What are the characteristics and customs of Xiaonian?

What are the characteristics and customs of Xiaonian?

What are the characteristics and customs of Xiaonian? Xiaonian is one of the traditional festivals in China, also known as the Stove Festival and Kitchen King Festival. Dust day. However, due to regional differences, the date also changes accordingly. Let’s take a look at the characteristics and customs of Xiaonian.

What are the characteristics and customs of Xiaonian 1

Xiaonian does not specifically refer to one day. Due to different customs in different places, the days called "Xiaonian" are also different. For example, in northern areas it is the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, and in most areas in the south it is the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month. The Little New Year also means that people have to start preparing New Year's goods and have a good New Year, which expresses the Chinese working people's best wishes to say goodbye to the old and welcome the new, and to welcome good fortune and receive good fortune.

On the Little New Year's Day, every household must clean the house thoroughly, 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. The cut window grilles should also be pasted in the newly cleaned house to add New Year joy to the home. In China, every household must post Spring Festival couplets. Folks believe that if there are gods, they must post them, every door must post them, and every object must post them. There is also the custom of setting off firecrackers during the Chinese New Year. Chinese people like to be lively during festivals, and the sound of firecrackers can enhance the festive atmosphere. In addition to these, there are also sacrifices to the Stove King, eating Stove Candy, rushing into random marriages, bathing and haircuts, etc.

What is the specific custom of Xiaonian?

The specific custom of Xiaonian is to worship the stove

The common people believe that the Kitchen God is the protector of their own homes. Almost every kitchen house has There is the God of Kitchen God. Most of the Kitchen King's niches are located on the north or east side of the kitchen room, with the statue of the Kitchen King in the middle. Even people who don't have a niche for the Kitchen King will stick the statue of the god directly on the wall. Some statues only depict the Kitchen God alone, while others include two men and women. The goddess is called "Grandma Kitchen God". This is probably to imitate the image of a human couple, enshrining the folk legend Zhang Dan and his first wife Ding Xiang as the Kitchen King and the Kitchen King’s grandmother. The statue of the Kitchen God also has a calendar for this year printed on it, with words such as "Master of the East Chef", "God of Human Supervision" and "Head of the Family" written on it to indicate the status of the Kitchen God. The couplets "God says good things, and the lower realms keep you safe" are pasted on both sides to bless the whole family. This all shows the people's good expectations for the Kitchen God and their yearning for a happy life.

Sacrifice to the stove is a ceremony to send the Kitchen God to heaven. It is also called "sending the stove" or "sending the stove". It is usually held at dusk and into the night. The ritual of worshiping the stove is relatively simple: the family goes to the stove first and paints the stove with clean mud, which is called "hanging robe". Place maltose, sugar melons, cold water, fodder and other sacrifices for the Stove Lord's horses, offer incense to the Stove Lord in the shrine on the Stove wall, then smear the Stove Lord's mouth with maltose, and say "good words" while applying it "Speak more, don't say bad things", or smear the stove door with wine lees, which is called "Drunk Siming". Afterwards, the idol was taken down and burned together with the paper horse for the Kitchen King to ascend to heaven and the fodder for the horse. What are the characteristics and customs of Xiaonian 2

Xiaonian is one of the traditional festivals in China, also known as the Kitchen Festival, Kitchen King Festival and Dust Sweeping Day. However, due to regional differences, the date also changes accordingly. The Little New Year in the northern region arrives on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month. The arrival of the Little New Year is the beginning of the new year, and it also expresses people's good wishes for the new year.

The historical origin of the Little New Year in the north

In terms of traditional festivals, the Little New Year is also called the beginning of the busy year. On the occasion of the New Year, people begin to prepare various items needed for the New Year, which will also bring a new change to the family, which has the meaning of saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new. However, due to the different customs and culture of each region, the time for celebrating the Small New Year is slightly different. There is a popular saying among Chinese people that there are three officials, three people, four ships and five ships. The meaning is that the off year for official families falls on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month, while the off year for common people falls on the 24th of the twelfth lunar month. People on the water celebrate the Little New Year on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth lunar month. According to historical records, in the middle and late Qing Dynasty, the emperor's family would worship the Kitchen God on the 24th of the twelfth lunar month. Therefore, people in various northern regions followed suit, and the time of the Little New Year was fixed on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month.

The customs and traditions of the Northern Little New Year

When the Northern Little New Year arrives, people will cherish the idea of ??saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new, aiming to clean every corner of the home. Welcome the new year cleanly. In addition, in terms of tradition, the most important thing for every northerner is dumplings. Therefore, on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, dumplings will appear. Eating dumplings on New Year’s Eve also means seeing off the dumplings. On the other hand, the food in the north mainly consists of pasta. Therefore, on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month, the day of worshiping the stove, the business of sesame cake stalls and special food such as fire roasting is booming and very popular. Especially on the occasion of worshiping the Zao Lord, every household will buy sugar melons, Guandong sugar, sesame candy, etc. to offer sacrifices in the hope of receiving good protection from the Zao Lord in the new year.

