Why do you eat honeydew melons in the next year?

Honeydew melon is an ancient traditional name of the Han nationality, which is not only food for the Spring Festival, but also a sacrifice (kitchen god). In the past, I asked Wang to buy some candies made of maltose, such as honeydew melon and Guandong sugar, on the 23rd, not only for him to put in a good word when he boarded the Jade Emperor, but also for sticking the candy on the Kitchen God's mouth to prevent him from saying more. There is a two-part allegorical saying in Beijing: "The kitchen god ascended to heaven-speak more good words".

Origin:

Statement 1:

According to the Book of the Later Han Dynasty, Yinzifang in Nanyang (in Henan Province) offered an antelope to the stove in the twelfth month, which was blessed by the kitchen god, so it flourished for three generations. The wind story in Early Zhou Dynasty (240- about 299) said: "Today, Wu Ji is the 24th of the twelfth lunar month. . Zongba (about 498-565) recorded that the custom of offering sacrifices to stoves in Jingchu area was on the twelfth day of the first month (December 8), "offering sacrifices to stoves with dolphin wine". Judging from the offerings of the stove, people's awe of this kitchen god who can make a snitch has been decreasing. Earlier, he carefully worshipped with sacrifices such as antelope and dolphin wine, and later he was simply drunk with wine. Since the Song Dynasty, Kitchen God has become the object of jokes. Song people used a kind of candy called "gum jelly" to worship the stove. I didn't mean to let the kitchen god say something sweet. Some people say that it is to make the kitchen god's teeth stick with sugar, and there is nothing to say. There is a so-called "sugar melon" in the common kitchen candy in the north, which is to dip wheat tooth candy in sesame seeds and make it into the shape of a gourd or melon. Another kind of "Guandong sugar" is made of glutinous rice flour and caramel, which is hard and crisp and can be kept for a long time.

Statement 2:

Traditionally, by the end of the year, businesses have to settle accounts for the whole year. Therefore, sending stoves is also a time when debt collectors and debt collectors are in an endless stream. However, the most debt collection is New Year's Eve. After dinner, even if the debt is not collected, when the host and guest meet, they should bow their hands and congratulate each other. Therefore, there is a saying in the north: "Desperate Kwantung Sugar, Help jiaozi" (eat jiaozi on New Year's Eve), which describes this situation.

Related legend:

Legend has it that the kitchen god's name is Zhang Dan, and his family is very rich. Although his daughter-in-law, Li, is very virtuous, she can't have children and was divorced by Zhang Sheng. She worked hard and became a rich man. Zhang Sheng's remarried woman was lazy, idle and broke, and his second wife starved to death, while Zhang Sheng made a living by begging. When they went to the Li family to beg, they met. Zhang Sheng was ashamed and jumped into the pit in the kitchen, where he was burned to death. After Zhang Sheng ascended to heaven, he apologized to the Jade Emperor and was named the Kitchen God. Nowadays, the kitchen god worshipped in the Kanto countryside has evolved into the younger brother of the jade emperor, who gave him the title of kitchen king, making him an emissary between heaven and earth as the eyes and ears of the jade emperor. On the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, he goes home to the Heavenly Palace, reunites with the Jade Emperor, and reports what he has done at home in the past year. The Jade Emperor rewarded the good and punished the evil according to the reported situation.

I'm afraid this Zhang Chan has been lazy and idle since he became a chef. People don't trust him, and they are afraid that he will talk nonsense after he went to heaven. On the day he went to heaven, they put honeydew melons in memory of him. At the time of sacrifice, the couplets of "God speaks well and descends to protect peace" are first pasted on both sides of the statue of Kitchen God to remind him to speak well for the people and do practical things. As for the honeydew melon, it is sweet and sticky and used to paste his mouth. When he tasted the sweetness of honeydew melon, he should say something nice. If he wants to report something bad, let the honeydew melon stick to his mouth, so that he can't even talk about it.

Zhang Kui, a legendary bricklayer, was regarded as a kitchen god by many people in Henan, saying that his kitchen stove was well built and he became a kitchen god after his death. Legend has it that "the kitchen god is in charge of good and evil on earth, and good words from heaven can ensure that there will be no disaster in the coming year." The position of the folk kitchen god in Henan is mostly located on the back wall of the kitchen, and the paintings of the kitchen god are mostly printed in Zhuxian Town. In the middle of the painting is the kitchen god and his wife, with Yuyu Temple on their heads. The calendar of one year and the 24 solar terms of the lunar calendar are printed below, indicating how many dragons are needed to control water and how many days it will take. In the middle of the bottom is a cornucopia, outside is the Eight Immortals, with couples such as Jin standing on the left and right, and on both sides are chickens, dogs and six beasts, commonly known as "the main memorial tablet of the old stove".