the same as the Chinese word for "year"). This man-eating dragon descended from the mountains every year in the winter to devour humans before going back into the mountains to hibernate. One year the townspeople, of a village that was often preyed upon decided to take action and fight against Nian. They exploded bamboo that had been filled with gun powder in order to try to scare Nian away. And, it worked! So, they were able to "guo nian" (過年) or "pass over Nian," and as long as they did this each year, he didn’t bother their village.
Again, it sounds like this legend could have roots in the Old Testament, right? Could Nian be the Chinese version of the angel of death from the tenth plague? I don’t know, maybe.
But, I do know that the longer I live in Taiwan, the more convinced I become that there will be regular displays of amazing firework shows in heaven as we celebrate the Risen Savior!
Perhaps the part of Chinese New Year that is most look forward to by children is the part where they get "red envelopes" (紅包). Inside the "red envelopes" is MONEY!!
Just like gifts under the tree at Christmas time make American children giddy with excitement and expectation, the thought of getting a red envelope does the same to Taiwanese children.
If you do not yet have a full-time job, you can expect to get red envelopes from your parents, aunts and uncles, as well as from your grandparents. So, all children and many young adults (those still in college) get red envelopes. Also, if you have children who are old enough to have jobs, you can expect to receive a red envelope too. So, grandparents usually give and receive red envelopes, but the middle aged "sandwich" generation–those with both children and elderly parents–find themselves only giving away envelopes.
(I know that online some sites say all unmarried people receive red
envelopes despite age, but in practice here in Taiwan, this is not
true. It seems that only non-workers–the young and the very
old–receive red envelopes. If you work, you are expected to give.)
I’ve asked several of my students how much money they can expect to get in total from all of their red envelopes. I’ve been told amounts as low as 6,000 NT (about 190 USD) to amounts as high as 30,000 NT (about 940 USD). I think the average falls around 8,000 to 10,000 NT (250-315 USD).
I also asked how much they could expect to find in one envelope. And the typical answers I get include amounts between 800 NT (25 USD) to 2000 NT (62 USD).
How much you receive in all depends on how big your family is, how many
relatives you see during the New Year holiday, and how generous your
extend family is (which seems to be dependent on how well business went
the previous year).
I don’t know how much grandparents typically receive from their working children and grandchildren.
Red envelopes are often passed out after that big New Year’s Eve
dinner, but this is not necessarily the only time to gift some one with
money wrapped in red. When an aunt or uncle comes over they pull out the red envelopes and the little ones line up to say good words to the aunt or uncle and in return they get a red envelope. Or, when you go over to grandma’s and grandpa’s at some point they will pull out red envelopes to give to the grandchildren.
In fact, just like we have the "trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat" line for Halloween, there is something similar in Chinese for red envelopes that goes like this "Congratulations and good fortune; now bring out the red envelope!" (Of course in Chinese it rhymes and sounds much better.)
Like most papers in Taiwan, red envelopes should be both given and received with two hands.
And, not to be left out of the festivities, many times, pets also get red envelopes too! Gilby got one his first Chinese New Year. Inside his "hong bao" (red envelope) was a 50 NT coin (worth about 1.50 USD). The person who gave it to Gilby told me wrap the envelope around his collar (kinda like the cat above).
One more fact about red envelopes . . . . they are not always just plain red. Often times there are blessings on them or sometimes even cartoon characters on them–again in either black or gold ink.
Oh, yes, and red envelopes are also used to gift money at weddings and on other occasions too. So, unlike Christmas wrapping paper, red envelopes are used year round (of course if they say "happy new year" that wouldn’t be true).
Photos come from flickrites who’ve given permission to blog their photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
I know Chinese New Year was two weeks ago, but I’ve been on vacation since then and am just now getting around to blogging about it. In past years, I just haven’t blogged about Chinese New Year since I couldn’t blog in "real time." But this year, I set a few short autoposts before I took off on vacation (worship, candy, blessing fruits), and for the rest of this week I want to share a little more about some of the customs and traditions that surround this all important holiday.
