25th February 2020 文昌帝君生日 Birthday of the Deity of Literature

Traditionally the Deity of Literature’s birthday is celebrated on the 3rd day of the 2nd lunar month. This year, this date falls onto the 25th of February 2020 [1]. The significance of his veneration can be accurately reflected by a saying from the South, where one of the centres of his worship is located, in the area of ‘Mount Seven Bends’ [qi qu shan 七曲山] in Si Chuan:

「北孔子，南文昌。」
Kong Zi in the North,
Wen Chang in the South.

Wen Chang is a deity primarily sought out by the faithful for scholastic and academic endeavours, i.e. passing school or university exams, or in the past the imperial examination.
The Deity of Literature was bestowed with many appellations, such as Zi Tong [梓潼] after a place, Emperor Wen Chang [文昌帝], King of Favourable Relief [济顺王], King of Heroic Manifestation [英显王] to name a few.

Furthermore, many Daoist and Daoism related treatises bear his name, such as the ‘Treasured Declaration of Wen Chang‘ in the 《Daoist Evening Scripture》 [wan gong ke晚功课], as well as a Book of Merits [shan shu 善书] called ‘Sovereign Wen Chang’s Script of Hidden Good Deeds’ [文昌帝君阴骘文], the latter still has to see the light of the this world as an English translation.

In the 《Eastern Watchtower Memorial》it states:

「初日官奏文昌星暗，科场当有事。」
On the first day the officials report that the constellation of the Deity of Literature is gloomy, at the site of the imperial examination problems will [surely] arise.

[1] This date will vary each year in the Gregorian calendar.