Nine Emperor Gods Festival

High school (ages 12+)
Holidays & Celebrations

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/nine-emperor-gods-festival

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the taoist tradition?A significant observance within Taoism, emphasizing purity and spiritual discipline
2. What is the dietary observance?Strict vegetarianism ('Jay') is a central tenet, often excluding pungent ingredients
3. Why do people eat vegetarian food during the festival?Eating vegetarian food, called 'Jay,' shows respect for life and keeps the body and mind pure. It helps people stay peaceful and avoid harming other living beings.
4. When does the Nine Emperor Gods Festival take place?The festival starts on the evening before the ninth month of the Chinese lunar calendar and lasts nine days. The exact date changes each year because it follows the lunar calendar.

Syncretism: The blending of different religious or cultural beliefs and practices into a new whole.
Self-Mortification: The act of punishing one's body as a form of religious devotion or penance.
Qi: In Taoism, the vital life force or energy believed to flow through all living things.