It's the time of the year again when devoteees of the Nine Emperor Gods worldwide observe a strict vegetarian diet in honour of the gods to pray for blessings and many other interventions. The festival of strict fast & prayer begins on the 1st day of the 9th lunar month, when the gods are ushered into the temple from the sea and ends on the 9th day when the gods are given a grand send off on a boat back to the sea.

I'm writing in just to share a few important points on this fast, the lore as inherited from my elders.

The vegetarian fast observed for the Nine Emperor Gods is much more stricter compared to the regular 1st & 15th lunar calendar vegetarian fast. The eating & cooking utensils MUST BE CLEAN [ ie. not touched meat]. Most devotees keep a special set of gas stove, eating & cooking utensils just for this occasion. Tooth brush should also be new.

The concept of pure vegetarian diet, as required by this fast is the food should be free from onions, garlic, spring onion, egg, milk and any animal derived items.[which means no butter, fried eggs, milo, horlicks, ovaltine, bovril etc] In addition, one should also abstain from alcoholic drinks.

In Penang, Kedah & Perlis, one can confidently have one's meal at stalls displaying yellow banners proclaiming the Nine Emperor Gods title in Chinese : Kiew Ong Tai Teh.

How many days should one observe the vegetarian fast? It's a very personal choice. One can observe a full 9 day fast, the last 3 days or just the last day.

For those observing the 9 day fast, one should stop consuming meat by dusk on the last day of the 8th lunar month. Some say the fast begins as soon as the local temple hosting the Nine Emperor Gods hoist up the nine lamps on a tall bamboo pole.

After the grand send off, one can proceed to the nearest non-vegetarian stall to break the vegetarian fast.

Besides dietery purity, devotees should also observe purity in action. Charity is praised, avoid from anger, abstain from gambling.

Remember, the objective of our fast is to pray for something, hence we should make ourselves worthy by observing purity of diet as well as actions.

Those devotees from Penang should make a trip up to Cheng Kuan Soo in Paya Terubong. There's a blog about it http://www.my-island-penang.com/Cheng-Kon-Sze.html . It's one of Penang Taoist's centre of pilgrimage  during this vegetarian fast. Be fore warned : one should observe a strict vegetarian to go there. It's a holy place in Taoist standard, hence no 'pollutants' are allowed : people in mourning, people who do not observe a strict vegetarian fast, menstruating women.

The last item that I'm going to address here is the usual 'spiritual requests' that devotees have. My late grandmother fasted for her parents' long life and well being. I'm doing the same. Students may want to fast to get divine intervention for their education. Working people may want to fast to request the gods to bless them in their carrier. The sick may fast for speedy recovery. With every request, one can make a vow to repay the gods' kindness. It could be as simple as vowing to observe the vegetarian fast the next year, to contribute bags of rice to the temple or some good works.

May all be blessed!