Chapter 143 The Stove Lord of the Household

In ancient times, there was a family named Zhang. There were two brothers. The elder brother was a mason and the younger was a painter.My elder brother is good at cooking pots and pans. He is so skilled in making stoves that he is honored as the "King of Zhang Zao" by people around thousands of miles away. King Zhang Zao lived to be seventy years old, and it happened to be late at night on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month when he died.As soon as King Zhang Zao passed away, several daughters-in-law were clamoring to separate the family, and the younger brother of the painter was helpless and worried all day long.He finally came up with a good idea.On the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, it was the first anniversary of the death of King Zhang Zao.The painter suddenly yelled at night to wake up the whole family, and led them to the kitchen. On the dark stove wall, fluttering candlelight loomed, showing the image of Zhang Zaowang and his late wife. appearance.The painter said: "When I went to bed, I dreamed that my eldest brother and sister-in-law had become immortals, and the Jade Emperor named him 'Nine Heavens East Cook, Siming Stove King's Mansion'. You are usually lazy, and your sisters-in-law are at odds, disrespectful and filial, making the family gods uneasy. Eldest brother knows that you are splitting up, very annoyed, and is going to go to heaven to report to the Jade Emperor, and come down to punish you on the night of the New Year's Eve."

The sons, daughters, nieces and daughters-in-law were terrified when they heard these words, and immediately knelt down and kowtowed, hurriedly fetching the sweets that Zhang Stove King usually eats and offering them on the stove, begging the Stove King to forgive him. In fact, the Kitchen King on the kitchen wall was drawn by the artist in advance.But this story was spread to ten and ten, and when others came to ask about it, he had to fake it and distribute the painted Stove King portrait to his neighbors.In this way, the kitchens of every household are affixed with the image of the Kitchen King.Every year on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, it is customary for people to make offerings to God Stove and pray for the safety of the family.

This is the legend of offering sacrifices to the stove, which is widely spread among the people in our country. The Spring Festival in our country usually starts with offering sacrifices to the stove.There is a so-called "officials, three peoples, four boats and five families", that is, the official government will hold sacrifices to the stove on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month, ordinary folks will hold a sacrifice on the 24th, and people on the water will hold sacrifices to the stove on the 25th. Sacrificing stoves is a custom that has a great influence and spread widely among the people in our country.In the old days, almost every kitchen had a "Stove Lord" god.People call this god "Siming Bodhisattva" or "Stove Lord Siming". It is said that he is the "Nine Heavens East Cook Siming Stove King's Mansion" conferred by the Jade Emperor. worship.

Lord Stove has stayed at home since New Year's Eve last year to protect and monitor the family.On the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, the Kitchen God will ascend to heaven to report the family's good or evil deeds to the Jade Emperor in the sky. Sending stoves is mostly held at dusk and night.The family first offer incense to the Stove Lord in the altar on the stove wall, and offer sweet melons made of maltose and noodles.Then prepare the paper horse made of bamboo strips and the fodder for the livestock.Serving the Stove Lord with caramel is to make his old man sweet.In the evening, pile up sesame stalks and pine branches in the yard, and then take the statue of the Kitchen God that has been offered for a year out of the shrine, and set it on fire together with the paper horse and fodder.

On the night of the New Year's Eve, the Stove Lord came to the world together with other gods, bringing the good and bad fortune that the family deserved.The ceremony of welcoming the gods is called "receiving the gods", and it is called "receiving the stove" for the Stove Lord.The reception of the stove is usually on New Year's Eve, and the ceremony is much simpler. At that time, you only need to replace the stove lamp and burn incense in front of the stove.