What custom does the familiar "twenty-three sugar melon sticks" refer to?

When I was young, after Laba Festival, I was especially looking forward to the arrival of the Little New Year, because after the Little New Year, my family always prepared a variety of delicacies, which made us snackers happy. So what are the food customs of the Little New Year?

?

Twenty-three sugar melon sticky refers to the sesame candy eaten by Xiaonian. Sesame candy is also called kitchen candy. In addition to kitchen candy, other delicacies are also eaten. Kitchen candy is in most parts of the north, because Xiaonian is different from kitchen candy.

Sacrifice to the stove falls on the same day, so on this day, stove candy is a traditional delicacy that every household eats.

Kitchen candy is made of maltose, and then a layer of sesame seeds are stuck on the outside. It tastes particularly sweet, but a bit sticky to the teeth.

It is said that eating Kitchen Candy is to stick the mouth of Kitchen King Grandma and stop her from talking nonsense, so that everything will go smoothly and have good luck in the coming year!

Dumplings are a traditional delicacy of our Chinese nation. As the saying goes, dumplings are not as delicious as dumplings. On major festivals, a meal of dumplings is always indispensable, so during the New Year, dumplings are naturally indispensable.

When I was a child, I heard from my grandparents that there is a saying about eating dumplings in the New Year, because we have always had the custom of "sending dumplings to the wind noodles" here. The purpose of making dumplings in the New Year is to say goodbye to the Stove Lord and let him go to heaven to say good things!

In many places, there is a custom of eating Huo Shao in the New Year. The Huo Shao here is what we usually call Shaobing, but the Shaobi eaten on this day must be round, and the rounder the better!

Because on Xiaonian, people who are away from home have to return to their hometowns to reunite with their families, and the round fire symbolizes reunion. In addition, eating fire also means that the coming year will be prosperous!

In the southeastern part of Shanxi Province, there is a popular proverb: "If you don't eat roasted corn on the 23rd, you will cook it in one pot on the first day of the twelfth lunar month." Therefore, on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, every household will choose to cook fried corn with maltose.

Sticky into large pieces, it tastes crispy and sweet, similar to stove candy.