Taboos in the Northern New Year

According to historical records, there is a folk saying that men do not worship the moon and women do not worship the stove. This sentence is intended to explain that boys are not allowed to go out to admire the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival, while girls are not allowed to participate in the stove sacrifice on Xiaonian. As the saying goes, the New Year is the New Year. Therefore, on the occasion of the New Year, lending items from your own home, or borrowing items from other people's homes, both have bad connotations. In their original meaning, This is to prevent yourself from being on the road of debt collection and repayment in the new year. Therefore, on the occasion of the Little New Year in the north, before doing anything, you need to make corresponding judgments and choices based on traditional culture, so as to better prevent situations that damage the New Year's atmosphere. What are the characteristics and customs of Xiaonian 3

Xiaonian comes from a folk legend.

According to folklore, on the 23rd (or 24th) of the twelfth lunar month, the Kitchen God will go to heaven to report the good and evil of each family to the Jade Emperor, so that the Jade Emperor can reward and punish them. The common people felt that they must respect the Stove King, so they began to worship the Stove "Xiao Nian" on the 23rd and 24th of the twelfth lunar month to pray for peace and wealth in the coming year.

"One night" is called Xiaonian. In Nanjing, the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month is called Xiaonian.

The difference between the Southern Small New Year and the Northern Small New Year

There is essentially no difference between the Northern and Southern Small New Year. They both clean the house, buy New Year’s goods, and decorate the house.

The celebration of the Small New Year first started in the Yongzheng period. In order to distinguish between classes, the official ceremony was held on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month, while the folk held sacrifices to the stove on the 24th of the twelfth lunar month. Coastal areas and mountainous areas are relatively far away from the Central Plains. , so it has its own festival to celebrate.

The time difference between the Little New Year and the Little New Year is the 24th of the twelfth lunar month in the south, and the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month in the north. Starting from the Yongzheng period, the emperors of the Qing Dynasty worshiped gods in Kunning Palace every year on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month. In order to save money, the emperor also worshiped the Kitchen God. Later, the royal family and Baylor followed suit and worshiped the stove on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month. From then on, there began to be distinctions between the officials and the people celebrating the Small New Year on different days. What are the characteristics and customs of Xiaonian 4

Bathing and haircut

There is a folk saying that "if you have money but don't have money, you should shave your head to celebrate the New Year". The activities of bathing and haircut are mostly concentrated around the time of childhood.

Indiscriminate marriage

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. 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."

General Cleaning

"Dust" and "Chen" are homophonic, so sweeping dust is intended to remove the old, usher in the new, and eradicate the bad luck. Sweep the walls up and down with the broom, scrub the tables and chairs, rinse the floor... Every household must clean thoroughly without leaving any dead spots, so that the windows are clear and clean. At the same time, on this day of Xiaonian, there is also a saying that "if you have money or not, you can shave your head to celebrate the New Year."

Making rice cakes The twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month is commonly known as "Little Year" among the people. Folks in Wuxuan and Guiping, Guangxi have the custom of making rice cakes.

Rice cakes are made of glutinous rice flour as the main ingredient, peanuts, sesame seeds, and sugar as ingredients. They are put into molds and shaped into round shapes, and then steamed at high temperatures. They taste unique and have the meaning of "reunion and reunion".

Eating "New Year's Rice Dumplings"

Nanning people have the custom of eating "New Year's Rice Dumplings" during the off-year. New Year's Rice Dumplings are a symbol of auspiciousness in the New Year. As the saying goes: "New Year's Rice Dumplings, New Year's Rice Dumplings," High school every year (Zong)". The New Year rice dumplings are different from the cold rice dumplings used during the Dragon Boat Festival. They have fillings, big or small, long or short, round or flat. After peeling off the leaves, the skin is made of glutinous rice and the filling is mung beans and pork. Some people also put their favorite foods as fillings.

Eating rice cakes

In the south, making rice cakes on Xiaonian is a tradition in many places. Nian Gao, also known as "Nian Nian Gao", is homophonic with "Nian Nian Gao", which means that people's work and life are improving year by year.

Killing Pigs for the New Year

In places such as Landong in Lianhua, Xiling in Xiling, and Waterside Village in Guanyin in Gongcheng Yao Autonomous County, there is a custom of killing pigs to celebrate the Spring Festival. After Little New Year's Eve (the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month), the lively show of killing the New Year pig begins. Select the best meat, stir-fry or stew it, cook it carefully, pour a glass of wine, and invite friends and family to enjoy the first meal of fresh meat after the pig is slaughtered - soup. What are the characteristics and customs of Xiaonian? 5

Sacrificing stoves in Xiaonian

The custom of worshiping stoves in Xiaonian 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 worshiping the five gods of stove, door, line, household, and Zhonglei. Zhonglei is the god of earth. Another saying is that the door, well, household, stove, and Zhonglei are worshiped. ; Or it can be said to be Xing, Jing, Hu, Zao, Zhong Lei). 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.

