The origin of Xiao Nian can be traced back to the ancient Chinese sacrifice customs to the god of the stove (or the king of the stove, the king of the stove). The god of the stove is a family god in Chinese folk beliefs, and is believed to be responsible for monitoring the good and evil actions of each family, and reporting to the Jade Emperor at a certain time of the year, thus affecting the fortune and fortune of the family in the coming year.
According to the traditional lunar calendar, the ritual usually takes place on the 23rd or 24th day of the lunar month, which is the so-called "Xiao Nian". In different regions, due to differences in customs and habits, most of the northern regions celebrate the New Year on the 23rd day of the lunar month, while some places in the south celebrate the New Year on the 24th day of the lunar month.
There are many versions of the legend and story about the god of the stove, one of the more widely circulated versions is that the king of the stove was originally a mortal, and was named the god of the stove because of the lessons and changes in life, and people prayed for him to say good things to heaven by sacrificing to the stove, and returned to the palace to be auspicious, that is, I hope that the god of the stove can speak well in front of the Jade Emperor, and bless the whole family with a safe and smooth year and a bumper harvest of grains.
On this day of the New Year, in addition to sacrificing to the god of the stove, there are rich folk activities such as sweeping dust, cutting window flowers, pasting Spring Festival couplets, eating stove candy, etc., to show that the old is removed and the new is welcomed, and the arrival of the New Year and the Spring Festival is welcomed.