Why do we eat sugar-coated melons during the Little New Year? What is the legend of the origin of the Little New Year?
Introduction: Xiaonian is an important festival, and one of the customs of Xiaonian is eating sugar melon. So why do we eat sugar melon during Xiaonian? What is the legend of the origin of Xiaonian? The arrival of the twelfth month of the lunar calendar means that we are entering the coldest season of the year. Let’s learn more about it in Shuimoxiansheng.com’s special topic on the twelfth month of the lunar calendar in 2018.Why do we eat sugar-coated melons during the Little New Year?The twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month is the traditional "Little New Year". An old saying goes, "On the twenty-third, sugar melons are sticky, and the Kitchen God is about to ascend to heaven."Legend has it that the Kitchen God was originally a star in the sky. Because he made a mistake, he was banished to the mortal world by the Jade Emperor and became the "Eastern Kitchen God". It sits between the kitchen stoves of every household, quietly observing how people live and behave, recording all good and bad things in detail. On the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, it returns to heaven and reports the good and evil in the world to the Jade Emperor. They will return to the human world on the night of the 30th day of the twelfth lunar month and punish evil and promote good according to the Jade Emperor's will. So according to old customs, people have to worship the Kitchen God on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month and offer sticky and sweet sugar melons to him. There are two theories about why people offer sugar melons to the Kitchen God. One is that people want to use the sugar melon to stick the Kitchen God's mouth shut so that he won't say bad things about the human world in heaven. The other theory is that the Kitchen God is about to go to heaven to report on his work, and offering him sweet sugar melons before he leaves is a "bribe" to him so that he will say more good things about the human world in heaven, and that life will be happier in the coming year. What is the legend behind the origin of the Little New Year?It is said that in ancient times there was a family named Zhang who had two brothers. The elder one was a mason and the younger one was a painter. My elder brother's specialty is making stoves. He is invited to work in East Street and West Alley, and they all praise his skills in building stoves. Over the years he became famous, and people within a thousand miles respectfully called him "Zhang Zaowang".It’s strange to say that Zhang Zaowang is a bit strange. No matter whose house he builds a stove in, if there is a dispute in other people’s house, he likes to meddle in other people’s business. When he encounters a noisy daughter-in-law, he has to persuade her; when he encounters a fierce mother-in-law, he has to speak up as if he were an old elder. From then on, neighbors would go to him when they had problems, and everyone respected him. Zhang Zaowang lived for exactly seventy years and died late at night on the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month. As soon as Zhang Zaowang passed away, the Zhang family was in chaos. Originally, Zhang Zaowang was the head of the family and all household affairs were under his command. Now that the eldest brother has passed away, the younger brother only knows how to write poetry, read books and paint. Although he is in his sixties, he has never taken care of household chores. Several daughters-in-law were clamoring to divide the family property. The painter was helpless and looked worried all day long. One day, he finally came up with a good idea. On the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, the anniversary of Zhang Zaowang's death, late at night, the painter suddenly woke up the whole family, saying that the eldest brother had appeared. He led his son, daughter-in-law and the entire family to the kitchen, where they saw the flickering candlelight on the dark stove wall, vaguely revealing the faces of Zhang Zaowang and his deceased wife. Everyone in the family was stunned. The painter said, "I dreamed that my eldest brother and sister-in-law had become immortals, and the Jade Emperor named him 'Lord of the Kitchen of the Nine Heavens'. You are usually lazy and gluttonous, and your sisters-in-law are not in harmony with each other. You are disrespectful and unfilial, and you have made the family gods uneasy. My eldest brother knew that you were trying to split up the family, and he was very angry. He was going to report to the Jade Emperor in heaven, and he would come down to punish you on New Year's Eve." When the children, nieces and nephews heard this, they were horrified. They immediately knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly. They hurriedly took out the sweets that Zhang Zaowang usually liked to eat and offered them on the stove, begging Zaowang for forgiveness. From then on, the uncles, aunts, brothers and their wives, who used to quarrel frequently, no longer dared to throw a tantrum. The whole family lived in peace and the old and young lived in tranquility. After the neighbors learned about this, word spread quickly and they all rushed to Zhang's house to find out the truth. In fact, the Kitchen God on the stove wall on the night of the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month was drawn in advance by the painter. He pretended that his eldest brother appeared in spirit to scare his children, nieces and nephews, but unexpectedly this method really worked. So when the neighbors came to the painter to inquire about the situation, he had to make a real move and distribute the painted Kitchen God statue to his neighbors. As a result, the tradition spread throughout the village, and every household had an image of the Kitchen God pasted on their kitchen table. As time went by, the custom of offering sacrifices to the Kitchen God on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month and praying for family safety was formed. After the custom of worshiping the Kitchen God became popular, the imperial palace included it in the sacrificial ceremonies starting from the Zhou Dynasty. Rules for worshiping the Kitchen God were established throughout the country, and it became a fixed ritual. The new wave of annual fortune in 2019 has already changed. Calculate your own fortune in advance, correct your mistakes if there are any, and encourage yourself if there are none, so that the new year will be smooth and safe. To calculate your new fortune in 2019, please click on the [Premium Calculation] below to learn about your new fortune. I wish you peace and happiness in the new year! |
>>: Is the fate of a boy born on the 15th day of the first lunar month in 2019 good?
Recommend
What is the date of September 25th in the lunar calendar in 2017? Is it an auspicious day?
Introduction: In traditional Chinese customs, peop...
What are the customs of the 11th day of the first lunar month in 2019?
The eleventh day of the first lunar month is the e...
Can I move on August 22, 2018 in the lunar calendar?
It is the eighth month of the lunar calendar, the...
Is it taboo to open a business on the Ghost Festival on July 15, 2019?
The fifteenth day of the seventh month of every y...
Where is the direction of the God of Happiness on September 11th of the lunar calendar in 2020?
Where is the direction of the God of Happiness on...
Which day of leap April in 2020 will have better fortune for rat babies born?
Introduction: Children born on different days and ...
Is it good for a girl born on October 15th of the lunar calendar to have a good fate? What is a good name?
Introduction: Although children cannot choose thei...
What should not be done on Laba Festival in 2019? Is it possible to have sex on Laba Festival?
It is the end of the year again. When it comes to ...
How to place the fish tank is the key to Feng Shui fish farming
Introduction: Nowadays, many people raise Feng Sh...
What are the auspicious days for marriage in February of the lunar calendar in 2020?
Introduction: It is also necessary to choose an au...
Is the 29th day of the seventh lunar month in 2021 a good day? Can we sign the contract?
The quality of each day is different, so the thing...
When will the May Day holiday start in 2022? Do I need to make up for the May Day holiday?
May 1st Labor Day is a holiday to praise the contr...
Is today, March 11, 2019, a suitable date in the lunar calendar for setting up a bed?
Introduction: In our country’s traditional culture...
Is it a good idea to pick up the car on the sixth day of the twelfth lunar month in 2019?
Is it a good idea to pick up the car on the sixth...
What is the fate of a tiger girl born on September 14th of the lunar calendar in 2022? OK?
What is the fate of a tiger girl born on September...