What day is the Little New Year really on (explanation of traditional festivals in the lunar calendar)

Little New Year is one of the traditional Chinese festivals, which refers to the 23rd day of the Lunar New Year's month, the week before New Year's Eve, and is a prelude to the traditional Chinese New Year. On the day of Xiao Nian, people hold various rituals to seek peace and success in the coming year.

The Origin of Xiao Nian

The origin of Xiao Nian can be traced back to ancient times, when it was said that people would worship their ancestors and gods on the 23rd day of the Lunar New Year to pray for a good harvest and peace in the coming year. Later, this festival gradually evolved into an important festival before New Year's Eve, and people would also make various preparations on this day, such as cleaning, buying New Year's goods and so on.

Customs of the New Year

The New Year is a festival full of all kinds of customs, and the following is an introduction to some of the main customs of the New Year.

Stove Worship

On the day of the Lunar New Year, people will worship the stove, which is a kind of worship to the gods. During Zaosai, people will put various offerings on the stove, such as candies, fruits, cookies and so on, to show their respect to the gods. The purpose of Zaosai is to hope that the god of Zaosai blesses the family with peace, health and happiness.

Posting Spring Festival Couplets

Little New Year is a good time to post spring festival couplets. People will put up door gods and spring couplets on the day of the New Year to welcome the arrival of the New Year. Chunlian is a kind of couplet written on red paper, usually with auspicious words, such as "good fortune and wealth", "peace and happiness", and so on.

Eating soup dumplings

Eating soup dumplings is also a tradition of the Lunar New Year. Soup dumplings are small balls of food made of glutinous rice flour, usually filled with fillings such as sesame and bean paste. Eating soup dumplings symbolizes reunion, and because they are shaped like reunions, people also pray for family reunion and happiness when eating them.

Significance of the New Year

As one of the traditional Chinese festivals, the New Year has a very important significance. First of all, Xiao Nian marks the arrival of the New Year and people make all kinds of preparations on this day to welcome the New Year. Secondly, the New Year is also a festival to worship ancestors and deities. People will offer sacrifices to stoves, ancestors and so on on this day to express their respect to the deities. Finally, it is also a festival of reunion, where people eat dumplings and put up spring couplets to pray for family reunion and happiness.

What day is the New Year?

Small year is the twenty-third day of the Lunar month on the lunar calendar, which is the week before New Year's Eve. The exact date may vary from year to year and needs to be determined according to the lunar calendar.