Legend has it that the Kitchen God was originally a commoner, Zhang Sheng. After he got married, he spent all his time drinking and drinking, and he lost all his possessions and went to the streets to beg. One day, he begged at his ex-wife Guo Dingxiang's house, ashamed, and burned to death under the stove and pot.

When the Jade Emperor knew about it, he thought that Zhang Sheng could come to their senses, and it was not bad to the end. Since he died at the bottom of the pot, he was named the kitchen king, reported to heaven on the 23rd and 24th of the twelfth lunar month every year, and returned to the kitchen bottom on the New Year's Eve. The people think that the kitchen king must be respected because he wants to report to heaven. As a result, the people have a "small year" for the 23 rd and 24 th of the twelfth lunar month, praying for peace and wealth in the coming year.

Extended data

Off-year is usually regarded as the beginning of a busy year, which means that people begin to prepare new year's goods, sweep dust, offer sacrifices to stoves, etc., and prepare for a clean and good year, which expresses people's good wish to bid farewell to the old year, welcome the new year and welcome the good fortune.

Due to different local customs, the days called "off-year" are not the same. In some places in modern China, it is said that the off-year is "official, three people, four boats and five", that is to say, the off-year of the official is the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month, that of the common people is the 24th of the twelfth lunar month, and that of house boat is the 25th of the twelfth lunar month.