The origin and customs of off-year are very simple.

The origin of off-year is the god of offering sacrifices to stoves in Song Dynasty, and the custom is offering sacrifices to stoves.

Off-year, also known as the Festival of Sacrificing Kitchen, the Festival of Kitchen God and the Festival of Cleaning Dust, is a traditional festival in China. Dates vary from region to region. Most areas in the north are on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month, and most areas in the south are on the 24th of the twelfth lunar month. Before the middle of the Qing Dynasty, the northern region was also the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month. Since the middle and late Qing Dynasty, the emperor's family held a ceremony to worship heaven on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month. In order to save money, they also paid homage to the kitchen god, so

There is also a saying that the ancients in China have a saying that there are three officials, four people and five boats in the off-year, that is, the 23 rd housekeeper in the twelfth lunar month, the 24 th people in the twelfth lunar month, and the 25 th fisherman in the twelfth lunar month. The reason for this division is that before the Song Dynasty, the north was mostly a political center and was deeply influenced by official culture. Northerners choose the twenty-third year of the twelfth lunar month, while the south is far from the political center. The off-year is the twenty-third of the twelfth lunar month.

The custom of off-year

Offering sacrifices to stoves is an important activity for off-year holidays. The off-year in the south is the 24th of the twelfth lunar month, and the off-year in the north is the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month. Kitchen God's duty is to take charge of the kitchen fire and manage the diet. Kitchen God belief has a history of thousands of years in China, and it is a reflection of China people's dream of adequate food and clothing. According to folklore, on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month, the Kitchen God will report the good and evil of this family to the Jade Emperor, so that his rewards and punishments can be clearly defined.

Therefore, when people send stoves, they will put stove candy, steamed bread, water and beans on the kitchen table, hoping to speak good words from heaven, bring good luck to the world and make the new year safe and happy. Off-year means the end of the old year and the beginning of the new year. During the off-year period, people begin to prepare new year's goods, prepare for year-end cleaning, and prepare for a happy and clean year, which indicates that the new year will have a new atmosphere.