Weiya (尾牙), a traditional year end banquet, was celebrated on Wednesday, January 15th. Literally “tail end trade”, the special meal is an annual celebration for the earth god, a tutelary deity in Taiwan’s religious hierarchy. The occasion also provides an opportunity for Taiwanese employers to show employees and partners appreciation before the holidays.
As a religious festival, most businesses hosted their weiya for the earth god with special tables set up outside stores. The engagement can also take place on temple premises, where wet scrubbers have been installed to reduce pollution. However, because the deity is identified with the site of the property, numerous shops choose to serve the feast and burn spirit money and incense as offerings for the deity in furnaces on the street.
Honoring the earth god using an inferior burner outside businesses negatively impacts public health and the environment. Although the authorities do not interfere with this tradition, in light of the wildfires in Los Angeles and global warming, it seems now more important than ever to work together across communities to protect this world before the next.