Sweeping dust is also called sweeping Chen, what does it mean?

Sweeping the dust, also known as sweeping the house, sweeping the room, dusting, removing the residue, dusting, playing dust, etc., is one of the traditional customs of Chinese folk New Year. Before the busy year is mainly to get rid of the old and new as the theme of the activities, dust sweeping is the end of the year sweeping, the south said "sweeping house", the north said "sweeping room". The intention is to all "poor luck", "bad luck" all swept out the door, sending the Chinese nation a kind of evil in addition to the disaster, welcome the good wishes of auspiciousness and good fortune. The folk song says: "Twenty-four, dust sweeping day." On this day, every household has to clean up, dusting dust cobwebs, cleaning all kinds of appliances, washing bedding curtains, sprinkling six coccyx courtyard, dredging nullahs and ditches.

The traditional custom of dust sweeping has a long history. Sweeping dust is the end of the year cleaning, the South called "sweeping house", the North called "sweeping room". Sweeping dust before the New Year's Day is a traditional habit of the Chinese people. Whenever the Spring Festival comes, every household has to clean the environment, with bamboo leaves and pomelo leaves tied to the pole to sweep the roof ceiling, the walls of the dust and cobwebs, which is said to sweep away the "poor luck", "bad luck", the next year Qingji.

In addition to sweeping the house, but also to clean all kinds of appliances, washing bedding curtains, sprinkle clean the courtyard, dredging nullahs and culverts, and so on. North and south of the river, clean and welcome the atmosphere of the New Year. Folklore experts say, sweeping dust both to drive out disease, pray for a healthy new year means, but also in addition to the meaning of "Chen" (dust) cloth new. This custom signals to people the busy atmosphere of the New Year.

At the end of the year, on the 23rd and 24th, preparations for the New Year begin. Folks call the end of the year 23rd/24th as the dust sweeping day. Whenever the Spring Festival is coming, everywhere is full of joyful health, clean and welcome the new year's happy atmosphere. According to Chinese folklore: because the "dust" and "Chen" homophonic, dust sweeping in the New Year has "in addition to the meaning of Chen to welcome the new", the intention is to put all the "poor luck! ", "bad luck" are swept out. This custom is to support people's desire to break the old and new, and the old to welcome the new prayers.