文化中國行丨小年已至 大年不遠

時間：2025-01-22 來源：新聞傳媒中心

　“一碗清湯詩一篇，灶君今日上青天；玉皇若問人間事，亂世文章不值錢。”這是宋代詩人呂蒙正的一首祭灶詩。祭灶當日，又俗稱“小年”，它作為農歷新年的前奏，標志著除夕即將到來。 在中國，人們相信有一位名叫“灶王爺”的神靈居住在家里的灶臺上，而小年這天正是其生日。過小年不僅是一段繁忙準備的開始，也是家庭團聚和祈福的重要時刻。

　　"A bowl of clear soup and a poem, the Kitchen God ascends to the heavens today; if the Jade Emperor asks about the affairs of the world, chaotic times make writings worthless." This is a poem by the Song Dynasty poet Lu Mengzheng for the Kitchen God Festival. On the day of the Kitchen God Festival, also commonly known as "Little New Year," it marks the prelude to the Lunar New Year, signifying the impending arrival of Chinese New Year's Eve. In China, it is believed that a deity named the "Kitchen God" resides on the family's stove, and the Kitchen God Festival is his birthday. Celebrating Little New Year is not only the beginning of a busy period of preparation but also an important time for family reunions and blessings.

　　小年與灶王爺的傳說

　　The Legend of Little New Year and the Kitchen God

　　傳說灶王爺原為平民張生，娶妻之后敗盡家業，淪落為乞丐。一天，他乞討到了前妻郭丁香家，因羞愧一頭鉆到灶鍋底下燒死了。感動于他最后的悔改，玉帝封他為灶王，讓其每年臘月二十三或二十四上升天庭匯報這家人的善惡，在大年三十返回人間繼續守護家庭。為了確保灶王爺能在天上說好話，人們會在灶王像兩邊貼上諸如“上天言好事，下界保平安”的對聯，以此祈福求順。

　　According to legend, the Kitchen God was originally a commoner named Zhang Sheng. After marrying, he squandered his family's wealth and eventually became a beggar. One day, he begged at the home of his ex-wife, Guo Dingxiang, and out of shame, he hid under the stove and died in the fire. Touched by his final repentance, the Jade Emperor appointed him as the Kitchen God, allowing him to ascend to the heavenly court on the 23rd or 24th day of the twelfth lunar month to report on the family's virtues and vices. He returns to the human world on New Year's Eve to continue protecting the household. To ensure that the Kitchen God speaks favorably in heaven, people often place couplets next to his image, such as "Speak well in heaven, protect peace on earth," as a way to seek blessings and smoothness.

　　小年到底是哪天？

　　When Exactly is Little New Year?

　　在中國，古人過小年有“官三、民四、船五”之分：北方地區多受官方文化影響，選擇在臘月二十三慶祝小年；南方遠離政治中心，傾向于臘月二十四過小年；而一些漁家，則會在臘月二十五過小年。

　　In China, there is a traditional saying about the celebration dates of Little New Year: "officials on the 23rd, commoners on the 24th, and fishing families on the 25th." In the northern areas, which have been more influenced by official culture, Little New Year is celebrated on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month.In the southern regions, which are farther from the political center, it is observed on the 24th.Meanwhile, some fishing families celebrate it on the 25th.

　　小年有什么習俗？

　　What Are the Customs of Little New Year?

　　祭灶王：這是小年的核心習俗之一。送灶時，人們通常會在灶王像前擺放又甜又粘的糖瓜，寓意灶君吃了之后嘴被粘住不說壞話，以求來年的平安順遂。

　　Worshipping the Kitchen God: This is one of the core customs of Little New Year. When bidding farewell to the Kitchen God, people typically place sweet and sticky sugar melons in front of his image. The idea is that after eating these, his mouth will be stuck and he won't speak ill, ensuring a peaceful and smooth year ahead.

　　吃灶糖：這是小年祭灶必備的食物之一，一口下去，甜甜黏黏。

　　Eating Kitchen God’s Candy: This is one of the essential foods for the Kitchen God Festival. With each bite, it is sweet and sticky.

　　大掃除：從臘月二十三起至除夕止被稱為“迎春日”或“掃塵日”。在此期間，家家戶戶都會進行一次徹底的大掃除，清除舊年的晦氣，迎接新年的好運。

　　Spring Cleaning: From the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month until New Year's Eve, this period is known as the "Spring Welcoming Day" or "Dust Sweeping Day." During this time, every household conducts a thorough cleaning to remove the bad luck of the old year and welcome the good fortune of the new year.

　　剪窗花：在北方流行剪貼窗花，喜鵲登梅、燕穿桃柳等精美的窗花圖案寄托了人們對未來幸福生活的期盼。

　　Paper Cuttings: In the north, it is popular to cut and paste paper cuttings on windows. Beautiful patterns such as magpies perched on plum blossoms and swallows flying through peach and willow branches express people's hopes for a happy future.

　　吃餃子吃年糕：北方小年有吃餃子的傳統，取意“送行餃子迎風面”，送別灶王爺的同時也為家人帶來好運；南方小年吃年糕，因為“糕”諧音“高”，代表著生活水平一年比一年高。

　　Eating Dumplings and Rice Cakes: In the north, it is traditional to eat dumplings during Little New Year, symbolizing "sending off with dumplings and welcoming with noodles," bidding farewell to the Kitchen God while also bringing good fortune to the family. In the south, people eat rice cakes because "cake" is a homophone for "high" in Chinese, representing a higher standard of living each year.

　　小年已至，大年不遠，游子們歸家的路也愈加清晰。帶著對新年的期許，家家戶戶在這溫馨的氛圍中迎接團圓與幸福的到來。

　　With Little New Year here, the Spring Festival is not far away, and the path for wanderers returning home becomes clearer. Carrying expectations for the new year, families welcome reunion and happiness in this warm atmosphere.　　（大眾網）