So, let’s talk today about red papers. In the first two photos below, you can see one of my bestest friends in the whole wide world and her father pasting red papers around the door to their home and place of business.
Each year new "spring couplets" (春聯) are posted around the door frames of homes. They are left up all year–or until they come down on their own accord. Some get quite weathered and/or faded as the year passes, but they are left till the following year, when they will be replaced by new papers.
These spring couplets can either be purchased factory made, handmade, made to order (while you watch the guy paint/write), or you can make your own. The characters on the papers are written in either black or gold ink–but the paper is always, always red.
My friend’s grandfather made the single four word "blessing" (not "couplet") that hung on my door when I lived in Kaohsiung. The video below shows a man writing the words for blessing that was hung on my Taiwanese father’s home.
These "spring couplets" aren’t simply lines from poems. They are often "lucky words" or words that tell people how to treat others (kinda like the Chinese version of the "golden rule"). If Christian families in Taiwan want to paste "spring couplets" they will choose verses from Scripture or phrases that proclaim how great God is.
I’m not sure why, but calling them "spring couplets" doesn’t quite capture it all. There is also usually a third paper that is pasted on the top of the door and is written horizontally.
In addition to the "couplets," the words "blessing" and "spring" are written on squares of red paper that are at an angle so they look like diamonds.
And, not always, but commonly, these two words are hung upside down (like the gold character in the photo where the man is looking at couplets that are for sale).
Why are they upside down? Glad you asked. In Chinese when you say "your blessing is upside down" it sounds like you are saying "your blessing has arrived." It’s a homophone thing.
(One couple has posted many kinds of factory made "spring couplets" into a flickr set. Worth a quick look if you want to see some of the things that were for sale this past Chinese New Year here in Taiwan.)
Another red thing that gets pasted on both doors and windows throughout Taiwan at this time of year are papers depicting gods. Perhaps he is (they are) the door god(s), but I don’t know. On the main door of the home, usually five papers get pasted. Additional "god papers" are then pasted on to every window and every additional door–both inside and outside.
According to my Taiwanese friends, the Taiwanese believe that by hanging these papers over the doors and windows of their home they are protecting their home from evil spirits. The papers are part of the baibai table on New Year’s Eve, and are pasted up after that.
Is it possible that pasting red papers on door frames once a year has ancient roots in the blood of the lamb and passover?? I don’t know, maybe.
I do know, however, that God loves the Taiwanese and wants to bless them like they never been blessed before.
This photo above was taken at the day market on the morning of Chinese New Year’s Eve a few years ago. During the Chinese New Year time, every store sets out candy and every home has a tray of candy set out for guests.
Perhaps it is to wish friends and neighbors a sweet year–that’s just a random guess on my part. :)
(I’ll try to share some more Chinese New Year traditions with you next week.)
On the eve of Chinese New Year, each family sets up a “bai bai” (worship) table at eleven o’clock at night.
Other “bai bai” tables throughout the year are set out during the mid-afternoon and left relatively unattended. But, during the Chinese New Year worship hour, all the neighbors in a community will stand outside chatting and talking, and, of course, comparing the bai bai table sacrifices.
At midnight, firecrackers are lit and the spirit money as well as the long paper yellow things hanging from the table are burned.
At Chinese New Year, everything is a little more festive–including the fruits that have "blessing" values assigned to them.
I forget which blessings pineapples and oranges are supposed to bring. Perhaps wealth–anyone know for sure?
UPDATE: In the comments, Lawrance, answers my question. I put his reply here to make the answer more accessible to others. Thanks for clearing up my vauge impression, Lawrance.
Pineapple means prosperous because of it sounds like "prosperity come"(旺來：旺–prosperity，來–come) in Taiwanese.
Orange means auspiciousness because of it sounds like 吉子 in
Mandarin.(吉：auspiciousness，子–children). Parents hope gods can bless
their children with auspiciousness.
