The twenty-third day of the lunar month is commonly known as the small year, and the reason why it is called the small year is not necessarily related to whether the Chinese New Year's Eve is too big the year. But people seem to prefer it as an important symbol of the New Year. On this day, there are many folk events all over the country, and one of them is a custom called the sacrificial stove, which touched me very much.
The sacrificial stove has a long tradition in China, and it is rumored that the history of the sacrificial stove can be traced back to the pre-Qin period. "The Four Years of the Duke of Zuo": "The monarch is blessed with the community of the city, humiliating the widow, and the widow's wish." The "sheji" mentioned here refers to the earth god and the grain god. In the pre-Qin period, the "Sheji" of the sacrificial stove was mainly to sacrifice to the "big prison" (pigs, cattle, sheep and three livestock), since the Han Dynasty, "the county and county Houtu shrine and folk shrine are not set up". When the Han people sacrificed to the stove, they no longer used the "big prison" of pigs, cattle and sheep, but there are records of replacing the "big prison" with preserved wine. Tang Luoyin's poem "Liangdu": "The moon tablet dragon post embraces the cold, and the small stove lamp flowers take wax to see." "During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the people used wine to sacrifice. In the Qing Dynasty, the folk gradually formed the custom of using sugar cakes, fruits, wine and other sacrificial stoves on the day of the New Year.
Who is the stove officer? How? What's the saying?
The stove official is the god of the stove in ancient myths and legends. The god of the stove is also known as the king of the stove, the king of the stove, the lord of the stove, the true monarch of the stove, the king of the stove of the nine heavens of the east kitchen, the king of the stove, etc. "Customs and Rituals" said: "The god of the stove, Taiji woman, was born in Fuxi, and after the Yellow Emperor was the mother of the wind, it is said to be seen in the "Liwei Sincerity Chapter". The god of the stove is the "head of the family" who directly manages the fires of each house, and is worshipped as the protector of the family. On the one hand, people worship the god of the stove out of fear of his ability to "say good things from heaven", and on the other hand, it is also out of respect and gratitude to their ancestors.
The ritual of the sacrificial stove is actually very simple. On the 23rd day of the lunar month, every household will place offerings on the stove, burn paper money, incense and candles, etc., and pray to the god of the stove for peace and a good harvest in the coming year. The offerings are generally sugar cakes, fruits, wine, etc., and some places will use sugar melons instead of sugar cakes. Sugar melon is a sweet made from maltose that is highly viscous and sticks to the mouth of the god of the hearth, making it impossible for him to speak ill of the world. In addition to offerings, incense sticks are lit and items such as paper money or ingots are burned as a sign of respect and prayer for good fortune. During the festival, the whole family performs this ritual in the kitchen, and the atmosphere is very solemn.
There are many theories about the sacrificial stove. First of all, the sacrificial stove is seen as an expression of gratitude. It is believed that the god of the stove is a god who blesses families with peace and a good harvest, so at the end of the year, they express their gratitude to the god of the stove. At the same time, the sacrificial stove is also seen as a ritual to pray for good luck. It is believed that the altar is used to pray to the gods for good fortune, good fortune, and good fortune. In addition, there are some places where there are some special customs and taboos that are practiced during the festival. For example, in some places, women are not allowed to participate in the ritual of sacrificing the stove; Before the sacrificial stove, you are to be cleansed, and so on. These customs and taboos all reflect the reverence and belief in the gods.
In addition to the sacrificial stove, there are a number of other customs and activities in the year. For example, dusting, bathing, steaming rice cakes, etc. Dust sweeping is an important activity starting from a young age. On this day, people clean the inside and outside of the house, and clean up the bad air and dirt of the year. Steamed rice cake is a traditional food that means "rising every year", and it is also one of the delicacies that every household will prepare during the New Year. In addition, there are some places where festivals, lantern festivals, and other events are held during the New Year, and these are traditional events held to welcome the arrival of the new year.
In conclusion, Xiao Nian is an important festival in traditional Chinese culture and a prelude to the Lunar New Year. Through traditional customs and activities such as sacrificial stoves, people express their reverence and gratitude to the gods, while also praying for peace, good fortune, and a good harvest in the New Year. In modern society, although these traditional customs have gradually been diluted, there are still some people who insist on carrying out traditional activities such as sacrificial stoves during the annual small year to pass on this cultural tradition. Let's go into the kitchen and feel the charm of this traditional culture!
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