China Festival ToursYou could enjoy a pleasant Chinese New Year this winter!(February 13 - February 28 )
Traditionally the Chinese New Year's festivities begin on the 23rd day of the 12th month, one week before the actual lunar New Year. Known as Xiaonian (off year) in Chinese, it is on this day that sacrifices are offered to the Kitchen God. He is sent from heaven to keep an eye on each family in China and reports to the Jade Emperor, the supreme deity of Taoism, on what the family has been up to for the last year. The Jade Emperor then gives out rewards or punishments depending on how the family behaved for the year. It is believed that the Kitchen God departs the earth and travels up to heaven on that day, so Chinese families traditionally give him a sendoff.
Each family will have either a paper print or a porcelain statue of the Kitchen God on or near the family's hearth. On the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month, each family will give the Kitchen God a sendoff by burning incense and offering water, grass, and sweets. The water and grass is for the Kitchen God's horse and the sweets are used to stick the Kitchen teeth together so he is incapable of saying anything bad about the family. The sweets used vary depending on the part of China that the day is celebrated. In the Southeast of China, sugar is melted into syrup, in Central China honey is used, and in the North sticky rice cakes are offered to the Kitchen God. If the family has a porcelain statue of the Kitchen God, it is lovingly cleaned before the honey, or sugar syrup is smeared on the statue's lips. Once the offerings have been given, the paper print of the Kitchen God is burned to symbolize his returning to heaven. On New Year's Eve a new picture is put up.
The Kitchen God's name is Zao Jun, which literally means Stove Master. His image is always put near the hearth, the central location of the house. There are many legends as to how Zao Jun became the Kitchen God. Originally a mortal, Zao Jun was a poor farmer. One particularly bad year no rain fell and all of his crops failed. He was forced to sell his wife to pay off his creditors. Many years later he became a servant in the house of his wife's new husband. His wife, feeling sorry for him, baked him some buns into which she had hid coins. The man did not realize this, and being poor sold the cakes for very little. When he realized what he had done he committed suicide. The gods took pity on him and made him the Kitchen God and after his wife's death, the couple was reunited. Another legend states that Zao Jun was a proud and conceited man who was married to a very virtuous woman. He left his wife for a younger woman and because of this the heavens punished him by making him blind.
The younger woman left him and he had to start begging to support himself. One day when he was begging in the streets his former wife saw him. Being a virtuous woman, she took pity on him and invited him into her house for a meal. Zao Jun being blind did not recognize that it was his former wife who was being so kind to him. She cooked him a wonderful meal, cleaned him up and gave him some fresh clothing. While she was taking care of him he told his story to her. As he told his story, he realized what he had done and broke down and wept. Upon seeing his sorrow and the realization of the error of his ways, his wife took pity on him. She told him to open his eyes and his sight was restored. Realizing that the woman who had taken such good care of him was his former wife and that she had treated him so well even after he had been so bad to her, he dove into the hearth in a fit of shame. His former wife attempted to save him, but all that was left was the leg she was holding onto. The heavens took pity on him and turned him into the Kitchen God. These are just two of the many legends of the Kitchen God that can be found throughout China.
Giving offerings to the Kitchen God is the symbolic beginning of the Chinese New Year's festivities. Although largely abandoned by city dwellers, this ceremony is still largely practiced in rural areas of China.
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