"Festival of Sacrificing Kitchen Stove" is one of the traditional festivals in China, which is popular all over the country with a long history and profound cultural background. According to historical records, this festival can be traced back to the pre-Qin period, and people held sacrificial activities on the birthday of Kitchen God to express their reverence and gratitude to Kitchen God. With the passage of time, the festival of offering sacrifices to stoves has gradually evolved into a festival with local characteristics, and the celebration methods and customs in various places have their own characteristics.
In the traditional culture of China, Kitchen God is a very important god in the family, and is regarded as the protector of the family and the guardian of the family business.
Every year on the third day of the eighth lunar month, people will hold sacrificial activities on the birthday of Kitchen God to pray for family safety and smooth career. During the festival, people will prepare offerings for Kitchen God, such as cakes, sweets and fruits. And burn incense and paper, pray for the blessing of the kitchen god. In addition, some places will sing operas, set off firecrackers and eat jiaozi to celebrate this important festival.
Traditional customs of the festival of offering sacrifices to stoves
1. Send the Kitchen God: One of the most important activities of the festival is to send the Kitchen God. People will set the table in the kitchen and put offerings, including maltose, cakes, wine and so on. Pray for a bumper harvest and family safety in the coming year. The ceremony to send the Kitchen God is usually held at night. People will shout the name of Kitchen God at home and set off firecrackers to show off.
2. Eat jiaozi: During festivals, people will pack jiaozi at home. Jiaozi is a traditional food in China, symbolizing reunion and happiness. On this day, people will eat jiaozi and put some jiaozi on the altar to show their sacrifice to the kitchen god.
3. Book sticker: In some areas, after the festival of offering sacrifices to the kitchen god, people will put a book sticker on the kitchen door to indicate that the kitchen god has left. Books often write words such as "Heaven speaks well and goes back to the palace for good luck" to express people's respect and gratitude to the Kitchen God.