Little Nian
Little Nian is the 23rd or 24th day of the twelfth lunar month every year. In China, it is the beginning of the entire Spring Festival celebration. There are two main customs: sweeping Nianhe sacrifices to the stove.
Sweeping the New Year, that is, sweeping the dust, is actually a big effort to clean the home environment. People in the north regard the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month as the off year, which is called "sweeping the house"; people in the south regard the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month as the off year, which is called "dusting off". On this day, every household gets up at dawn to sweep the house, clean the windows, wash the clothes, scrub the pots and pans, and carry out a clean and thorough general cleaning. A few days before the Little New Year, every family cleans their house to prevent the Kitchen God from taking away the soil. According to "Shi Yi Ji", this custom can be traced back to more than 3,000 years ago, when the ancestors of the Han Dynasty used it as a religious ceremony to drive away epidemic ghosts and pray for health. The word "dust" and "chen" are homophonic, so sweeping the dust means sweeping away the old things. This refers to both the old dirt in the courtyard and the unhappiness encountered in the old years.
Sacrificing the stove means offering sacrifices to the Kitchen God to ascend to heaven, so Xiaonian is also called the Stove Festival. According to folklore, the Kitchen God was originally a star in the sky. Because of his mistakes, he was demoted to the human world by the Jade Emperor and became the "Eastern Chef". He sits in the middle of the kitchen stoves of each household and records how people live and behave. Every year on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month, the Kitchen God will go to heaven to report the good and evil of the family to the Jade Emperor, so that the Jade Emperor can reward and punish them.
On the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month, people will sacrifice to the stove. The statue of the God of Kitchen God is posted on the wall next to the stove and facing the wind box. The couplets on both sides are mostly "God speaks good things, and the lower world ensures peace". The second couplet also says "Return to the palace to bring good luck", and the horizontal line is "the head of the family". In the middle is the statue of the Kitchen God and his wife. Two horses are often painted next to the statues as mounts. Candies, water, beans, and mosses are placed on the table in front of the Stove King's statue; among them, the last three are to prepare the Stove King's mount for ascension to heaven. When offering sacrifices to the Stove, Guandong sugar must be melted with fire to stick to the Stove God. His mouth was so that he would not say bad things to the Jade Emperor, and he also wanted to make the Kitchen King's mouth sweet and only say good things. Then the statue of the Stove Lord is burned and said to be "ascended to heaven". While burning, he kowtows and prays: "God says good things, and the lower world will be safe." In some places, fake horses are burned and firecrackers are set off to send the Stove Lord riding to heaven. In the 1950s and 1960s, the custom of worshiping the Kitchen God gradually disappeared, but the customs of eating Zao candy (a kind of maltose that sticks to the mouth and teeth) and cleaning the house are still passed down to this day.
The stove sacrificial ceremony is mostly carried out in the evening. When offering sacrifices to the Stove God, the person offering sacrifices to the Stove God kneels in front of the statue of Stove God and holds the rooster in his arms. Some people also let children hold a chicken and kneel behind adults. It is said that the chicken is the horse on which Lord Zao ascended to heaven, so the chicken is not called a chicken, but a horse. If it is a red rooster, it is commonly known as "red horse", and if it is white rooster, it is commonly known as "white horse". After burning the incense table, the house is filled with smoke and mystery. The male host poured wine, kowtowed, and muttered something. After finishing the recitation, the person offering sacrifices to the stove shouted "Lead"! Then the chicken head is poured with Tianzhi wine. If the chicken's head flutters, it means that the Kitchen God has appreciated it. If the chicken head doesn't move at all, you need to water it again.
Food: In addition to eating stove candies on the day of worshiping the stove, fire roasting is also a very unique seasonal food. Every year on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, the business of sesame cake stalls in the city is very prosperous. In addition to candied melons and the like, the offerings also include water dumplings, which takes the folk meaning of "getting up and the dumplings falling on the face", and some also offer noodles.
There is a folk custom that "men do not worship the moon, and women do not worship the stove". Therefore, worshiping the stove prince is limited to men. In modern times, it is mostly housewives who play the role of offering sacrifices to the stove. In addition, on the night of New Year's Eve, the Kitchen King and the gods will come to earth to celebrate the New Year. On that day, there must be ceremonies to "receive the stove" and "receive the gods". After every household burns sedans and horses, pours three cups of wine, and sends away the Kitchen God, it is their turn to worship their ancestors.
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Answer: Baidu Bluetooth-Senior Manager Level 6 2-10 16:51
Lunar Calendar Ten February 23rd (or 24th) is known as the Xiaonian Festival among the people, and it is a festival to worship the Kitchen God.
The custom of offering sacrifices to stoves has a long history. Zao Lord has become a great god respected by the people in the Xia Dynasty. In the Analects of Confucius, which records the words and deeds of Confucius in the Spring and Autumn Period, there is a saying: "Instead of charming Yuao, Ning Mei is with Zao". In the pre-Qin period, worshiping the stove was one of the "Five Sacrifice" (the five sacrifices were the five gods of stove, door, line, household, and Zhonglei. Zhonglei was the earth god.
