Sacrificing stoves is one of the traditional cultures in China. What did ancient people use to offer sacrifices to stoves?

"Ming Shi": "Kitchen. Make it, create food. " Sacrificing stoves is a very popular traditional custom in China. The folk sacrificial furnace originated from the ancient custom of worshipping fire. Kitchen God's duty is to take charge of the kitchen fire and manage the diet. Later, it was expanded to investigate human good and evil to reduce good and evil. Sacrificing stoves has a history of thousands of years in China, and the belief in kitchen gods is a reflection of China people's dream of "adequate food and clothing". Traditionally, the day of offering sacrifices to stoves is the 24th of the twelfth lunar month. In most parts of the south, the ancient tradition of celebrating the 24th of the twelfth lunar month is still maintained. 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 pay homage to the kitchen god, so most northern regions celebrate the off-year holiday on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month. Therefore, off-year is also called Chef's Day, Thanksgiving Day and Chef's Day.

On the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month, every household will make a stove, and this kind of activity is mostly held at dusk. The family went to the kitchen first, set the table, incense the kitchen god in the shrine on the kitchen wall, and offer the kitchen fruit.

There are red balls, white balls, hemp balls, avocados, inch candy, foot candy, white cross section, black cross section and so on. , or 8 colors, or 12 colors, it is sweet and sticky in the mouth. After the confession, the kitchen god who has been posted for one year will be burned like a paper horse for nine days, praying that he will do more good deeds in front of the jade kitchen god, bless the family's peace, seal the kitchen god's mouth, and there will be no disasters in all seasons. Family members, mainly children, eat the fruit of the sacrificial furnace, and their feet and bones are healthy. To bring Kitchen God home on New Year's Eve is to put the newly bought statue of Kitchen God on the kitchen table. Because the chef has to check the roster before leaving this world, all family members have to go home for the New Year and pray for the health of the chef and the good luck of the whole family.

Generally speaking, women in the family are not allowed to participate in sacrifices, but there is no such taboo in some areas. In Anyang and other places, there are priestesses at home. On the night of the kitchen memorial day, tofu, vermicelli, Chinese cabbage, kelp and so on were used at home. Let the kitchen sacrifice soup. In front of the tablet of the old stove Lord, sesame cakes made of sugar paste or wheat sugar are offered. The kitchen Lord died in the dark, and it is a sin to stick the sugar cakes on his mouth during the sacrifice. He also lit eighteen fires, put a rooster between his wings, put it in front of the kitchen god, put some grass and beans aside, and made a horse. In addition, some regions or special occupations have different customs and sacrifices.