Exagnisi Thoughts (Hellenic Chinese New Year 2016)
This post covers the first three days of this festival, the cleaning parts. Next post will go over our "claiming" of our home and then the night we spent in the living room and likely the feast after the end of Hekate's Deipnon.
So, I'd planned to keep a notebook of all my thoughts and impressions from this festival. I didn't do that very well. I do, however, have the first several days written down. This is going to be a short series of posts that include what the plans were for the festival and then how those days worked out.Spouse and I were able to celebrate this as a multi-day festival as we both got 9 days off for Chinese New Year. Taiwan mandates at least 5 days for the new year holiday, and both of our works gave us a few extra days to have the long "weekend" stretch from Saturday to the Sunday of the next week.
Original Plans (Days 1 - 3 (daytime))
By Saturday (2 days before the new moon) -- Theme: Preparation/Cleaning
Get into the right mood and mindset by cleansing with smoke and fire
House clean, purged of stuff we don't need, and tidied.
Do grocery shopping as needed for baking projects and such for the coming festival.
Sunday, February 7 (Day before the new moon) -- Theme: Cleansing
Techno music playing in the house
Cleaning and washing. Use the baijiu in washing water and in a spritz bottle and bell and drum? to loosen the energy in the home
Sing and dance?? Rattle the energy in the house loose
Monday, February 8 (New Moon) -- In US, Take day off -- Theme: Purification
Smoke the house then fan the corners
Before nightfall, open all windows and let sunshine and clean air come through the house. Spend the day with all windows and doors open to allow for everything clean out. Fans running and everything moving.
Sweep the corners with the broom and push the energy out the front door
Burn lemon and mint oils in khernips? -- Make khernips early on
Play music (woodwind music) throughout the house during daylight hours
How Those Days Played Out
These two days were originally going to be two days of different kinds of cleaning. One was going to be a day of cleaning the house (picking up) and then one of washing and then one of purifying. Instead, we spent Saturday and Sunday cleaning and cleaning. That mostly meant sweeping, moving furniture, and putting everything away. There was a lot of sorting and organizing that happened, and it definitely took two whole days to do.
One of the big things we did was set up a proper working altar outside. Spouse cleaned everything and put together all of the stuff we'd need for it. They lit candles everywhere outside and burned lots of incense. It was beautiful.We got up and went running most of these days as a way to get our heads "into the game," as it were. Then we got to work and cleaned during the daylight hours and often into the evening. Getting enough sleep was important for both of us, although we didn't eat quite enough or well enough during the process.
We started fasting just before sundown on February 8 - the beginning of Hekate's Deipnon.
Journal Excerpts
Feb 6 - Hestia: "Sitting near the stove, I anointed the range with wine and felt a sweet homeyness wash over me from Hestia's corner."
Feb 6 - Fire: "While I was putting together some laundry stuff outside, having meditated with Hekate, Skye's (Spouse) notes that were hanging up at one of the shrines caught on fire. Three of his masks were fine, and the closest one was only singed. However, the fire felt like a big message to both of us." We proceeded to divine the meaning of the fire and then called it a night as we were both really rattled by the event.
Feb 7 - Clean: "The house is not clean. There are a few things not done, but we've done what we can with the energy we've had. Rooms are organized and replanned and structured such that the energy moves through them cleanly."
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Just got the call from work. I don't have classes today because students have fallen ill. I'm off for the next 10 days! Exagnisi commences!! There'll be fireworks in the park tonight, and I won't even have to put them off myself!
Building on what I said about getting to be somewhere that celebrates alongside me, here's a little coffee mascot all dressed up as a lion, ready for New Year!
Almost time! Almost time! Chinese New Year is coming!!
The other day, someone I’ve been emailing a bit with reminded me that I have such a wonderful experience happening right now. I get to live in a country that runs on a lunar cycle. When I leave offerings and do rituals for the new moon, I get to see others around me doing the same (albeit different offerings). When the full moon rises, things come to life here. I’m preparing for a festival that will be 5 days long, and I don’t have to ask for vacation. I automatically get those days (at the new moon) off from work because it’s a national holiday. The world around me is abuzz with excitement and happiness building to the local holiday that is the height of the year here. It’s amazing, and I feel so incredibly blessed.
On top of all of this, I live in a place where the majority religion (and it’s a HUGE majority) is polytheistic. I get to walk past temples every day that are alive with people and life. Inside those temples are statues and representations of local deities and spirits. People pray and leaving offerings and incense to those deities, spirits, and their own ancestors.
This place is magical. Thank you so much to all the Powers That Be that brought me here, most especially to Dionysos and Hermes for their hands in my life and at my back ever pushing me forward!
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Getting ready for Hellenic Chinese New Year (Exegesis! It has a name!). Spouse and I cleaned the shrine we’ve been using for a year and upgraded it from a three shelf table to two side-by-side bookshelves. It’s lovely and puts Hestia’s lamp at eye level (we’re short). Thought I’d share.
Promising your Gods that you’re going to clean your house inside and out completely and totally and try to make everything beautiful and warm and homey is actually really tiring. Well, the promising isn’t tiring. It’s the cleaning that’s a pain. ;-) 2 weeks until this clean house is due, and we do mean clean!
P.S. Greek-knowing people! Do any of you have suggestions for what to name a spring-time purification of the home and self festival?
