Is it okay to go to the temple to burn incense on the first day of the first lunar month? Taboos of burning incense on the first day of the first lunar month

During major traditional festivals, people in many places have the habit of going to temples to burn incense. People believe that burning incense and praying during important festivals shows more sincerity and is more effective. So is it okay to go to the temple to burn incense on the first day of the first lunar month?

Is it okay to go to the temple to burn incense on the first day of the first lunar month? Taboos of burning incense on the first day of the first lunar month

Going to the temple to burn incense on the first day of the first lunar month brings good luck;
Going to a temple on the first day of the first lunar month means bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new. Many temples will also have the "first stick of incense" on this day, which is very popular among pilgrims. Since the first day of the New Year is the first day of the Lunar New Year in the traditional Chinese calendar, many people hold ritual activities such as offering sacrifices and worshipping gods on this day. When performing these actions, people often light candles and make offerings to express their respect and thoughts for their ancestors and gods. Burning incense, lighting candles, and placing offerings are actually ways for people to pray to their ancestors and gods and express their gratitude and remembrance.

Taboos on burning incense on the first day of the first lunar month

( 1 ) Incense sticks should not be lit facing the ground . When lighting incense sticks, the tip of the incense stick should not be facing the ground. It should be facing the Bodhisattva and the God of Wealth. This also shows our respect for the Bodhisattva and the God of Wealth. At this time, we must not speak out our inner thoughts, and we must not smile frivolously. Our expressions should be formal. At this time, we only need to silently recite our New Year wishes in our hearts, so that the Bodhisattva and the God of Wealth can know our inner wishes. If we say it out loud, that won't work.
( 2 ) Pay attention to the time of burning incense . Generally, people burn incense before dinner. Burning three incense sticks in our room represents peace and safety. Burning 9 incense sticks is for blessing three generations of descendants. The different places where incense is burned have different meanings. If we burn incense in our kitchen, it means to bless our kitchen not to catch fire; burning incense at the front door of the house means that all the evil spirits have eaten their fill here, so as to avoid being disturbed by the evil spirits. Therefore, on the first day of the New Year, we ordinary people will burn incense at the front door and in the kitchen of our house.
( 3 ) Washing hands before burning incense represents sincerity . You must wash your hands before burning incense. This is an indispensable step. It is wrong to just pick up the incense and burn it. Before we burn incense, we must wash our hands clean. We are absolutely not allowed to touch the incense with our hands before we wash them clean. We must shake the lit incense to extinguish it, and never blow it out with our mouths. How we should hold the incense in our hands when burning incense is also a point that deserves our attention. The most formal gesture of holding incense is to hold the incense with our thumb and index finger, and raise the other fingers. Then raise the incense with both hands, not too high, just level with our eyebrows.