Off-year has a very important custom of "offering sacrifices to stoves".

In our folk culture, there are many stories related to immortals, and everyone is no stranger to "Kitchen God".

Since ancient times, every household has enshrined the "Kitchen God".

Kitchen God is not only a fairy, but also a "family god" worshipped by every family.

However, in the earliest legend, the kitchen god was only the god in charge of diet. However, because he is always on earth, he will only report to heaven in his early years, so gradually Kitchen God has the right to monitor people's lives, so everyone regards Kitchen God as particularly important.

Of course, in addition to offering sacrifices to stoves, there are still some things to do in off-year.

As the saying goes, "If you do five things well next year, you will have a good year", which means that if you do these five things well next year, you will have a good year.

What are these five things? Let's take a look at it next!

First, worship the kitchen god

Before offering sacrifices to the kitchen stove, the old "Kitchen God New Year Picture" should be torn down and replaced with a new one, which is what the old people often say.

In fact, the sacrificial stove is to put all kinds of food on the stove, such as fish, honeydew melon and so on. Then put a bowl of water and a handful of grass beans.

These foods are used to worship the kitchen god, and water and grass beans are used to worship the kitchen god's mount. It is not difficult to see that the ancients really valued the Kitchen God, and even the mounts were considered very comprehensively.

In some areas in the north, there is a saying that "jiaozi is sent to meet God", so a bowl of jiaozi should be placed on the sacrificial table.

Date of offering sacrifices to the kitchen:

At the earliest time, the date of offering sacrifices to stoves was the 24th of the twelfth lunar month, at least during the Qianlong period.

In ancient times, the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month was the day when the emperor held a year-end sacrificial ceremony, and the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month was the day of offering sacrifices to stoves. Later, in order to "save money", Emperor Qianlong advanced the sacrificial stove on the 24th of the twelfth lunar month to the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month, and together with the sacrificial ceremony, there was a saying that the sacrificial stove was on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month.

However, due to geographical reasons, this change only takes effect in the north, so until now, there are still differences between the north and the south in the days of folk sacrifice to the stove, with the difference of "24 in the south and 23 in the north".

Second, stick grilles.

In ancient times, people attached great importance to handicraft works, and basically cut their own window grilles to paste the New Year.

Nowadays, many people have lost this craft, and basically they buy ready-made window grilles to paste.

The customs of off-year stick grilles are different in different regions. Many places still keep the custom of stick grilles in the early years, but some areas will stick Spring Festival couplets and window grilles together on New Year's Eve.

There are beautiful patterns on the window grilles, such as "There is a happy event on the plum blossom" and "There is more than one year", which are all expectations and wishes for a better life in the coming year.

Third, sweep the dust.

Dust removal is not a task that can be completed at one time, and sometimes it even takes a day or two. So from the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month, the next three days will be "Dust Day".

Starting from the New Year, family members will begin to clean the room one after another, including cleaning bedding, sorting out old clothes, cleaning doors and windows, washing dishes and chopsticks.

Basically, everything in the house has been rummaged through, some old and unwanted things will be thrown away, and even things that have not been used for a year will be taken out for cleaning.

Cleaning the house is also to prepare for the Chinese New Year.

Fourth, marriage.

As we all know, whether it is a wedding or other important events, we in China have to choose a "good day" on the calendar.

In particular, marriage is a very important event in life, and it is even more sloppy. What is needed is a "time, place and people."

However, in our folk culture, after a small year, all the immortals on the ground went to the sky to report their work, so at this time the ground was in a state of "forgiveness".

During this period, you don't have to choose a date to marry a daughter-in-law, you can marry a girl on any day during this period. This phenomenon is also called "robbing marriage".

Many people may not choose a good day to get married, but some want to get married before the New Year, so they will choose to get married after the New Year.

Therefore, during the period from childhood to the end of the year, many people got married, and there is a saying among the people that "every family is busy getting married at the end of the year, and wedding invitations accompany spring".

Five, take a bath, haircut

In the past, when the conditions were underdeveloped, it was impossible to take a bath and wash your hair every day, but you should wash it anyway and prepare for the New Year by the end of the year.

Therefore, people will choose a day to bathe and wash their hair from a young age.

When conditions are good now, everyone will wash their feet from head to toe on New Year's Eve, especially in the northern region. You can't take a shower and wash your hair from New Year's Eve to the second night of the second day, so everyone should take a shower before dinner on New Year's Eve.

Speaking of haircuts, we all know that February 2nd is the day when dragons look up. On that day, the barber shop was almost full of business.

The reason for this is precisely because in our traditional customs, haircuts are not allowed in the first month, so haircuts before the year are also to prepare for not having haircuts throughout the first month, especially for boys to prevent their hair from growing too long, or even cutting it very short years ago.

The above is the saying that "do five things in the off-year and be satisfied all year round". Some proverbs are no longer so accurate and valued.

But all this is to prepare for the new year, which means to say goodbye to the old and welcome the new. what do you think?