Why is the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month designated as off-year?

The 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month is called "off-year", but the meaning of "off-year" here is completely different from that of "winter solstice", because the ancients of off-year regarded "winter solstice" as the meaning of starting from scratch. At that time, people compared the "winter solstice" to the first month of the lunar calendar. On the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month, we are going to celebrate New Year's Eve. Different from the off-year of "winter solstice", people generally set the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month as "the day of offering sacrifices to stoves".

In the past, the big stoves in the countryside were all made of bricks, and there were chimneys on the roof. To pay homage to the kitchen god, that is the kitchen god. As long as there is a group warehouse at home, every household in the kitchen and stove is indispensable. On the wall of the kitchen stove, there are pictures of the kitchen god, and there are couplets on both sides with horizontal comments on them. Generally speaking, the kitchen god is compared to the head of the family. It's true to think about it. Food is the most important thing for people. If you want to eat, there will be cooking and cooking, both of which depend on the stove. Kitchen God is obviously in a prominent position. Because of the importance of the kitchen god, everyone will hold a "kitchen sacrifice" on the night of the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month.

The candy in the offering won the children's joy and was well prepared, and the rest went to the children's mouths. Generally, there are some candied melons, which must be melon strips pickled with sugar, and they can be sacrificed in a basin; Some are small honeydew melons made of non-wax gourd; Jujube and persimmon are indispensable; Also use millet rice cakes, jujube cakes and so on. , all sticky. Why do you want to get something sweet and sticky to honor the kitchen god? It is said that the kitchen god is a god, so it is all good to ask him to be sweet. Sticky can also seal the kitchen god's mouth and speak ill of him. In short, it is to wipe the mouth of the kitchen god. Some people really stick a small piece of sugar on the mouth of the kitchen god or on the stove; In addition, some people go to the kitchen door and sprinkle some distiller's grains or old wine, which is called "living in a drunken dream", but the kitchen god is too drunk to talk nonsense.

There are two steps to pay homage to Kitchen God. It goes without saying that you burn incense and kowtow. But also burn the old statue of the kitchen god, add some cereal, and say it is to feed the horse of the kitchen god. The image of Kitchen God was renamed as "Heaven" and "Lower Bound"; Change the stickers on the spot, or put up a new statue of Kitchen God on New Year's Eve. The second step of the memorial ceremony is to hold a simple farewell ceremony. Everyone in the family knelt in front of the stove and offered jiaozi, noodles and other meals, as well as a straw stove horse and a "stove chicken" for the kitchen god to ride on, and have a good trip. The last line of "kneeling, knocking and burning" is called "reading", which is usually recited by older people. The content is nothing more than: kitchen god, heaven, say good things, don't say bad things, bring back whole grains and so on. People who urgently need to have children are reading: 23. Kitchen God is coming to the Western Heaven, hoping to bring back a fat boy with a ponytail.

After bidding farewell to the kitchen god in this way, the "divination stove" is also a routine that is used to it. The custom of the so-called "divining stove" is to go out quietly and listen to people predict things.

The "no kitchen" activity has passed, the immortals have gone to heaven, and everything on earth has been forgiven. Ordinary families are usually poor and impolite, and most of them get married at this time. In the past, it was also called "troubled times". People called the ten days after the great cold "troubled times" of Yangzhai, and there was no rule prohibiting marriage. Traditional habits have been left over to this day, and many people in rural areas still get married at the end of the year.

Times are different from the past. Now, even on ordinary days, there are no taboos in the wedding ceremony, which is enough for people to choose the wedding day at will. Then, from the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, it shows that the most enjoyable festival series of China people in a year is coming. It is still meaningful to have a good twelfth lunar month like this.