The first climax of the Chinese New Year is steamed steamed buns. Every twelfth lunar month, every household is busy washing and drying wheat, changing flour, and preparing to start "steaming". People here often say: "On the twenty-eighth day of the lunar calendar, the weather becomes more and more prosperous."

Li Jiren steamed steamed buns. In addition to those with fillings (red beans, mung beans, cowpeas), there are also "solid steamed buns" without fillings.

Now that both urban and rural economies have improved, the custom of steaming steamed buns during the New Year is still retained in rural areas of Liji. Steamed buns symbolize "fullness" and "fa", which indicate a happy life and auspicious and prosperous days.

"Dust dusting" to welcome the New Year

"Dust dusting" means general cleaning. It is not only a widely spread ancient custom, but also a good hygiene habit worth promoting.

In the twelfth lunar month, every household usually dusts off the stove before the "send the stove" on the 24th. According to folklore, dusting is to clear away bad luck and filth, so as to ensure the safety of the family in the coming year. There is a saying that "celebrate the New Year with a clean and refreshed mind, and enjoy peace and tranquility." Excluding the feudal superstitious elements, the act of "dusting off" is indeed of great benefit to family hygiene, disease prevention and health care, and it can be regarded as a scientific and healthy traditional custom.

Pickled Fish and Chicken

In the past, many people would pickle salted meat, salted fish, and air-dried chicken and fish during the New Year. The reason was that the weather in the twelfth lunar month was dry and cold, and pickled foods were good. save.

In the past, rural areas were poor, and some families did not even know the taste of meat all year round. They only bought meat and fish during the New Year. This seems incomprehensible to today's young people, but in the old society this was A commonplace phenomenon.

Purchasing New Year's goods

As the New Year is approaching, all small households have to go to the streets to buy New Year's goods. The so-called New Year goods generally refer to various staple and non-staple foods, incense candles, paper horses, couplets of door gods, dried and fresh fruits, bowls, bamboo chopsticks, shoes, socks, clothing and hats and other items related to the New Year. Farmers carrying baskets and carrying loads went to town one after another. The streets were bustling with people and cars, making it a busy scene. Big and small bags, come home fully loaded. When doing New Year's shopping, people are accustomed to buying a pair of red chopsticks and a set of porcelain bowls to express the increase in the number of people entering the country and the prosperity of the population. Today's standards for New Year's goods have undergone great changes compared with the past in terms of variety, quantity, and quality due to the improvement of living standards.

Sending and receiving stoves

According to the custom of Li Ji, most people "send stoves" on the 24th of the twelfth lunar month. There is a folk saying: "The king is three and the people are four". It is said that the emperor's family sent the stove on the 23rd, but the common people delayed it for one day.

In the past, every stove in Li Ji’s house was dedicated to the Kitchen God. On the twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month, which is the day when the Stove Lord goes to heaven to report his duties, each household holds a ceremony to deliver the stove. After dinner, the kitchen door is cleaned, the stove surface is cleaned, and offerings are placed in front of the kitchen shrine: there are wine and rice candies for the Kitchen Lord to enjoy. This candy is maltose, commonly known as "Zao family candy", which is particularly sticky to the teeth. A couplet is posted on both sides: "God speaks good things, and the lower world keeps peace." The Kitchen God is in charge of human homes. People were worried that he would say bad things in front of the Jade Emperor, so they stuck maltose in his mouth.

Nowadays, the living standards of the people have been greatly improved. People advocate science and no longer believe in the greedy and talkative Kitchen God. They no longer worship the Kitchen God.