A lunar year

A lunar year

The New Year is usually regarded as the beginning of a busy year, which means that people start to prepare New Year goods, dust cleaning, kitchen worship, etc., ready to clean a good year, expressing people's good wishes to bid farewell to the old and welcome the New Year, and welcome the good luck. Due to different customs, the days called "xiaonian" are not the same. Modern China some places spread, "official three people four ship five", that is to say, the official xiaonian is the twelfth lunar month twenty-three, people is the twelfth lunar month twenty-four, and water people is the twelfth lunar month twenty-five. In fact, the traditional xiaonian is in the twelfth lunar month 24, because the qing dynasty in the middle and late imperial family early one day in the twelfth lunar month worship kitchen god 23, northern people followed suit, also early one day in the twelfth lunar month 23 xiaonian.

Sacrifice to the kitchen is an important activity on this day. In addition to offering sugar-melon and cakes, the kitchen god's portrait is also exchanged. When the old picture of the kitchen god is removed, every household will "invite" back a new picture of the kitchen god. Folklore has it that on this day every year, the kitchen god sends a message to the jade emperor to report the good and evil of the family to the jade emperor for reward and punishment. Therefore, people put candy, water, beans and clover on the table in front of the statue of the king of the oven. Among them, the last three are for zao's ascension to heaven. Folk have "men do not worship the month, women do not worship the kitchen" the custom, therefore the kitchen god, only limited to men. In addition, it is said that on the night of the New Year's eve, the king of the oven will also celebrate the New Year with the gods. Wait until every family burned the sedan horse, sprinkle three cups of wine, send away the kitchen god, then it is the turn to worship ancestors.