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.

Eating dumplings in the New Year

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.

Cutting window grilles in 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 pearls, deer, crane, and tongchun (liuhehechun) , five bats (blessings) holding longevity, rhinoceros looking at the moon, lotus (continuous) years with fish (remaining), mandarin ducks playing in the water, bangs playing with golden cicadas, harmony between 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.

Steamed steamed buns with flowers in the New Year

After the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, every household will steam steamed buns with flowers. 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.

Writing Spring Festival couplets during the off-year period

After the 23rd day 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, "grains are plentiful and livestock are prosperous"; "rice and flour are as thick as mountains, and oil and salt are as deep as the sea"; "cattle are like southern mountain tigers, horses are like northern sea dragons"; "big sheep are prosperous every year, and 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 and 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.

Young Year’s Haircut

After the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, both adults and children have to take a bath and get a haircut. 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."

Can Xiaonian clean the house?

Can Xiaonian clean the house?

In terms of cleaning during the New Year, it is commonly known as sweeping the dust. The purpose of sweeping the dust is to remove the old and welcome the new, to remove the bad luck, and to prepare for the new year;

Folks believe that "dust" and "chen" are "" is homophonic in Chinese. Sweeping dust in the New Year has the meaning of "removing the old and spreading the new", and its purpose is to sweep out all "poor luck" and "bad luck". This custom entrusts people with their desire to destroy the old and establish the new and their prayers to say goodbye to the old and usher in the new.

Folks call this period "Spring Day", also called "Dust Sweeping Day". Sweeping dust is the year-end cleaning. It is called "house sweeping" in the north and "dust dusting" in the south. Sweeping dust before the Spring Festival is a traditional habit of our people. Every Spring Festival comes, every household has to clean the environment, wash all kinds of utensils, remove and wash bedding and curtains, sweep the Liulv courtyard, dust away dirt and cobwebs, and dredge open ditches and ditches. From north to south, everywhere is filled with the atmosphere of joyful hygiene and cleanliness to welcome the New Year.

Do you eat dumplings during the Chinese New Year? Eat

The Chinese New Year’s Eve is also called the Kitchen Festival. There are customs such as worshiping the Stove King, sweeping the dust, cutting window grilles, etc. It is determined by the date of the lunar calendar. Generally speaking, the small year in the north is on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, and the small year in the south is on the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month.

Dumplings are part of almost every festival in the north, and eating dumplings on New Year’s Eve means “sending off dumplings and facing the wind”. When offering the offering, the dumplings should be placed neatly on the offering table. In addition, there is a saying among the people that "dumplings are not as delicious as dumplings". During the Spring Festival, dumplings have become an indispensable delicacy.

What are the specialties of the Northern New Year

1. Women do not worship the stove

There is a folk saying that men do not worship the moon and women do not worship the stove; it means that men do not worship the stove. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, you are not allowed to go out to admire the moon, and women are not allowed to participate in stove sacrifices on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month.

2. The whole family comes to offer sacrifices to the stove

Folk saying goes: If you don’t offer sacrifices to the stove, the whole family will come; it means that those who are away from home must return home before the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month. Prepare to offer sacrifices to the stove for the New Year.

3. It is taboo to kill animals during the Little New Year

There are taboos in some rural areas. The 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month is the traditional Little New Year. Do not kill or slaughter animals on this day. Animals are also living beings. , don’t be evil in this young year.

4. Do not give away steamed buns

According to local custom, steamed buns steamed during the Xiaonian Festival should not be given away. Folks believe that steamed buns steamed during the Xiaonian Festival are used to worship heaven and ancestors. Suitable for giving away.

5. It is taboo to pound garlic during the Little New Year

Local customs prohibit the pounding of garlic during the Little New Year. According to the elders, if you pound garlic during the Little New Year, your luck in the New Year will be affected. Pound ran away.

6. Don’t borrow things on the Xiaonian Year

In some rural areas, it is taboo for others to borrow things on the Xiaonian Day, and it is also taboo to go to other people’s homes to borrow things, because the Xiaonian and the Big Year The first day of junior high school is equally important. Borrowing and being borrowed both have bad connotations.

7. Debt collection is taboo on the Xiaonian day

Folks believe that debt collection is not allowed on the Xiaonian day, otherwise it will mean that you will be on the way to collect debts every day for a year.

8. Credit is taboo in the Xiaonian

Folks believe that you cannot go out on credit to buy things in the Xiaonian, and you should not give credit to others. This means that you owe one day on credit in the Xiaonian and owe a year.