Another one says it is door, well, household, stove, zhonglei; or it is said to be xing, well, household, stove, zhonglei). When offering sacrifices to the stove, a god should be established and abundant food and wine should be used as sacrifices. It is necessary to display tripods, set up beans, welcome corpses, etc. There are obvious traces of primitive fetishism.
Zao Lord himself was said to be Emperor Yan and Zhu Rong in the early days. Later, many theories were derived. After the rise of Taoism in China, the Kitchen God was described as a female old mother based on the theory of "Jingshuo". "In charge of people's residences. At twelve o'clock, he is good at understanding the affairs of the world. On the first day of every month, he records the good and evil deeds of people and their merits and deeds, and records their importance. At midnight, he plays a memorial to the Heavenly Cao and orders his book." Later, it developed into the saying that there is both Grandpa Kitchen God and Grandma Kitchen God. In different regions, different people play the roles of Zaojun and his wife, accompanied by popular local folklore stories.
The ancient people have different opinions on the date of worshiping the stove, including the first month, April, May, August, December and so on. In our country's feudal society, various religions coexisted, the number of gods was as high as tens of thousands, and it was customary among the people to respect them all. Perhaps for the sake of simplicity and unification, making it easier to remember and practice, the saying that the Kitchen King went to heaven to report to heaven once a month evolved into going to heaven once a year. And the time is fixed on the 23rd or 24th of the twelfth lunar month. This day has become a traditional festival for worshiping stoves.
In most areas of Shanxi, the stove is worshiped on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month. Only a few places such as Yushe, Wenshui, Licheng and Yangcheng offer sacrifices to the stove on the 24th of the twelfth lunar month.
The statue of Kitchen God is posted on the wall next to the stove and opposite to the wind box. Most of the couplets on both sides are "God speaks good things, and the lower world ensures peace", and the second couplet also says "Return to the palace to bring good luck". In the middle is the statue of the Kitchen God and his wife. Two horses are often painted next to the statues as mounts. When offering sacrifices to the stove, offerings should be displayed, the most prominent of which are sugar melons. It is customary to use glutinous rice in the northern Shanxi area. It is the primary product of sesame candy and is very sticky. It is now collectively called sesame candy. There is a folk proverb that goes "Twenty-three, eat rice noodles". Foods such as sugar and glutinous rice are both sweet and sticky. It means that Zao Lord was too busy eating and not talking. After going to heaven, his mouth was stuck with glutinous rice to avoid trouble. There are also a few eggs placed in the offerings as snacks for foxes, weasels and the like. It is said that they are all subordinates of Lord Zao and must be taken care of. When offering sacrifices to the stove, in addition to offering incense and wine, it is especially important to scatter horse feed for the Stove King's mount, from in front of the stove to outside the kitchen door. After these rituals are completed, the statue of Kitchen God must be taken down and burned. Wait until New Year's Eve to set up a new statue.
There is an ancient saying that "women do not offer sacrifices to the stove", and offering sacrifices to the stove is often a matter for men. In modern times, it is mostly housewives who play the role of offering sacrifices to the stove.
According to folklore, Lord Zao went to heaven to sue for evil in the world. Once he was accused, his life span would be shortened by 300 days for major crimes and 100 days for minor crimes. In the "Tai Shang Ying Pian", there is another description of "the order of the commander is determined according to its importance, and the records are taken away". Si Ming refers to Zao Lord, which counts as one hundred days, and Ji refers to twelve years. Here, the penalty for serious crimes has been increased to twelve years of life shortened. Therefore, when offering sacrifices to the Kitchen God, you should pay attention to the God of the Kitchen God and ask him to show his noble hand.
There is a popular saying in northern Shanxi: "On the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month, Grandpa Zao Lord went to heaven and ate sugar cakes in his mouth. He refrained from speaking in front of the Jade Emperor and returned to our home to celebrate the New Year. There was rice. The folk song "Have a face and clothes to wear" expresses the pursuit and yearning for a better life.
On the Stove Festival, people pay attention to eating dumplings, which means "sending off dumplings and facing the wind". People in mountainous areas eat more cakes and buckwheat noodles. In the southeastern part of Shanxi Province, the custom of eating fried corn is popular. There is a folk proverb that goes, "On the 23rd, if you don't eat fried corn, you will eat it in one pot at the beginning of the new year." People like to bind fried corn with maltose and freeze it into large pieces, which tastes crispy and sweet.
After the 23rd, people believe that the gods have ascended to heaven and there are no taboos. There is no need to choose a date to marry a daughter-in-law or a daughter-in-law, which is called a random marriage. Until the end of the year, many wedding ceremonies are held. There is a folk saying that "Suiyan is busy getting married in the countryside, and Yichun posts are amusing the spring scenery. Sisters whisper to each other in front of the lamp, staying up late this year is the bridal chamber."
