Master Katha Chinabanchorn, a renowned fortune teller, explained in detail that the "Stove God Worship Day" for the year 2026 is an important tradition among Chinese and Thai-Chinese people, taking place on Wednesday, 11 February 2026. The Stove God (Xiaomi Gao Xing) is a significant deity according to traditional beliefs and Taoism.
1. He protects the family: overseeing peace and harmony within the household.
2. He records behavior: watching the actions of family members.
3. He reports to heaven: he ascends to report the family's good and bad deeds to the Jade Emperor in heaven.
4. He grants blessings: people worship him to bring wealth, peace, happiness, and auspiciousness to their families.
Items to prepare (offerings).
The famous fortune teller said that to perform the ceremony properly according to tradition, the following items should be prepared.
- Sticky rice cake (Ta Liao): an auspicious mixed delicacy.
- Five cups of tea: arranged in front of the altar.
- Five types of fruit: such as oranges, apples, grapes (emphasizing auspicious fruits).
- One plate of rice: symbolizing abundance.
- A vase of fresh flowers: for freshness and beauty.
Additionally, joss paper offerings include horse paper, gim hua (incense pot decoration), ticket gim (gold paper with scalloped edges), and ang tio (red cloth or red paper).
How to perform the worship.
Master Katha said the ceremony should be done in the morning of the worship day, from 06:00 to 12:00.
Steps for worshiping the Stove God.
1. Set up the altar to perform the ritual of "reporting the Stove God's ascent to heaven."
2. Pray and announce only auspicious matters, asking for blessings for the family.
3. When the incense is nearly finished, burn the silver and gold joss paper to send the Stove God back to heaven with honor.
The renowned fortune teller added a final note: the Stove God worship is typically done about 6-7 days before Chinese New Year, allowing the deity to report one’s good deeds before the new year begins.
