Twenty-three is to send off the stove, twenty-four is to greet the Nuo and fight the dust, twenty-five is to receive the Jade Emperor, twenty-seven is to sacrifice the spring ox, twenty-eight is to cut the window grilles, twenty-nine is to greet the door god, write Spring Festival couplets, and the countdown to New Year's Eve has begun.
Today is the New Year in the north. As the prelude to the Spring Festival, Xiaonian is usually regarded as the beginning of a busy year, with every household happily preparing New Year's goods and cleaning the house.
The date of the small year
As for the date of the twelfth lunar month, there is an ancient saying of "officials, three people, four boats and five", which means that the twelfth lunar month is the 23rd for the official family, the 24th twelfth lunar month for the common people, and the 25th lunar month for the people on the water. .
There is a saying that the traditional Little New Year is on the 24th of the twelfth lunar month. Since the emperors in the middle and late Qing Dynasty paid homage to the Kitchen God on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month one day in advance, people in the northern region followed suit and celebrated the Xiaonian on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month one day in advance. Year.
Later, as time went by, northern areas gradually regarded the 23rd lunar month as the small year, while southern areas mostly regarded the 24th twelfth lunar month as the small year.
The inconsistency in the dates of the Little Year also illustrates the richness and diversity of Chinese traditional folk culture.
Customs of the New Year
N ways to open the New Year
When Xiaonian meets snow
When the New Year meets the snow, red lanterns complement the white snow, making snowmen and having snowball fights, welcoming the New Year with full energy!
On January 14, 2023, the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, the Little New Year in northern China, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province ushered in the first widespread snowfall in 2023. The picture shows citizens traveling in the snow. Photo by China News Service reporter Zhai Yujia
The picture shows people building snowmen. Photo by China News Service reporter Zhai Yujia
The picture shows a family of three playing in the snow. Photo by China News Service reporter Zhai Yujia
When a traveler meets Xiaonian
If you are still traveling today, it doesn’t matter. You can also experience a different kind of “New Year’s flavor” on the high-speed rail. Every year, high-speed rail flight attendants carefully decorate the carriages. Under the leadership of the flight attendants, passengers actively participate in colorful and interesting activities and receive souvenirs. In winter, the carriages are filled with a peaceful and festive atmosphere.
January 14, 2023, the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month. The picture shows Qin Yumiao, conductor of the Chongqing passenger section, writing the word "福" for passengers. Photo by Hu Yong
The picture shows the passengers who received the blessings taking photos in the carriage. Photo by Hu Yong
When the border police met Xiaonian
When he was 18 years old, Chen Yu came to Xishuangbanna, Yunnan from Hunan.
1,858 kilometers is the distance from Mengrun Village on the China-Laos border to Longhui County in Hunan. It is also the distance that makes him miss his family day and night.
Over the past 19 years, he has been diligent and dedicated to his work, visiting communities, law enforcement and case handling, patrolling the border... Because every job has been recognized by the people in the jurisdiction, he is affectionately called "Old Chen" by the villagers.
Last year, when the reporter interviewed Chen Yu, he was visiting the jurisdiction and checking the border as usual. "Today is the New Year, and the main task of our border inspection is to sweep the dust so that the boundary markers can celebrate the New Year cleanly." Chen Yu said while asking everyone to bring water and rags.
Braving the scorching sun, climbing cliffs, swimming in rivers, and trekking high mountains, their clothes were soaked with sweat, but the policemen never lowered their arms holding the national flag and never stopped patrolling the border. After walking for more than two hours, Chen Yu and the police finally arrived at the China-Laos boundary marker No. 42-1. After careful cleaning, the boundary monument took on a new look.
The picture shows police wiping boundary markers. Photo courtesy of Xishuangbanna Border Management Detachment
Last year Chen Yu was unable to go home for the New Year. Although the daughter at the other end of the video is unhappy, she understands that her father works hard and comforts him in a childish voice, saying, "If one family is not happy, then all the families will be happy."
On this long border patrol road, Chen Yu led the team on the border patrol road countless times. All along, Chen Yu and the immigration management police have used the light of faith to illuminate the border patrol roads and protect every inch of land and rivers on the border. I hope he can go home and reunite with his family this year.
When foreign friends meet Xiaonian
For foreign friends, the New Year’s Eve is an excellent opportunity to experience “doing as the Romans do when they are in the country”. As the Spring Festival approaches, many international students gather together to throw pots, make lucky bags, write couplets... immersively experience the traditional customs of the Chinese Spring Festival and feel the charm of traditional Chinese culture.
On January 31, the Spring Festival was approaching. At the School of International Education of Hubei University of Arts and Sciences, nearly 40 international students from Russia, Pakistan, and Nigeria immersed themselves in the traditional customs of the Chinese Spring Festival. International students write couplets about their experience. Photo by Zhang Qianlong
International students experience making lucky bags. Photo by Zhang Qianlong
The picture shows international students showing the couplets they wrote. Photo by Zhang Qianlong
(China News Service WeChat official account)