When is the off-year in southern Fujian?

The off-year in southern Fujian is the 24th of the twelfth lunar month.

The cleaning before the Spring Festival was called "sweeping dust" and "sweeping houses" in the old society, and it was also called "sweeping Chen" because of the homonym of "dust" and "Chen". The cleaning before the Spring Festival is different from the usual cleaning. It is more detailed and comprehensive. Things that are usually difficult to clean, such as dust on the roof and cobwebs, should be cleaned with a broom tied with a long bamboo pole.

At the same time, everything in the room should be scrubbed and the sheets should be washed. Some people will also paint walls, doors and windows with white powder to make indoor and outdoor look brand-new. Clean rooms and clean roads not only show the traditional virtues of the Chinese nation, but also allow everyone to welcome the New Year in a clean and tidy way.

Cultural development of off-year festivals

Folklore experts say that there is a tradition of "three officials, three people, four boats and five people" in ancient times, that is to say, the official's off-year is the 23rd lunar month, the people's home is the 24th lunar month, and the houseboat is the 25th lunar month. Like the north, before the Southern Song Dynasty, it was a political center and was greatly influenced by bureaucracy, so the off-year was mostly the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month.

On the contrary, the south is far from the political center, and the off-year is the 24th of the twelfth lunar month. Residents along the lake, such as Poyang Lake, have retained the tradition of boating, and the off-year is set on the 25th of the twelfth lunar month. "No matter which day you celebrate the New Year, people have the same desire to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new." In some areas such as Sichuan and Guizhou, the 30th day of the twelfth lunar month is off-year, and the 15th day of the first month is off-year. In some areas of Shandong, off-year is the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month.