For better luck in the Year of the Snake 2025, also pray to these 3 Chinese gods

Besides the tai sui and Jade Emperor, the gods of wealth, doors and kitchens are also appeased by those wanting the best shot at fortune

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A statue of the god of wealth stands in a forest in Nanjing, in China’s Jiangsu province. The god is one of the many guardian deities that Chinese people traditionally pray to during Lunar New Year for fortune, health, love and prosperity. Photo: Getty Images

Published: 5:15pm, 23 Jan 2025

From snake-themed events to whether your luck is in: discover all you need to know about the coming Lunar New Year in our Year of the Snake 2025 series.

During the Lunar New Year, crowds flock to Chinese temples to pray for blessings and good fortune in the year ahead. It is an age-old tradition that involves offering incense sticks to the guardian deities, who each oversee a certain aspect of life, such as money, happiness and love.

There are dozens of gods in Chinese mythology. Among the ones that people pay attention to during the Lunar New Year are the reigning tai sui and the Jade Emperor.

Tai sui, also known as the Grand Duke of Jupiter, is the guardian deity of the year who governs your prosperity and luck for the coming year. The 60 deities in Chinese astrology take it in turns to be the tai sui, reigning one by one over a 60-year cycle.

People pray for fortune in the coming year at Wong Tai Sin Temple in Hong Kong. Photo: Elson Li

Those whose zodiac animals clash with that year’s deity should make it a point to visit a temple with a tai sui shrine to pray to him and perform a sip tai sui ritual so that he will shield them from potential adversity.

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Year of the Snake 2025: predictions, facts, myths and feng shui

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