Beating the Petty Person (打小人) is held on Mar. 5 or 6 of the lunar calendar in Hong Kong. It coincides with Jing-zhe (驚蟄, waking of insects), a day according to folk belief when the insects awoke from hibernation.
Why is Beating the Petty Person Held?
The ritual seeks to eliminate the negativity caused by petty people, who cause trouble or spread gossip, and get rid of bad luck. It is believed that on this day, the White Tiger, a mythical harmful creature, opens its mouth (and it is also the day on which women in South China and Hong Kong worship the White Tiger). It is also believed to be the day the petty person opens his mouth.
How is the Ritual of Beating the Petty Person Performed?
There are two ways to participate in the Beating the Petty Person ritual. The first is to pay a witch or 喃嘸佬 (Nán mǔ lǎo, chanting fellow) who will go under the Canal Road Flyovers in Wan Chai, Goose Neck Bridge at the intersection between Hennessy Road and Canal Road, or Lover’s Stone Park on the mid-level hillside on Hong Kong Island, to conduct this traditional ritual. The second way is to perform the ritual yourself.
The ritual is performed in various ways but all involve lighting candles, burning joss sticks, burning paper figures, beating items with a shoe, and chanting special words. Some rituals include food offerings.
