Kitchen God Festival

The Kitchen God Festival (the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, commonly known as "Xiao Nian" or the Little New Year, also called Xiao Nian Xia or Xiao Nian Jie)

Although the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month is the Little New Year's Eve, in many places, there is a distinction in the Kitchen God worship: "officials on the 23rd, commoners on the 24th". That is to say, for ordinary people, most of them worship the Kitchen God on the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month.

Every year, the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month is the Kitchen God Festival. However, in some regions, the festival is observed on the 24th or even the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month. Despite the different dates, the customs are similar.

Legends of the Kitchen God Festival

According to legend, the Kitchen God is also an inspector god sent by the Jade Emperor to the mortal world. He often goes to heaven to speak ill of people and report their sins on earth. Once accused by the Kitchen God, one's lifespan will be reduced according to the severity of the crime: 300 days for major crimes and 100 days for minor ones. Therefore, people try to curry favor with him on the Kitchen God Festival. On this day, people paste a new image of the Kitchen God on the stove. Traditional images include a single portrait of the Kitchen God and a group portrait of the Kitchen God and the Kitchen God's wife. Then, they place "Kitchen God candy" bought from the market, along with other offerings such as dumplings and eggs. After that, people set off firecrackers, and the whole family respectfully sends the Kitchen God to heaven. At the same time, people chant auspicious words like "Speak good things in heaven, protect peace when you return to the world" in the hope of a good year. It should be noted that in ancient times, there was a saying that "women do not worship the Kitchen God, and men do not worship the moon". So in ancient times, it was men who worshipped the Kitchen God, while during the Mid-Autumn Festival, it was women who worshipped the moon, and men did not participate.

The Kitchen God Festival is also the Little New Year

Many places across the country have the custom of celebrating the Little New Year. In the traditions of the Han nationality, the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month is both the Kitchen God Festival and the Little New Year, hence the tradition of worshipping the Kitchen God on the Little New Year. However, in other regions, the Little New Year has different meanings. For example, in Hainan, the Little New Year refers to the Lantern Festival, and in some areas of Yunnan, it refers to the 16th day of the first lunar month.

Foods of the Kitchen God Festival

Kitchen God Candy

There is a folk saying: "On the 23rd, sugar melons stick". It refers to eating Kitchen God candy on the Kitchen God Festival. Kitchen God candy is actually sesame candy, also known as sugar melon. It is mostly made of maltose and shaped like a pumpkin, hence the name sugar melon. On the day of worshipping the Kitchen God, people eat sesame candy and also spread the candy on the mouth of the Kitchen God's image, implying that after eating the sweet candy, the Kitchen God will only say nice things and not bring charges. People eat the candy hoping that their future life will be sweet.

Sticky Rice Cake

On the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month every year, there is a custom of steaming sticky rice cakes among the folks in Shandong. The sticky rice cakes are offered to the Kitchen God. It is believed that after eating the sticky rice cakes, his mouth will be stuck, and he will not speak ill of the mortal world. Therefore, there is the custom of eating sticky rice cakes on the Kitchen God Festival.

Dumplings

Eating dumplings is a custom for many festivals in the north. On the Kitchen God Festival, eating dumplings is to send off the Kitchen God. There is a northern saying: "Dumplings for seeing off, noodles for welcoming". So on this day, dumplings are used to send off the Kitchen God.