In Chinese, shí, meaning “ten,” and shí, meaning “stone,” share the same pronunciation. Thus, the tenth day of the Lunar New Year is traditionally considered the Birthday of the Stones, in the hope of shí quán shí mi – “everything in perfect completeness.” In ancient China, stones were regarded as the foundation of the Earth. Therefore, the Birthday of the Stones is synonymous with celebrating the Earth’s birthday. Today is also known as “Shi Bu Dong,” meaning “Do Not Move Stones.”
On this day, it is forbidden to cut into a mountain for rock or to build a house with stone, as doing so is believed to bring misfortune to the crops. Families burn incense and candles for the stones and offer pancakes to the God of Stone.
ACME Construction would like to wish everyone a lucky and prosperous Lunar New Year. As tradition forbids moving any stone today – including stone rollers, stone mills, and stone mortars – remember: with ACME, when you need something stuck in the ground, it stays put.
The day follows the Birthday of the Jade Emperor, and there is often an abundance of leftover food from the celebration. On the tenth lunar day, families may finish the vegetables, animal sacrifices, cakes, and fruit prepared for the ceremony, extending the feasting in honor of the Jade Emperor.
Tomorrow will be the eleventh day, and the day after that, the twelfth. Are you really still celebrating?
But by all means, continue to drink with wild abandon.
The Haus of Dcaligari 