When I babysat for a missionary family awhile back, the mom made oatmeal casserole. It was the first time I’ve ever tried such a thing. You eat it warm, but pour milk over it kinda like cereal. I am an oatmeal lover, so this new twist to an old favorite was a welcome treat.
I decided to make it for my own weekend-before Christmas guests who were spending the night. Like many casseroles, you can put it all together the night before, leave it in the fridge and just pop it into the oven the next morning.
Here’s what I did:
1/3 cup butter
2 eggs
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup raisins 2 small apples, chopped skin on 1/3 cup nuts (walnuts or pecans 1 cup plus 2 TBSP. milk
3 cups quick-cooking oats
Grease a 1-1/2 quart casserole dish (I don’t have a casserole dish, so I just used a cake pan). Preheat the oven to 177C or 350F.
Drop in the eggs and beat them slightly. Add the brown sugar, baking powder, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Mix well, and make sure there are no brown sugar lumps. Whisk in the melted butter and the milk. Stir in the oats. Stir in the optional raisins, apples, and nuts (although optional, these make it oh so scrumptious).
Bake, uncovered, for 35 minutes. The top should be starting to brown. Remove from oven. Spoon into bowls and pour milk over the top.
I just mixed everything right there in the casserole dish. This fed six of us, even with going back for seconds. I also happen to know that it is good warmed up in the microwave the following day.
Next time, I am going to experiment with using Splenda instead of the brown sugar, I know it will give it a slightly different taste, but that’d be ok.
Also, the original receipe I followed was slightly different. One difference is that it called for 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder; I didn’t have that so I left it out. I didn’t miss it, but you might.
I spent my Christmas Day evening with this lovely family (their dad is working in China). They are some of my favorite people in the world. What a blessing to live so close to them!
___
This was my first time to host a "Christmas dinner." I had fun doing it. I made Grandma’s sweet potato casserole, cherry coke jello, roasted potatoes, and broccoli with cheese. Oh, yeah and a pumpkin pie too. Corrina brought over a roasted chicken, salad, and pumpkin soup. It was all SO yummy!!!
___
It was the first time they had ever really celebrated Christmas. I gave each of the girls a blanket and then a family game set with 10 games inside. I also gave Corrina some smell goods and coffee with mug. She asked me incredulously "why do we all get more than one gift? You spoil us." I felt like I hadn’t given them much at all–it’s all perspective. The girls were SO excited to get Christmas gifts!!
___
After we stuffed ourselves and opened gifts, we played Uno Spin and Chinese Checkers. They had never played with four people before. If you play Taiwanese style Chinese checkers, only up to 3 people can play.
Corrina commented how so many American games are suitable for 6-10 players, while so many Taiwanese/Chinese games are limited to two or three players. She and her girls concluded this is because Americans like to play games as a whole family, but Taiwanese/Chinese people use/used games to encourage critical thinking skills–not as family entertainment. I think it is a pretty interesting theory/observation.
Today my guestblogger, my mom, finishes the story she started yesterday. (Just FYI, the pics are from 1979 and 1980–it’s the best I could do with what I have here with me in Taiwan.)
It was a warm Texas December night and a very special one for us (ok – very special to me, the sentimental one!).
It was our first time decorating a tree with a child old enough to
participate. We purchased a small Christmas tree from the local
grocery store and carted it home on top of our Pinto station wagon.
Ken crafted a tree stand out of scrap wood and we placed the tree on
top of our end table, hopefully out of the reach of our toddler’s
(Sarah’s) grasp. We placed the lights on the tree and Amanda and I
began hanging ornaments. She was so excited we were celebrating! I
was so excited – I got to keep the traditions!
It came time to turn off the overhead lights and plug in the
Christmas tree lights. As soon as the lights on the tree began
shining, Amanda, overcome at the beauty of what she was seeing,
spontaneously began to exclaim “Oh! Oh! Glory to God in the Highest!
