Xiao Nian: The Prologue of the Spring Festival

Xiao Nian, literally meaning "Minor New Year" in Chinese, is always considered to be the prologue of the Spring Festival. The festival falls on Jan 22 this year.

Xiao Nian is also known as the Festival of the Kitchen God, the deity who oversees the moral character of each household.

There are numerous customs associated with honoring the Kitchen God and determining the date of Little New Year. The date of this holiday was sometimes assigned according to location, with people in northern China celebrating it on the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month, and people in southern China celebrating it on the twenty-fourth.

Editor：Lotus