Origin of the legend:
The 23rd and 24th of the twelfth lunar month are traditional days for worshiping stoves among Han people, also known as "Little New Year". Legend has it that the Stove Lord was originally a commoner named Zhang Sheng. After marrying his wife, he spent all his time living in debauchery, ruined his family fortune and was reduced to begging on the streets. One day, he went to his ex-wife Guo Dingxiang's house to beg for money. He was so ashamed that he dove under the stove and burned himself to death.
After the Jade Emperor found out, he thought that Zhang Sheng could change his mind and was not bad enough. Since he died at the bottom of the pot, he named him the Kitchen King and reported to heaven on the 23rd and 24th of the twelfth lunar month every year. Return to the stove at thirty. The common people felt that the Stove King must be respected because he had to report to heaven. Therefore, the Han people have the "Little New Year" ceremony of worshiping the stove on the 23rd and 24th of the twelfth lunar month to pray for peace and wealth in the coming year.
Customs of Xiaonian:
Sacrifice to the stove
On Xiaonian, it is also a day for Han folk to worship the stove. According to Han folklore, every year on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month, the Kitchen God would go to heaven to report the good and evil deeds of the family to the Jade Emperor, so that the Jade Emperor could reward and punish them. Therefore, when delivering the stove, people put candies, water, beans, and mosses on the table in front of the Stove King's statue; among them, the last three items were to prepare the Stove King's mount for ascension to heaven. When offering sacrifices to the Stove Lord, Guandong sugar must be melted over fire and applied to the Stove Lord's mouth. In this way, he could not speak ill of the Jade Emperor. There is a custom among the Han people that "men do not worship the moon, and women do not worship the stove". Therefore, worshiping the stove prince is limited to men. 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.
Sweeping the dust
After the 23rd, there are only six or seven days left before the Spring Festival, and the preparations for the New Year are even more intense. The house must be thoroughly cleaned, commonly known as sweeping the dust. The purpose of sweeping the dust is to get rid of the old, welcome the new, and get rid of bad luck. Every household must be cleaned carefully and thoroughly to ensure that the windows are clear and clean. Paint the walls, clean the glass, paste the flower windows, put up New Year pictures, etc.
Window decorations
Among all preparations, cutting and pasting window decorations 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.
Posting Spring Festival couplets
Every household must write Spring Festival couplets. Han folk believe 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 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.
Bathing
Both adults and children must take a bath and have their hair cut. There is a saying among the Han people 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 among the Han people: "On the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, all your mother-in-laws and aunties wash their feet. If anyone does not wash their feet, pus will cause water damage for seven months."
Marriage
After the 23rd, the Han 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."