It is usually held between the 22nd and 25th days of the twelfth month of the lunar calendar, and different regions and families may have different customs, but the custom in most places is to carry out the ritual of sending the stove god on the 23rd or 24th day of December every year. When sending the stove to the prince, the ancestors had the saying of "3 for, 2 taboo and 1 not left", what did they refer to? Let's take a look at it.
The god of the stove is also known as the Lord of the Stove, the Lord of the Stove, the Lord of the Stove, the Star of the Stove, in the past, almost every family has the god of the "Lord of the Stove", people call this god "the Lord of the Stove", the legend is that he is the Jade Emperor of the "Nine Heavens East Kitchen Division of the Stove Wangfujun", responsible for the management of the stove fire of each family, so it is worshipped. On the twenty-third day of the lunar month, people will send the prince of the stove to heaven and ask him to report to the Jade Emperor the good deeds and mistakes of the family in the past year. The origin of the god of the stove can be said to be very early, and the Shang Dynasty began to worship it in Chinese folk. In order to allow the god of the stove to say more good things, he derived 3 for 2 taboos and 1 for nothing.
In the ceremony of sending the stove to the prince, there is an important link of "three offerings". These three offerings are sugar, wine, and beans. This is not simply material, but rather an expression of respect for the gods through these offerings, in the hope of a smooth and prosperous year ahead.
Candy
The god of the stove has to report everything the family has done to the Jade Emperor, in order to let the king of the stove say more good things, so candy has become an indispensable tribute, such as honey, sugar melon, etc. This is because candy has the meaning of "sweet mouth", and I hope that the Lord of the Stove will say more positive comments in the heavenly court.
Wine
The ancients believed that if the Lord of the Stove drank too much when he reported to the heavens, he would be dizzy and would say less bad things about the family. Therefore, the purpose of drinking is also not less, and the purpose is to hope that the gods will keep a good mood and say good things when they are in heaven.
Beans
The beans offered to the god of the stove are eaten, and this small detail reflects the all-round care for the god of the hearth, taking into account every detail, reflecting the awe and gratitude of the gods.
In the process of sending the stove to the prince, we should also keep in mind the "two taboos", that is, avoid the woman's sacrifice to the stove and avoid unlucky words and deeds.
Avoid women's sacrificial stoves
As the saying goes, "Men don't sacrifice to the moon, women don't sacrifice to the stove", the meaning of this sentence is that men are not allowed to sacrifice to the moon god, and women are not allowed to sacrifice to the stove god. This is because, in folk mythology, the moon god is a beautiful fairy, and the god of the stove is a handsome man who looks better than Pan An. For the sake of family harmony, there is a saying that "men do not sacrifice to the moon, and women do not sacrifice to the stove".
Don't be inauspicious
On this day, the god of the stove has to go to heaven to report to the Jade Emperor, so people must be cautious in their words and deeds. On this special day, it is taboo to say some inauspicious words. This is both a sign of respect for the gods and the wish for all the best in the coming year.
The last step in sending the king of the stove is to burn the old statue of the god of the stove. The purpose of this link is to show that the Lord of the Stove has left, so the old statue of the Stove God cannot be kept, and must be sent away by fire. On Chinese New Year's Eve, when King Stove returned from a meeting, he put on a brand new portrait and hung it at home. On Chinese New Year's Eve, people often put a new statue of Vesta in the kitchen and offer incense, melons and fruits to welcome King Stove home. This is the successful conclusion of the whole ceremony of sending the stove to the king, and it also heralds the beginning of the new year.
Write to the end. In this ancient and mysterious traditional ritual, people pass on the veneration of the gods and the hope of a better future through specific ritual steps. The traditional rules of three offerings, two taboos, and one non-retention are not only a tradition, but also a kind of advice to future generations. In fact, the original intention of the sacrificial stove is not to worship the gods, the Zhou Dynasty called it "Ji Zao", its purpose is to thank the "first stove" who taught people to eat cooked food, and the way to commemorate them with "Ji Zao" is obviously the fundamental, which is what we should really remember. On the twenty-third day of the lunar month, the god of the stove was sent