Why are the "Little New Year" in the north and south not on the same day? What you don't know about "Officials are three, civilians are four, and boats are five"

In the blink of an eye, the "Little New Year" is here again. Looking through the calendar or searching online, careful people will find that the 23rd day of the lunar year is the Little New Year in the north, while the 24th day is the Little New Year in the south. Why are the "Little New Year" days not the same in the north and south of China?

In fact, in ancient China, there has been a tradition of celebrating the Little New Year of "officials on the 23rd, common people on the 4th, and people living on boats on the 5th", which means that the Little New Year of officials is on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month, the Little New Year of common people is on the 24th, and the Little New Year of people living on boats is on the 25th of the twelfth lunar month, and this difference has continued to this day

The origin of Xiaonian originally originated from the system of offering sacrifices to the Kitchen God. Offering sacrifices to the Kitchen God existed as early as the Shang and Zhou dynasties. As one of the "Five Sacrifices" of the country, offering sacrifices to the Kitchen God was very important. The object of sacrifice was originally the ancestors, and later evolved into a deity - the Kitchen God. The Kitchen God was sent to the world by the Jade Emperor to take charge of the food and drink of the world and to supervise the words and deeds of every household. On the day of Xiaonian, the Kitchen God had to report to the heaven. In order to prevent the Kitchen God from talking nonsense, people began to use sacrifices to block the Kitchen God's mouth.

Citizens buy Spring Festival couplets at the New Year Market on Shanghai Road in Nanning, Guangxi. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Yu Xiangquan)

Why is there a one-day difference in the celebration of the Little New Year in the north and south? In fact, there are records of celebrating the Little New Year on the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month as early as the Song Dynasty, so the Little New Year custom on the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month has the longest history. In the Song Dynasty, the Little New Year was called "New Year's Day" or "Little Festival Night". In "Wulin Jiushi·Suichu" written by Zhou Mi in the Song Dynasty, it is recorded that "the imperial court regards the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month as the Little Festival Night, and the 30th day as the Big Festival Night." In the Qing Dynasty, Chu Renhuo's "Jianhu Xuji·Xiaojindajin" also recorded that "the Song people regard the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month as the Little Festival Night, and the 30th day as the Big Festival Night. Today, it is called Little New Year's Eve and Big New Year's Eve, and the ancient and modern terms are roughly the same." At this time, "New Year's Day" has also evolved into "Little New Year's Eve". People regard the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month as a symbol of the beginning and end of the old year, and also a symbol of the coming of the new year.

The difference between the northern and southern Xiaonian is related to the Qing emperors. Those who have been to the Forbidden City must have an impression of Kunning Palace in the Forbidden City, because it is the place where the palace worships. Every year on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month, the Qing emperors would worship the gods in Kunning Palace. Because the custom at that time was to worship the Kitchen God on the 24th of the twelfth lunar month, but since Emperor Yongzheng, the palace saved money and put the worship of the Kitchen God and the worship of ancestors on the same day. After that, the nobles and princes of the Qing Dynasty followed suit, so there was a difference between the imperial palace's Xiaonian on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month and the folk Xiaonian on the 24th of the twelfth lunar month. In the long-term development, because the north is closer to the political center, Xiaonian gradually evolved to the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month. The south, far away from the political center, more often follows the ancient system and regards the 24th as Xiaonian.

In addition to the north-south differences, the time of "Little New Year" also varies across the country. For example, some areas in the Yangtze River Delta call the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month and the night before New Year's Eve "Little New Year", while some areas in Hainan, Nanjing and its surrounding areas call the 15th day of the first lunar month the Lantern Festival "Little New Year". The regional differences in festival time reflect the differences in historical and cultural space in various places, but people's prayers for bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new are the same.

Xiaonian is not only about offering sacrifices to the Kitchen God, but now it is also the beginning of the new year. The so-called Chinese New Year also starts from this day. There is a saying among the people that "after Xiaonian, you grow one year older". At this time, cities and towns are filled with a strong festive atmosphere to welcome the New Year.

The Little New Year has come, and the Big New Year is not far away. A year of hard work and a year of wind and rain, just for the reunion and joy at the end of the year. Let us quietly look forward to the warmest day of the year.

Source: Beijing Youth Daily