Xiao Nian, as an important part of traditional Chinese festivals, has always been regarded as a prelude and prelude to the New Year. Its arrival indicates that the pace of the Spring Festival is approaching, and every household is beginning to get busy, making various preparations for the arrival of the New Year. So what is the origin of Xiao Nian? What are the rich traditional customs and delicacies? Let's explore the story of Xiao Nian and taste the cultural charm in it.
First, the origin of the year
The origins of Xiao Nian can be traced back to the ancient Chinese custom of sacrificial stoves. The god of the stove, also known as the king of the stove and the king of the stove, is a god in ancient myths and legends, he is responsible for managing the stove fire of each household, and at a certain time every year he goes to heaven to report to the Jade Emperor the good and evil in the world. In order to pray for the god of the stove to say more good words in front of the Jade Emperor and bless the safety of the house, people hold a ceremony to sacrifice the stove on the 23rd or 24th day of the lunar month every year to send the god of the stove to heaven, commonly known as "sending the stove" or "resigning the stove". This day has become a "small year" in the traditional sense.
Over time, the meaning and ways of celebrating the Year have been enriched and developed. In addition to the sacrificial stove, people also began to carry out activities such as dusting, pasting Spring Festival couplets, and preparing New Year's goods on this day to make final preparations for the upcoming Spring Festival.
2. Traditional customs
Sacrificial stove: As mentioned above, the sacrificial stove is one of the oldest and most important customs of the year. People place offerings in front of the stove, such as sugar melons, water, beans, etc., and burn incense to pray for the blessing of the stove god.
Sweep the dustOn the day of the New Year, every household has to carry out a big cleaning, cleaning up the dust and garbage inside and outside the house, which means saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new, sweeping away the bad luck of the year, and welcoming the good luck of the new year.
Paste the couplets: After the New Year, people began to paste Spring Festival couplets, window flowers and other decorations to create a strong festive atmosphere.
Prepare for the New Year: Xiao Nian is the deadline to prepare New Year's goods, and people will buy various New Year's goods on this day, such as candy, melon seeds, new clothes, etc., to make material preparations for the Spring Festival.
3. Food culture
The food of the year is also colorful and full of local characteristics. Among them, the most representative are sugar melons and dumplings.
Sugar melon: Sugar melon is a dessert made of maltose, shaped like a melon, hence the name sugar melon. Its taste is sticky to the teeth, which means that it sticks to the mouth of the god of the stove, so that he can only speak sweet words after going to heaven.
Dumplings: In the northern region, there is a habit of eating dumplings on this day of the New Year. The shape of the dumpling is like an ingot, which means that fortune and wealth are abundant.
In addition to these traditional delicacies, there are also various special snacks made according to their own customs and taste preferences, such as rice cakes, glutinous rice balls, glutinous rice cakes, etc., all of which add a strong New Year's flavor to the New Year.
Conclusion
Although the New Year is not as grand and lively as the Spring Festival, it has its own unique charm and cultural connotation. By exploring the origin of the New Year and tasting the traditional customs and food, we can not only feel the strong flavor of the New Year and the warmth of home, but also have a deeper understanding and inheritance of the excellent traditional culture of the Chinese nation. On this festive and peaceful day, let us pray for a safe and happy new year!