Today is Friday, February 2nd.
The twenty-third day of the lunar month.
The footsteps to welcome the new year have sounded, and the busy days have receded year after year. Let's look forward to the new year to realize our wishes and dreams, and the happy atmosphere of reunion permeates every corner. Wishing you a happy new year and all the best. The new year is here, and it is another busy year, and I hope that all the wishes of the new year will come true. Reunite with Hemeimei, and feast on guests. The spring breeze sends warm flowers to bloom, and good luck is prosperous. The sound of firecrackers bids farewell to the old year, and fireworks bloom to celebrate the new year.
Xiao Nian is a traditional Chinese festival, usually on the 23rd or 24th day of the lunar month, also known as the Stove King Festival. On this day, people will worship the god of the stove, which we often call the king of the stove, hoping that he can bless the food and safety of the family. The Lord of the Stove, also known as the God of the Stove, is one of the five rituals in Chinese folk belief and is the god in charge of the kitchen. His duty is to monitor the good and evil deeds in the world, and to report to the Emperor in Heaven on this day of the New Year every year.
There are various theories about the origin of the Lord of the Stove. One theory is that the Lord of the Stove originated from the cooking sacrifice in ancient times, and the cooking sacrifice is one of the ancient sacrifices, mainly to worship the god of fire and the god of the stove. Another theory is that the Lord of the Stove was a deity that appeared with the development of cooking technology. There are many versions of the story of the Lord of the Stove. One of the most famous versions is the story about Zhang Liang. It is said that after Zhang Liang helped Liu Bang establish the Han Dynasty, he chose to retire, he chose to live in seclusion, and set up a stove god in his home to worship every day. His piety impressed the Emperor of Heaven, and the Emperor of Heaven made him the King of the Stove.
On this day of the New Year, people will prepare sugar melons, dumplings and other foods to worship the Lord of the Stove, hoping that he can say good things in front of the Emperor. This custom embodies the traditional Chinese concept of human-god communication, that is, people establish a connection with the gods through sacrifices and offerings, and pray for the protection of the gods.
Stove rituals and folk beliefs. The core activity of the Xiaonian custom is the sacrificial stove, which has its roots in the ancient Chinese worship of the stove god. The Lord of the Stove (also known as the Lord of the Stove, the God of the Stove) is revered as the patron deity of the family, in charge of the family's food and fire, and is also regarded as a bridge between the heavens and the world. On the 23rd or 24th day of the lunar month (there are differences between the northern and southern regions), every household will perform a grand ritual of sacrificing the stove. People will put sugar melons, cakes, fruits and other offerings on the stove, among which sugar melons are particularly special, its sweet and sticky mouth is intended to "stick" the mouth of the stove prince, so that he only talks about good things and does not mention bad things when he reports to heaven, so as to pray for peace and prosperity and abundant crops in the coming year.
Cleaning and dusting and welcoming the new year. The old saying "twenty-four, sweep the house", which means to remove the old cloth and welcome the new year with a clean home environment. This custom embodies people's yearning for a better life and the folk belief in warding off evil spirits. Sweeping not only cleans the interior and exterior of the house, but also cleans furniture and utensils and replaces old items, symbolizing the removal of the bad luck of the past year and preparing for the new year.