Glory to God in the Highest! Glory to God in the Highest!” She raised
her arms and began dancing around that small glowing tree praising God,
repeating that phrase over and over just as the angels must have done
on the first Christmas night.
I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed worship as genuine as the worship
I saw that night! Worship from one with such a pure heart and pure
motives – a precious three-year-old, who knew only that we were
celebrating the birth of Jesus and that our Christmas tree was shining
just as the heavens were the night of His birth when angels praised God
and proclaimed His glory. And, she wanted to celebrate and praise Him
in the same way!
That Christmas, God gave us just what we needed through the faith
and actions of a three-year-old child. That experience changed our
perspective on Christmas celebrations. We both realized that a
Christmas tradition held its meaning only in the heart of the person
participating in the tradition – you could focus on the warm and fuzzy
feelings felt by reliving the tradition or you could focus on the
original intent of the tradition or you could focus on the One for Whom
you were celebrating as you participated in the tradition.
In our family, we choose to focus not on feelings or original intent, but on the Reason we were celebrating.
Each year, as we decorate our tree, it is a family tradition to tell
the story of the night we worshipped with Amanda around our first
family decorated Christmas tree. We seek to have the same worshipful
heart as a three-year-old who, though only looking at the lights on a
small Christmas tree, saw a sky filled with a host of heavenly angels
proclaiming God’s glory at the birth of His Son and joyfully joined in
the angels’ praises.
Now that is giving meaning to a Christmas tradition!
~Joi
Amanda: Isn’t that a great story!! I just LOVE it!! My mom is
so right . . . when we look at our Christmas traditions–or any
traditions for that matter–we can foucs on one of three things: (1)
warm, fuzzy feelings, (2) original intent, or (3) Christ.
For me and my sister (I think she would agree with me), that now
as adults, because our parents focused on Christ at Christmas, the
"warm, fuzzy feelings" of the holiday didn’t dissappear but were
intensified. It is not that our traditions became stoic–how can
worship of the long-awaited Savior be emotionless? No, the "fuzzy
feelings" didn’t dissappear, they just were not the reason we did the
things we did.
As adults, my sister and I anticipate Christmas traditions because we are excited to worship the King of kings and Lord of lords;
we look forward to being able to express our love for him in unique
once-a-year Christmas ways. Through participating in Christmas
traditions, we enjoy being able to proclaim "Oh! Oh! Glory to God in
the highest!!" and "Jesus, we love you!!"
This is a repost from last year. Originally posted here.
I, Amanda, asked my mom to share
one of my family’s favorite Christmas stories. So, today and tomorrow
she is guest blogging here at following an unknown path. Now, without
further adieu, let my mom take you back 25 years, to the Christmas of
1981 . . .
Christmastime is supposed to be a time of joy and celebration, but
there was conflict in our household. My husband and I disagreed for
most of our newly married four years on how we should celebrate
Christmas and neither of us wanted to give up any ground. However our
children were getting older (3 years and 18 months), and we needed to
reach an agreement on how our young family would celebrate this season.
I am the sentimental one in our family. I love the Christmas
season, all of it: the lights, the tree, the presents, cookie baking,
surprises and secrets, being with family and of course, celebrating the
Reason for the Season – God becoming a man and dwelling among us in
order to fulfill His plan of redemption.
On the other hand, I don’t think my husband has a sentimental bone
in his body! He is very practical, very logical, extremely
well-grounded in Scripture and very matter-of-fact. This particular
Christmas, he was finishing his education at seminary and had learned
that most of our traditional Christmas celebrations began as pagan
rituals. He would come home after seminary classes and explain to me
what he had learned in class and the conflict would begin! He didn’t
want our family to take part in any celebration that did not glorify
God. With such a youthful intensity to do only that which glorified
God, he didn’t want us to participate in some of the traditions I loved
because of their original intent.
Technically I agreed, I certainly didn’t want to be a part of
anything that didn’t glorify God!…..but I couldn’t imagine Christmas
without all the traditions I had grown up with and loved nor could I
imagine not sharing those traditions with my children.
