Ancient Tradition of Worshipping God of Wine

Ancient Tradition of Worshipping God of Wine

祭祀酒神仪狄的古老传统

Yi Di, the god of wine, was an offlcial in charge of wine making in the Xia Dynasty (2070 BC – 1600 BC), a prestigious brewer at the time.

The brewing of yellow rice wine starts at the

beginning of winter, a closely followed rule as well as brewers' gesture of respect towards nature. On the day winter begins, wine and folk customs exclusively found in Shaoxing – such as worshipping god of wine Yi Di and praying for prosperity – are practiced vigorously in China Shaoxing Yellow Rice Wine Museum or Gu Yue Long Shan brewery. Offering sacriflces, welcoming the god of wine, chanting prayers, burning incense, and so on raises the curtain of brewing Shaoxing wine for another year.

酒神仪狄乃夏禹时代司掌造酒的官员，也是当时有名的酿酒师。

黄酒立冬开酿，一直是严格遵循的规律，也是酿酒师对大自然表达的一种尊重。每到立冬这天，绍兴所独有的酒俗和民俗——祭祀酒神仪狄、祈求福祉等仪式，都会在绍兴的中国黄酒博物馆或古越龙山酿制车间如火如荼地进行。敬献祭品、恭请酒神、诵读祭词、上香祭拜……新一年的绍兴酒于此正式开酿了。