Traditional Chinese Custom: Being vegetarian/vegan and Taoism

Angie | April 7, 2022

Becoming vegetarian or vegan has many benefits both for the body and the earth. It helps to fill the body with many fresh vegetables full of nutrients. It also helps to save the environment by decreasing the emission of greenhouse gasses that comes from raising livestock and producing meat. The benefits of being vegetarian/vegan ties in with philosophical beliefs that older generations of Chinese people worship. Taoism is all about living in harmony with nature and achieving a balance with the two forces of yin and yang. Yin resembles shadows and negativity while yang represents light and positivity. Everyone has a balance of yin and yang within them. In order to maintain the balance, it is essential to be aware of the effects nature and the universe have on the two forces. Today we will talk about one of the more popular beliefs, being vegan (or vegetarian) on the first and fifteenth of every lunar month.

Taoism argues that every aspect of nature can have an impact on our body. Everything from geography, weather, and the position of the moon can affect our mood and health. In order to stay at an optimal  condition, we need to align our daily habits with the changes of nature. Before we get into the specifics of why the first and fifteenth of every lunar month are the chosen days to restrain from eating meat, we will discuss why Taosim believes being vegan/vegetarian is good for humans and earth.

First, eating vegetarian/vegan can calm the heart and train the mind. Restraining from eating meat is a practice of self-discipline. In modern day society, people are starting to reflect on their daily diets. They equate being vegetarian/vegan as being more virtuous and having high morality. Prior to many celebratory events, there is always a day or two where people would refrain from eating meat or animal products to cleanse the body and calm the mind. It is an art of refraining from indulgence. These few days act as a reminder to individuals of the harm of over-indulgence to the body. 

Secondly, being vegetarian/vegan can cleanse and heal the body. Overindulging in food consumption will cause stress on the stomach and digestive system. Eating meat doesn’t equate to over-consumption or being unhealthy, but it is harder to digest due to containing a large amount of protein. It can lead to fatigue, bloating, and indigestion. Health issues will ensue if continued long term. This is not the way to achieve longevity. Occasionally taking a few days to eat vegetarian/vegan will give the body a break.

Lastly, why do Chinese people eat only vegetarian products specifically on the first and fifteenth of each lunar month? This has to do with the moon’s position and its effects on tides. The moon’s gravitational pull is the main tidal force that causes the ocean to have high tides and low tides. As 80 percent of the human body is made up of water, and the salinity of blood is similar to that of the ocean, it is believed that the moon will also have a tidal effect on humans. This is to say as there are high and low tides with the ocean, our blood flow will also have high and low moments. In Chinese herbal medicine, this is known as “血氣 (hyut3-hei3/xuě-qì/hud1-hei1)”, which is known as our chakra or internal energy).

On the first day of every lunar month, the moon is positioned between the earth and the sun, forming a straight line. This is what we see as the new moon. The new moon we see is the dark side of the moon (yin) facing away from the sun. People living in this shadow will feel pressured and fatigued. Blood flow will also slow down and therefore decrease our internal energy. Meat will be even harder to digest during this time leading us to feel more hefty. Abstaining from meat will decrease stomach burden and help maintain chakra levels by thinning the blood to increase blood flow.

On the fifteenth day of every lunar month, the earth is between the sun and the moon, forming a straight line once again. This time we will see a full moon. The yang energy increases, which also increases our activity rate. Some people may find it hard to stay put and are overflowing with energy. However, they might also be easily angered or irritated. As mentioned, being vegetarian/vegan can calm the heart and settle the mind. So eating only vegetarian/vegan-products during this time soothes irritability.

There are studies that show crime rates and accidents increase during days with the full moon. On a day with the new moon, depression conditions also intensify. People will experience extreme emotions. Aside from traditional beliefs, there is more scientific research tied to this claim. In summary, being vegetarian/vegan for several days a month doesn’t hurt. It might also lead you to see its multiple benefits. Vegetables do not have to taste bad. In future blog posts, we will explore some delicious vegetarian/vegan recipes that use traditional Chinese ingredients. Stay tuned for our following blog posts if you want to know more interesting traditional Chinese customs.

Chinese families usually eat together every meal of the day (at least for dinner). They would talk about their day, tell funny stories, and share happiness around the table. There are many different ways to tell a funny story in Cantonese with the never-ending list of slang available. If you are interested, check out some of our resources to see if Cantonese is a new foreign language you would like to take up!