After much discussion and heart searching, we decided we would keep
Christmas traditions as a part of our celebration (yeah! – I could
still have a Christmas tree!!), and purposefully seek to make the true
meaning of Christmas the focus in our family by telling the Christmas
story often to our young girls and singing religious Christmas carols
with them.
It was our routine to read or tell bedtime stories each night to our
girls; and, during this season, the Christmas story was a much repeated
favorite. Being a natural storyteller and intent on making sure his
daughters knew the true Christmas story, Ken would tell the birth of
Jesus with great enthusiasm and drama. We weren’t sure how much their
young minds comprehended, but we were genuine in our desire to glorify
God with our Christmas celebrations. Yet, Ken still was uncomfortable
about having the Christmas tree and other “pagan” celebrations in our
home, but God was about to give us a sign.
Come back tomorrow to find out how. Joi (aka Amanda’s mom)
This is a repost from last year. Originally posted here.
Last year I made 26 "Names of Jesus ornaments" for my Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. I was going to carry over the tradition of doing something crafty on Christmas Eve this year too . . . but I have class. So, I invited my class to my house for a party. That’s an ok compromise in my book.
However, I know what this year’s craft is going to be . . . I really want to make an Advent Calendar. So, I’ve been collecting ideas while I wait for a time when I can actually make it (which I am hoping is sometime during my Chinese New Year break in January and February).
I REALLY like the toilet paper tree ones that I first found on Bringing School Home and then later on here and the paper box and match box ones that I first saw on the Better Homes and Gardens site.
So, maybe it is a good thing that I don’t have time till Chinese New Year to work on my Advent Calendar . . . gives me time to collect some more toilet paper rolls. :)
Thought I’d share with you some of the inspiration I’ve been collecting. You can click on this mosaic and go to flickr to see the photo credits and also click through to the page with the original photo. On those pages, some of the photographers/crafters explain how they created their advent calendar in case you see one you want to emulate.
Aren’t these all just awesome. Some are quite simple and others are more elaborate. There are several ideas I want to copy.
In typical Amanda fashion, I would like to have oh . . . about 100 advent calendars. Do you think that would be too many?
Most of my decorations are the same as last year; the main difference is that I moved this summer, so they are all placed a little differently in my new apartment. But, I do have a few new things to show you.
Of course if your a little
tired of all the touring, you could just sit with me here on the couch
a little while a enjoy my new tree. (Snowmen booties courtesy of my
NeeNee.)
_ Are you ready now? If so, here are my snowpeople this year:
_ And, here is my favorite little snowguy of all–he just blends right in! :)
_ In addition to snowmen, I also really like candles. They just add a certain festive feel to the atmosphere.
_ Here is one of my new things for this year!! This is a Chinese paper cut of a nativity scene which a dear friend gave me four years ago. She was living in China at the time. I only got around to framing it this year. But, I love it!!
_ The only thing I’ve splurged on this year for my home is this little jingle bell tree–isn’t it so cute? And, here is what my Christmas card wreath looks like this year.
The biggest change is that I bought a new Christmas tree. Only thing is that it looks empty now . . . I love over stuffed, crowded trees that look like if you add one more thing they will fall over. I guess this gives me room to grow and add and build.
_ Oh! I did make some chocolate chip brownies, but they’re all gone now. So, can I offer you some green tea toast instead? It’s really yummy!! I even tried to make it extra festive for you!!
_ Well, thanks for coming to visit me in Taiwan! Before you head off to visit other homes on the tour, let me just say 聖誕節快樂 (sheng dan jie kuai le) or in other words "Merry Christmas Yall!!"
Saturday in the mail I got a package from the States from Jess.
Jess, I love the cross ornament, it is beautiful on my tree!! The bracelet is also very fun and a great surprise. And . . . .I LOVE the smell of my living room–mmm . . . the smell of Christmas! Thank you for your kindness. It made me smile and warmed my heart!
