Twenty-three sugar melons sticky, twenty-four sweeping the house, twenty-five fried tofu, twenty-six stewed mutton, twenty-seven killing chickens, twenty-eight handfuls of dough hair, twenty-nine steamed steamed buns, thirty nights of boiling for one night, and twisting on the first day of the new year". Along with nursery rhymes, let's learn about the customs and culture of Chinese people......
Twenty-three, "sugar melon sticky" is an important custom in traditional Chinese culture. This custom originates from the 23rd day of the lunar month, also known as the day of the "Sacrifice to the King of the Stove". On this day, every household prepares a traditional food called "sugar melon" to worship the king of the stove. Sugar melon is made by mixing maltose and yellow rice, and it has a high viscosity. People place offerings such as sugar melons in front of the statue of the Lord of the Stove, and smear it on the mouth of the New Year's painting of the Lord of the Stove, which means that the Lord of the Stove can leave a good impression when he speaks good things in the heavens, thus bringing the auspiciousness and happiness of the family.
The Lord of the Stove was originally a star in the sky, but he was relegated to the world because of his mistakes, and served as the "East Chef Commander", responsible for supervising the good and evil behaviors of each family. On the day of the new year, the Lord of the Stove will go to the heavenly court to report the situation of the family to the Jade Emperor for a year, so people hope that by worshiping the Lord of the Stove, the Lord of the Stove can say more good things and less bad things when he goes to heaven. After the worship, people will burn the portrait of the Lord of the Stove, symbolizing the sending of the Lord of the Stove to heaven, and also indicating that the new year is coming and you need to be ready to welcome the New Year.
To sum up, "Twenty-three, sugar melon sticky" is not only a yearning for a better life, but also a manifestation of people's traditional belief in the Lord of the Stove, praying for family harmony and auspiciousness by worshiping the Lord of the Stove.