It’s the 23rd, and there are only six or seven days left before the Spring Festival. The preparations for the New Year are even more intense. It is necessary to thoroughly clean the interior, commonly known as sweeping the house, clearing the dust under boxes, cabinets and Kang mats, painting the walls, scrubbing the glass, pasting flower windows, pasting New Year pictures, etc.
There are two folk songs in the southeastern Shanxi region. One is "On the twenty-three, send the master to heaven; on the twenty-four, sweep the house; on the twenty-five, steam the dumplings; on the twenty-six, cut the Remove the meat; on the twenty-seventh, clean the tin utensils; on the twenty-eighth, make the food sloppy; on the twenty-nine, wash the feet and hands; on the thirtieth, the door gods and couplets are posted together." Reflecting time constraints and intense preparation.
The second is a nursery rhyme: "Twenty-three, after the sacrifice to the stove, the children clapped their hands and laughed. In five or six days, the New Year will come. The evil-proof box, playing with walnuts, drips and drips Two cannons were fired, and the ping-pong sound was heard, and the fire rose as high as the sky." This reflects the joyful mood of children looking forward to the New Year.
Among all preparations, cutting and pasting window grilles is the most popular folk activity. The content contains anecdotes of various animals and plants, such as magpies climbing plum blossoms, swallows piercing peach willows, peacocks playing with peonies, lions rolling hydrangea, three sheep (yang) Kaitai, two dragons playing with beads, deer, crane and tongchun (sixth year of spring) , five bats (blessings) holding longevity, rhinoceros looking at the moon, lotus (consecutive) fish (remaining), mandarin ducks playing in the water, bangs playing with golden cicadas, harmony of two immortals, etc. There are also various dramatic stories. Folklore includes the saying of "big ascension to the palace, second bloom of plum blossoms, Sanniang's teachings on the fourth to enter the earth, five daughters to pay their respects to birthdays in the snow of June, marriage to the Tianhe on July 7th, eight immortals to celebrate their birthdays with nine pieces of clothing", which reflects It reflects the folk's preference for dramatic stories. For families with a new daughter-in-law, the new daughter-in-law should bring various window decorations she has cut and go back to her husband's house to put up the windows, and neighbors will come to watch them.
After the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, every household will steam steamed buns. Generally speaking, they are divided into two types: those used to worship gods and those used to visit relatives. The former is solemn and the latter is fancy. In particular, a large jujube mountain should be made to offer sacrifices to the Kitchen Lord. "A family steams steamed buns, and neighbors come to help." This is often a great opportunity for folk women to show off their dexterous skills. A steamed bun is a handicraft.
After the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month, every household must write Spring Festival couplets. Folks pay attention to the fact that if there are gods, every door must be posted, and every object must be posted, so the Spring Festival couplets have the largest number and the most comprehensive content. The couplets in front of the gods are particularly particular, and they are mostly words of admiration and blessing. Common ones include the divine couplet of heaven and earth: "Heaven's grace is as deep as the sea, and the earth's virtues are as heavy as mountains"; the divine couplet of land: "white jade grows from the soil, and gold comes from the earth"; the divine couplet of wealth: "the master of wealth in heaven, the god of fortune and fortune on earth"; the god of wells Couple: "A well can connect to the four seas, and a home can reach three rivers." The Spring Festival couplets on granaries, livestock pens, etc. all express warm celebrations and hopes. For example, "The grains are plentiful and the livestock are prosperous"; "The rice and flour are as thick as mountains, and the oil and salt are as deep as the sea"; "The cattle are like southern mountain tigers, and the horses are like northern sea dragons"; "The big sheep are prosperous every year, and the lambs are growing every month" and so on. In addition, there are some single couplets, such as "Look up to see happiness" posted in every room, "Go out to see happiness" posted on the opposite side of the door, "Prosperous Qi soaring to the sky" posted on the prosperous fire, "Full of gold in the courtyard" posted in the courtyard, and "Meeting happiness in the whole courtyard" posted on the tree. "The roots are deep and the leaves are luxuriant", the stone mill is pasted with "White Tiger, Good Luck" and so on. The couplets on the door are the facade of a family, and they are particularly important. They are either lyrical or scene-describing, rich in content, and full of witticisms.
After the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, adults and children must take baths and get haircuts. There is a folk saying that "if you have money but don't have money, you can shave your head to celebrate the New Year". People in Luliang area pay special attention to foot washing on the 27th of the twelfth lunar month. That evening, Aunt Ruzi washed her feet with boiling water. For a girl who is not sensible, adults should help her clean her feet so that no trace of dirt is left behind. There is a folk saying: "On the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, all the mothers and aunts wash their feet. If anyone does not wash their feet, pus will flow and cause water damage for seven months."