Today is the twenty-third day of the Waxing Moon
In the north, people call this day
"Little Year"
The twenty-third lunar month of the north
The twenty-fourth of the southern waxing moon
Although there are slight differences in time
But the little year has arrived
The year is coming
After this day, people officially opened the "New Year mode"
Families are beginning to prepare for the New Year
Cartography Lv Lilong
The origin of the little year
The legend of the little year
Legend has it that the prince of The Stove was originally a commoner Zhang Sheng, and after marrying his wife, he spent all day drinking wine, and lost his family business and fell to begging on the street.
One day, he begged to the house of his ex-wife Guo Dingxiang, ashamed and embarrassed, and went under the stove and burned to death.
After the Jade Emperor knew, he thought that Zhang Sheng could change his mind and not be bad to the end, since he died at the bottom of the pot, he was crowned as the king of the stove, and every year on the twenty-third and twenty-fourth days of the waxing moon, he reported to the heavens, and Chinese New Year's Eve returned to the bottom of the stove.
The common people felt that the king of The Stove must be respected, because he had to report to heaven. As a result, the people have a "small year" of the 23rd and 24th lunar months, praying for peace and fortune in the coming year.
In ancient times, there was a tradition of "officials, three people, four boats, and five ships" in the small year.
The small year of the official family is the twenty-third day of the waxing moon,
The people's house is the twenty-fourth day of the waxing moon,
And the water people are the twenty-fifth day of the Waxing Moon.
Legend has it that this day is the day when "the king of the stove goes to heaven",
In the Northern Song Dynasty, xiaonian was not called xiaonian, it was called "Jiaonian Festival",
It means before and after the spring, the turn of the year.
During the small period, the main folk activities are the Spring Festival,
Window flowers, sacrificial stoves, etc.
What day is the Little Year?
There are different concepts and dates around,
The northern region is the twenty-third day of the Waxing Moon,
Part of the southern region is the twenty-fourth day of the Waxing Moon,
Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai region put "the 24th of the Waxing Moon" and "Chinese New Year's Eve the night before"
They are called small years.
As the saying goes, "little year" is not small,
After this day,
People are starting to enter the stage of preparing for the New Year:
Twenty-three sugar melon sticky;
Twenty-four sweep houses;
Twenty-five milled tofu;
Twenty-six stews of large meats;
Twenty-seven slaughtered roosters;
Twenty-eight dough hair;
Twenty-nine steamed steamed buns;
Stay up for thirty nights,
Twist and turn at the beginning of the New Year!
Small Year customs
Clean up
Every time the New Year comes, every household must clean the environment, clean all kinds of utensils, remove and wash the futon curtains, sprinkle the room courtyard, dust and cobwebs, and clean up the Spring Festival.
The north is called "sweeping the house", and the south is also called "dust dust".
Because of the harmonic sound of "dust" and "Chen", the new spring sweeping dust has the meaning of removing "Chen" (dust) and spreading new, and its intention is to sweep out all the "poor luck" and "obscurity" out of the door, pinning people's good wishes for breaking the old and building a new one.
Window flowers
The window flowers are mostly themed with auspicious motifs such as magpie Dengmei, Deer Crane Tong Tsubaki (Six Contract Spring), Five Bat (Fu) Bou Shou, Lotus (Lian) Nian Youyu (Yu), Mandarin Duck Splashing in the Water, and Hehe ErXian and so on.
Add joy to the red window flowers that are pasted on the cleaned house.
Eat stove sugar
Stove sugar, there is a layer of sesame seeds on the outside, and the inside is coagulated with maltose, which has the effect of strengthening the spleen and stomach, nourishing the yin and clearing the fire, moisturizing the lungs and suppressing cough.
According to folklore, every year on the twenty-third day of the lunar month, the Emperor of the Stove would go to heaven to report the good and evil of the family to the Jade Emperor, and let the Jade Emperor reward and punish.
So the people sacrificed the stove, which means to paste the mouth of the stove king with sugar, and say some sweet words after the day.
Eat dumplings
In the New Year, folk eat dumplings. It means "sending off dumplings to the wind".
In many areas, dumplings are eaten in various ways as soon as the waxing moon arrives.
The winter solstice should be eaten, the small year should also be eaten, and the Chinese New Year's Eve, the first five and the first seven must also eat dumplings...
Shower haircut
When I was young, adults and children had to take a bath and get a haircut, and there was a saying that "there is no money, shave your head for the New Year".
Removing the dust and obscurity of the previous year and bringing good luck to the new year is the purpose of bathing.
Therefore, in addition to the new look in the home, every family member should take a bath, get a haircut, fade the obscurity of the past, and start a good omen for the auspicious and smooth New Year.
Today's little year
I wish you happiness and peace
There is a period of return home
Go to your hometown appointment
Go meet the people of your hometown
Source: Comprehensive People's Daily, etc. (the copyright belongs to the original author, if there is any infringement, please contact to delete)