New Year's Eve is a traditional festival for Han people in China to sacrifice stoves in the off-year period. Also known as Xie Zao, Zao Zao Festival, Zao Wang Festival and Zao Zao Festival, the dates vary from place to place. After the establishment of the Qing Dynasty, the royal family generally chose to sacrifice stoves on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month. According to the draft of Qing history, the kitchen was sacrificed in the palace on December 23rd.
The moral of the new year.
In folklore, the origin of off-year is related to the activities of offering sacrifices to the kitchen god. On the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, people call it off-year and it is a festival to worship the kitchen god. The custom of offering sacrifices to the kitchen god has a long history. In the past, almost every kitchen had a kitchen god. Kitchen God is also called Bodhisattva. It is said that he is the chef king of Jiu Tian Dong Chef, who is responsible for managing the stoves of each family. He is the god of catering in ancient myths and legends of China, and is worshipped as the patron saint of a family.
Off-year is regarded as the beginning of the Spring Festival, the prelude and overture of the Spring Festival. Off-year is also considered as the beginning of a busy year, which means that people begin to prepare new year's goods, sweep dust, offer sacrifices to stoves and so on. And prepare for a clean and beautiful year to express people's good wishes to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new.