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The Ultimate Guide to Cleaning Your Business’ God of Wealth Altar This New Year

As folklore has it, the best time to clean the God of Wealth's altar at the end of the year is from the 23rd to the 25th of the twelfth lunar month. This is because the Kitchen God returns to heaven on the 23rd, providing an opportune moment to tidy up the altar of the God of Wealth.

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14 July, 2024

Cleaning the Ancestral Altar for Tet is a way to wash away the sadness of the old year and attract more fortune in the new year. Join us in exploring how to properly clean the God of Wealth altar at the end of the year.

1 Auspicious Day and Time for Cleaning the God of Wealth Altar

The ideal time to clean the God of Wealth altar is on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, which is also the day to send off the Kitchen Gods to heaven. Any time between the 23rd and 25th of the twelfth lunar month is considered auspicious for cleaning the God of Wealth altar in a shop.

Shop owners should clean the altar during the hours of 4 pm to before 12 pm and 1 pm to 5:55 pm. Additionally, it is best to avoid cleaning the altar between 12 pm to 1 pm and after 6 pm.

Auspicious Day and Time for Cleaning the God of Wealth Altar

2 How to Clean the God of Wealth Altar to Welcome the Lunar New Year

Step 1 Prepare the Necessary Items

Before cleaning the God of Wealth altar, gather the following items. Importantly, do not use plain water to clean the altar:

White rice wine, ginger wine, or grapefruit water
Clean cloths
Offerings: boiled chicken, boiled fish, incense, oil lamps, paper offerings, etc.

Prepare the Necessary Items

Step 2 Offer Incense to the God of Wealth

Once you have prepared all the necessary items, light incense on the God of Wealth altar and recite the prayer to seek permission for cleaning.

Step 3 Prayer for Cleaning the God of Wealth Altar

Namo Amita Buddha!

– We respectfully bow to the Celestial Emperor, the God of the Earth, and all the deities.

– We respectfully bow to the Eastern Kitchen God, the Guardian of the Hearth.

– We respectfully bow to the Gods of Wealth.

– We respectfully bow to the Gods, the Earth God, and the spirits who govern this area.

We, the faithful, are: ………………………

Residing at: …………………………………………..

Today, on the …… day of the twelfth lunar month, following the end-of-year custom and in preparation for the Lunar New Year, we, the faithful, are grateful for the blessings of heaven and earth and remember the virtues of our ancestors. We humbly seek permission from the holy spirits, the Earth God, the Kitchen God, the Gods of Wealth and the Earth God, and our ancestors of the inner and outer families to trim the incense sticks, sweep the altar, and clean the worship area.

We pray that the Gods of Wealth will take pity on us, descend before the altar, witness our sincerity, accept our offerings, and bestow blessings upon us. May we be safe and prosperous, enjoy good fortune, thrive in our business endeavors, expand our spiritual path, and have our wishes granted and our hearts’ desires fulfilled.

Our offerings are humble, but our hearts are sincere. We respectfully offer our prayers before the altar and seek your protection and blessings.

We respectfully inform you!

Offer Incense and Recite the Prayer

Step 4 Clean the God of Wealth Altar

After the incense has burned out, proceed to clean the altar. However, it is important to not move the incense holder.

Next, prepare a large table covered with red cloth or paper, and carefully remove the worship items and place them on the table (the statues of the God of Wealth and the Earth God, the spirit tablet, the water bowl, etc.) in the same order as they were arranged on the altar.

Then, use the pre-soaked clean cloths to wipe the altar, incense ashes, dust, and spider webs, and use another dry cloth to wipe it dry. Do not place the worship items on the floor.

Clean the God of Wealth Altar

Step 5 Tidy Up and Replace the Incense Ashes

First, the owner of the house must wash their hands with rice wine or grapefruit water. Use one hand to hold the incense holder while using the other hand to gently remove the incense ashes, being careful not to move the incense holder.

Next, gently pull out the incense sticks one by one, leaving an odd number of sticks in the holder (five incense sticks represent the unity of the five elements, while three sticks in other incense holders symbolize wealth).

Use a clean spoon to scoop out the ashes, leaving about one-third of the old ashes in the holder. The old incense sticks can be burned and then released into a river. Afterward, use a clean cloth soaked in wine to wipe the incense holder clean before adding new ashes.

Tidy Up and Replace the Incense Ashes

Step 6 Clean the Statues of the Gods

Use a separate cloth soaked in wine or grapefruit water to wipe away any dust or grime from the statues, and then dry them with a clean cloth.

Step 7 Place the Worship Items Back on the Altar

Once the altar is thoroughly cleaned, return the worship items to their original positions on the altar. Replace the water, salt, and rice with new ones. Finally, offer incense and inform the Gods that the cleaning is complete.

Place the Worship Items Back on the Altar

3 Important Notes on Replacing the Incense Ashes in the God of Wealth Altar

Do not move the incense holder.
Wash your hands with wine or grapefruit water before replacing the ashes.
Use a spoon to remove the ashes; do not pour or tilt the incense holder.
Do not remove all the incense sticks; leave an odd number of sticks.

Important Notes on Replacing the Incense Ashes

4 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Cleaning the God of Wealth Altar

Do not use plain water to clean the altar.
Do not use the same cloth for cleaning the altar and other items.
Be careful not to break any of the worship items.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

5 Feng Shui Items for the God of Wealth Altar

Ngũ Phúc Tụ Tài: Helps to accumulate and preserve wealth for the shop, ensuring smooth business operations.
Hoa Mai Chiêu Tài: Attracts wealth and blessings through the rotation of the five petals of the plum blossom.
Ngũ Phúc Lâm Môn: Symbolizes the arrival of five blessings.
Tỳ Hưu: Wards off negative energy and brings peace, luck, and prosperity to the shop owner.
Thiềm Thừ: Believed to increase wealth. It is customary to turn the toad’s face outward in the morning and inward in the evening to maximize wealth accumulation.
Vân Hand: Dissolves bad luck, removes obstacles, and attracts good fortune.

Feng Shui Items for the God of Wealth Altar

The above guide provides detailed instructions on how to properly clean the God of Wealth altar at the end of the year. We hope this information will be useful to you.

Frequently asked questions

Cleaning your God of Wealth altar is a way to welcome the New Year with a fresh and positive start. It is believed that doing so will bring good luck, prosperity, and success in the coming year.

The first step is to remove all the items from the altar and clean the surface with a soft, dry cloth. Then, use a gentle cleanser and a damp cloth to wipe down each item individually. You should also cleanse the items energetically using sage smoke or sacred wood incense. Finally, return the items to the altar, starting with the largest items at the back and working your way forward.

It is recommended to clean your God of Wealth altar at least once a year, preferably at the start of the New Year. However, if you feel that the energy around the altar is stagnant or negative, you can perform a cleansing ritual at any time.

In addition to regular cleaning, you can enhance the positive energy of your God of Wealth altar by displaying fresh flowers or plants, burning auspicious incense, and placing a wealth vase or bowl filled with symbolic items such as crystals, coins, or prosperity charms.

It is recommended to wrap the items in a clean cloth or place them in a box to protect them from dust and negative energy while they are not on the altar. You can also take this opportunity to cleanse and charge the items under the full moon or in sunlight, further enhancing their positive energy.