For gilby’s first christmas he was only five months old. And, he hadn’t ever had a haircut. He looked quite different than he does now . . . long gone is that adorable little puppy phase.
Oh, he is still cute–but it is defiantly a different kind of cute. :)
This red toy that he is playing (a Kong) with was a Christmas gift from my grandparents. He even unwrapped his present all by himself. I highly recommend the Kong toy–it’s the most played with toy we have. Also, it’s now two years old and still in great condition. Oh, and the little snowman outfit was a gift from my coworker/office-mate, Kady. Her friend designs doggie clothing.
Ok . . . that it is for awhile about Gilby . . . I promise not to turn this into a dog-blog. :)
I sit in my living room contemplating advent, thinking about hope and grateful for grace while candle light dances on the wall beside me and Christmas tree lights twinkle in front of me.
But, my home is not a quite place on this first Sunday of Advent. No. A Taiwanese god is having a birthday, and the temples of Tainan and making sure that he is well celebrated.
From my back window I can hear worship instruments playing their song. From my living room window I hear the sounds of an opera being acted out for the god to enjoy. I hear worship drums being beat in a rhythm unfamiliar to me.
That is I hear these things only when the fireworks and firecrackers have subsided. Since six this morning they have been worshiping all across town. All day long firecrackers have boomed and fireworks whizzed and popped. And, since they echo off the nearby high rise buildings the sound can be overwhelming.
And, from 10-11 this morning and then from about 9-10 tonight they shot fireworks and firecrackers for an hour straight each time–A FULL HOUR OF NON-STOP FIRECRACKERS! I begin to think they might never stop. They are still going strong as I go to bed at 11:30–however, now it is more random. Like every five minutes one temple decides to pop something rather than all the temples all shooting off fireworks at the exact same time for an hour.
ALL DAY LONG these people have worshiped their idol with loud songs and amazing firework shows. I didn’t go investigate, but I assume their worship has also included sacrifices, burning of spirit money, colorful costumes, dancing, spirit possession, dragon dances, and there has probably been some blood shed as shamans pierce parts of their bodies with swords and daggers. They probably have, are right now, or probably will go on a "god parade" dancing their idols through the streets so he or she in his or her different forms (one for each temple) has the opportunity to bless those nearby as the idols are returning from another more powerful temple where they went to get "recharged."
Less than two out of every one hundred Taiwanese are Christian. Sunday as I sit in my living room, preparing my heart to celebrate the first Sunday of Advent, I am fully aware of this fact. Lostness surrounds me, literally deafening me, making me sad . . . very sad. When will the Taiwanese be able to share with us the hope we have in Christ?
My little neighbors and their mom join me in my candle-and-Christmas-tree lit living room to worship our Savior (I’m new to Tainan, but I’ve known this family for eight years). We light a candle, read Scripture, thank Jesus for coming and for being our hope. . . . We worship the King of kings with very little display while the temples all around us worship an idol with great display.
I will never forget the odd juxtaposition of this day . . . the first Sunday of my first Advent celebration.
This is my first time to celebrate Advent. And, I’m excited about it. One of my biggest desires is to rebuild anticipation into the season . . . to recapture wonder and awe . . . but instead of directed towards the concept of Christmas as it was when I was a child . . . to direct towards love of my Savior.
After being away from home for five Christmases so far I’ve come to the conclusion that being away from family at Christmas time is hard–uh, I probably could have told you that after just the first one. And, I think that being single and barren at Christmas is also really hard–this is a family holiday. So, what’s a girl to do when she is single, childless, and living across the ocean from her family?
Once I tried basically ignoring it and pretending it didn’t really matter. A few times I tried to only focus on it on Christmas Day–to think about it for a whole month would just be too difficult. But, last year, I changed. . . I made it a point to make it special and started to build my own traditions. I also discovered Advent and decided that this year I would celebrate it.
So, for the first time, I am fully embracing the holiday as a single adult on my own. I am building my own traditions . . . that hopefully I will one day be able to share with my husband and children. I am creating things now that I hope to use with my kids. . . and if I never have children, I will share them with my little neighbors and use them myself.
