"On the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month, the kitchen god will go to heaven." This is a folk song circulating in many places in various provinces.
It is said that on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, the Kitchen God will go to heaven to report the truth of the world to the Jade Emperor. Therefore, every household should put an offering to worship the kitchen god, so it is called "Kitchen Festival". When offering sacrifices to Zao Jun, many places use candied melons made of malt as offerings.
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The traditional custom of sweeping dust has a long history. The folk song says, "Twenty-four, Dust-cleaning Day." At the end of 23/24, preparations for the Chinese New Year officially began.
It is a traditional habit of China people to sweep the dust before New Year's Day. Whenever the Spring Festival comes, every household should clean the environment, and use bamboo leaves and grapefruit leaves tied to poles to clean the ceiling and the dust cobwebs on the walls, which is called sweeping away "poor luck" and "bad luck" and cleaning up the auspicious year.
In addition to cleaning the house, it is necessary to clean all kinds of appliances, dismantle and wash bedding curtains, sweep the courtyard of Liulv, and dredge open channels and culverts. North and south of the river, clean and welcoming the atmosphere of the New Year. Folklore experts said that sweeping dust not only means to drive away the epidemic and pray for a healthy New Year, but also means to remove the "old" (dust) and spread the new. This custom sends people a signal of the busy atmosphere of the New Year.
Baidu Encyclopedia-Sweet Melon Sticks