This week marks the beginning of the New Year
Xiao Nian, also known as the Sacrificial Stove Festival, is a traditional Chinese folk festival that is usually celebrated on the 23rd or 24th day of the lunar month. The custom of Xiao Nian is mainly to worship the god of the stove and pray for peace and auspiciousness in the coming year, and it is also an important symbol to welcome the Spring Festival. Still, you know what? The small year in the north and south is not the same day, and there are many different customs. So, why is there such a difference? What are some interesting stories?
Why is the North and South a different day?
According to folklore experts, the time difference between the north and the south is mainly due to a variety of factors such as history, politics and geography. In ancient times, there was a saying that "the official three people, four boats, and five" in the small year, which means that the official family's small year is the twenty-third day of the lunar month, the common people's family is the twenty-fourth lunar month, and the water people are the twenty-fifth lunar month. This is because the official family should sacrifice the stove in advance so that they can worship the New Year on the first day of the first month, and the common people's family should sacrifice the stove after the official house to show respect, and the water family should sacrifice the stove after the people's house to show humility.
In the north, because it has been the political center of the country for a long time, it has been greatly influenced by the official family, so the small year is mostly the twenty-third day of the lunar month. In the south, because it is far away from the political center, more of the people's traditions are retained, so the small year is mostly the twenty-fourth day of the lunar month. In some water towns in the south, such as Poyang Lake, etc., due to the large number of people on the water, the small year is mostly the twenty-fifth day of the lunar month.
What are the different customs of the North and South Xiaonian?
In addition to the difference in time, there are also many differences in the customs of the North and South of the year. These customs mainly reflect the geographical environment, product characteristics, lifestyle and cultural connotation of each place. Below, we will briefly introduce some representative customs of the North and South Xiaonian.
Sacrificial stove
The sacrificial stove is the most important custom of the year, and it is also a custom shared by the north and the south. The god of the stove, also known as the king of the stove and the prince of the stove, is a god believed by Chinese folk who is in charge of the stove fire, manages the diet, and investigates the good and evil in the world. On this day of the new year, the god of the stove wants to go to heaven to report to the Jade Emperor about the situation in the world in the past year, so people should offer various foods to the god of the stove when they sacrifice to the stove, in order to express their respect and gratitude to the god of the stove, and also hope that the god of the stove can say some good things and bring happiness to the coming year. In addition to food, it is also necessary to provide beans and straw to the god of the stove as feed for the mount of the god of the stove.
Although there are customs of sacrificial stoves in both the north and the south, there are differences in the choice of tribute between the north and the south. In the south, the food of the sacrificial stove mainly includes rice cakes, sugar cane, horseshoe cakes, fried chestnuts with sugar, etc., which means that every year is high, the festival is high, there is a head and a tail, and it is sweet and sweet. In the north, the food of the sacrificial stove mainly includes sugar melon, caramel sugar, hemp sugar, fire, etc., which means sweet words, sticking to the mouth of the stove god, so that he does not say bad things.
Window grilles
Sticking window flowers is a characteristic custom of the northern New Year. Window grilles are decorations that are cut out of various patterns on red paper with scissors or blades, and then pasted on the windows. The patterns of the window flowers include various animals, plants, auspicious symbols, etc., implying auspiciousness and vitality. The habit of pasting window flowers, originating from the ancient art of paper-cutting, is a traditional handicraft of Chinese folk. On this day, people in the north will cut and paste the window grilles themselves, or go to the market to buy ready-made window grilles and paste them in the newly cleaned houses to add joy and beauty to their homes.
Shower haircuts
Bathing and haircutting is another characteristic custom of the northern Xiaonian. There is a folk saying that "if you have money or not, shave your head for the New Year", which means that no matter whether you are rich or poor, you must shave your hair before the New Year to show neatness and respect. Bathing and haircutting activities are mostly concentrated around the time of the young year, and in some places there is a habit of "shaving the head in the small year and taking a bath in the big year". The meaning of a bath and haircut is to wash away the dust of the year and welcome the beginning of the new year.
Eat rice cakes
Eating rice cakes is a characteristic custom of the southern year. Rice cake is a kind of cake made of glutinous rice flour or other grain flour, with different colors such as white, yellow, red, etc., different shapes such as round, square, and long strips, and different methods such as steaming, boiling, frying, and frying. The meaning of rice cakes is to rise every year, and it also has the meaning of worshipping ancestors. In some places in the south, there is also the habit of "eating rice cakes in small years and dumplings in big years", which means that eating rice cakes in small years means paying homage to ancestors, and eating dumplings in big years means blessings to future generations.
Fried peanuts
Fried peanuts are another characteristic custom of the southern Xiaonian. Peanuts, also known as peanuts, lettuce seeds, ground beans, etc., are a common nut that is rich in protein, oil, vitamins and other nutrients. In some places in the south, people will fry peanuts on this day of the new year, and then eat or share them with relatives and friends, implying endless life, wealth and auspiciousness. In some places, there is also the habit of "fried peanuts in small years, fried fritters in big years", which means that fried peanuts in small years indicate the memory of ancestors, and fried fried fritters in big years indicate expectations for future generations.
The difference between the north and the south is a microcosm of traditional Chinese culture and a manifestation of China's regional differences. We should respect and appreciate these differences, and we should also learn from and learn from these excellent cultures. Here, I wish all users, no matter which day they spend the New Year, they can have a happy and happy New Year!