But I am refusing to play the ostrich this year. Sticking my head in the sand and pretending this holiday isn’t really there–which is easy when no one around really celebrates it–isn’t an option. I will spend this month in awe and wonder . . . in anticipation. Christ has come and is going to return. He is our hope. Our salvation.
My thirteenth year of life was horrible. I was changing from a girl into a woman, and I felt everything and everyone was against me.
It was
Christmas Eve and none of my clothes from the year before were
fitting, and I could do nothing with my frizzy curls. I cried for at
least an hour after stomping up the stairs in utter frustration with
my mean mother who did not understand me at all! Then came the gentle
knock on the door. My mother had a red turtleneck and a beautiful
white fuzzy sweater across her right arm; "May I come in?" She came
in and helped me dress; then we went to her room where she did my hair
and even did my make-up. She then let me borrow one of her necklaces.
Everyone was waiting downstairs for us to come down so we could open
presents. As I walked down those stairs, I felt like the most
beautiful girl on the entire planet. I felt like everyone on the
whole earth was watching me descend down the stairs (not just my
family). I have never felt more beautiful in my whole life.
The other day, I saw a picture of that Christmas Eve. I remembered
feeling so beautiful, but as I looked at the picture, I just saw a
plain girl in her mother’s sweater with frizzy curls.
So what had
made the difference?
My mother’s opinion of me. Her time and
attention and her care, along with a few complements, I’m sure, made me
feel like a beauty queen.
Never underestimate the power of a mother’s touch.
I think Gilby has actually learned to "smile" for the camera. When I say "Gilby, look at the camera" he actually does!!
I used to hold a treat right by the camera and give the command. That way he’d look at the treat and thus be looking into the lens of my camera at the same time. But, now, no treats are needed at all. And, not only does he look . . . he opens his mouth and appears to be smiling.
In fact, he absolutely loved taking pictures last night. I was trying to get some shots to send home to parents and grandparents so they could see my tree. In some of them I held Gilby, but if I decided to take one by myself he either jumped into my lap or ran over to stand by my feet.
Silly dog . . . you think it’s possible for a canine to actually fall in love with the limelight?
You see him just sittin’ there beggin’ for me to take his picture, right?
Today, October 10th or 10/10, is known as “Double Ten Day” in Taiwan. Double Ten Day is a national holiday–so no school or work today.
But really outside of the official festivities taking place in the capital city that the rest of the island watches on the news, I’ve never seen much ado made of this holiday.
So, what is Double Ten Day you ask . . . it is “National Celebration Day.” Many also call it the birthday of Taiwan. In fact, I saw on the news this morning the mayor of Taipei singing “happy birthday” and cutting a cake covered in Taiwan flags.
According to Wikipedia: Double Ten Day is the national day of the Republic of China and celebrates the start of the Wuchang Uprising of October 10, 1911, which led to the collapse of the Qing Dynasty.
We live in Taiwan--a little tea leaf shaped island in Asia.
Amanda is from Texas and Lawrance from Tainan. We met, fell in love and married in 2008.
We both teach English and both love to tell others about Jesus. We also both really enjoy laughing, and we both just happen to enjoy "ching cha," a type of fabulous green tea.
The issue of ancestor worship is complex. It would be impossible to express exactly what it is and what it means to the Taiwanese. Each year I’m here I understand a little more. And, now that I’ve married into a Taiwanese family–as a daughter-in-law to the first born son–I understand even more.
In 1925, the author of an article entitled “Chinese Ancestor Worship: A Study of Its Meaning and Its Relations with Christianity” concluded that “the problem [of ancestor worship] will ultimately be solved by the Chinese themselves. Only those who have grown up within a system in which ancestor worship is central can wisely make provision for its future evolution and sublimation. Ancestor worship still awaits treatment at the hands of those who are both truly Chinese and truly Christian. In their hands we may safely leave its destiny.”
