People pray to the gods, wishing for favorable weather in the coming year.
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usage
祈 is rarely used alone in modern Chinese; it appears in compounds: 祈祷 (qídǎo, to pray), 祈求 (qíqiú, to pray for), 祈福 (qífú, to pray for blessings), 祈愿 (qíyuàn, to make a wish/prayer).
