New Year Count Down Starts from

New Year Count Down Starts from - Lesser New Year!
Jan 22, 2006 04:23
RITA Points: Join Date: May 10, 2005 Status: offline	The 23th day of the last month of lunar calendar is called 小年 -Lesser New Year (I don't know if there is any better translations:-)) (The Chinese New Year is called 大年) . This particular day is said to be the day Stove God goes up to heaven to report his work of the past year. Usually on this day, a new image of the Stove God will take the place of the old one in the kitchens, at the same time, the housewives will offer rich tribute to the stove god, so that he will speak in favor of the family to the "general" God in heaven, then offers good luck to this family in the coming new year. Usually, the housewives will cook something good for the whole family, but won't be as good as the dishes served on the New Year's Eve. I don't know much about the custom in south China of this day, but I remember in my hometown, we eat jiaozi for dinner! Furthermore, on 23th, every corner of the house should be cleaned to be sparkle. Housewives have a really hard day on this day!

New Year Count Down Starts from - Lesser New Year!

Jan 22, 2006 04:23

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The 23th day of the last month of lunar calendar is called 小年 -Lesser New Year (I don't know if there is any better translations:-)) (The Chinese New Year is called 大年) . This particular day is said to be the day Stove God goes up to heaven to report his work of the past year. Usually on this day, a new image of the Stove God will take the place of the old one in the kitchens, at the same time, the housewives will offer rich tribute to the stove god, so that he will speak in favor of the family to the "general" God in heaven, then offers good luck to this family in the coming new year.

Usually, the housewives will cook something good for the whole family, but won't be as good as the dishes served on the New Year's Eve.
I don't know much about the custom in south China of this day, but I remember in my hometown, we eat jiaozi for dinner!

Furthermore, on 23th, every corner of the house should be cleaned to be sparkle. Housewives have a really hard day on this day!

Jan 22, 2006 04:28	#1
RITA Points: Join Date: May 10, 2005 Status: Offline	I searched from the internet and got this picture of the Stove God:

Jan 22, 2006 04:30	#2
RITA Points: Join Date: May 10, 2005 Status: Offline	Anything else special or interesting?

Jan 22, 2006 04:34	#3
RITA Points: Join Date: May 10, 2005 Status: Offline	I think the Stove God is from Daoism, which is more considerate to people's daily life than Buddhism. :-)

Jan 22, 2006 04:41	#4
RITA Points: Join Date: May 10, 2005 Status: Offline	I forgot to mention that the Lesser New Year's Day is TODAY - Jan 22, 2006. Good luck, everybody!

Jan 22, 2006 09:37	#5
CALIFORNIA Points: Join Date: Jul 22, 2005 Status: Offline	I have celebrated with my brothers!and one of them told me,in his hometown,24th is the Lesser New Year! BTW,he comes from Anhui!

Jan 22, 2006 18:27	#6
RITA Points: Join Date: May 10, 2005 Status: Offline	Really? I never heard the Lesser New Year on 24th. But there must be some differences between north and south China.

Jan 22, 2006 19:02	#7
CALIFORNIA Points: Join Date: Jul 22, 2005 Status: Offline	But his hometown lies in the north of Hui River,I think it belongs to the north!

Jan 22, 2006 19:11

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It's interesting of the exact divisions of south and north China. When I was in Heilongjiang, we took all the places lie to the south of Shanhaiguan as "South China"; When I finally "crossed" the Shanhaiguan, people thought the places located to the south of Yangtze River are real South China; When I lived in Xiamen, the local people told me all the places to the north of Fujian were North China.

Now I am interested what the Hainan people think about "South" and "North" :-)

But Yangtze River as the dividing line is accepted by most people.

Jan 22, 2006 19:18	#9
CALIFORNIA Points: Join Date: Jul 22, 2005 Status: Offline	Actually,in geography,the division of north and south is Qin mountain range---Huai River. Yes,in my hometown,we don't say the north or the south!we called the persons who lived in the south of Shanhaiguan Guan Li Ren(关里人)，and we are Guan Wai Ren(关外人)。 Haha~~~~~~`

Jan 22, 2006 19:22	#10
RITA Points: Join Date: May 10, 2005 Status: Offline	That's it! Guanli and Guanwai! :-)

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