Thank the Kitchen God

On January 22 and 23, 2025, which falls on the 23rd and 24th of the twelfth lunar month, Chinese traditional customs celebrate the Kitchen God (灶神), a practice referred to as "sending off the Kitchen God," or "Xie Zao (謝灶)." At the same time, there is a popular saying, "officials on the 23rd, the people on the 24th, and the boat people (疍民) on the 25^th (官三民四疍家五)," indicating that central and local officials send off the Kitchen God on the 23rd, while the general public does so on the 24th, and those on boats (the "Tankas") on the 25th. I particularly recall my childhood living in an old four-story Tang Lau (唐樓) in Central, where my mother led the family in honoring the Kitchen God on the 24th. Why do we send off the Kitchen God? Because the primary role of the Kitchen God is to report to the heavenly court at the end of the year. He not only conveys how each household has been blessed by the deities but also reports to the Jade Emperor (玉皇大帝) whether the household and community have engaged in good or bad deeds, thus determining the blessings each community and household will receive in the coming year. This is reminiscent of today's local officials reporting to the central government at the year's end about the development in their areas, the good governance implemented, and how they plan to assist in stabilising and prospering local communities in the coming year.

Honouring the Kitchen God can be traced back to the Confucian (《論語》) texts from the pre-Qin period. By the Later Han Dynasty, there were records of a person named Yin Zi Fang (陰子方) who saw the Kitchen God appear while cooking in the kitchen on the day of the Kitchen God. He then offered sacrifices using animals from his household. This practice has been passed down through generations, leading to peace in the home. Consequently, the custom of honoring the Kitchen God in winter became established. According to the "Comprehensive Customs of China," it is noted that in Zhejiang, families offer glutinous rice, candy, and bean flour as tributes to the Kitchen God on the 24th, which marks the transition between the Old and New Year. Historical records indicate that during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, northern communities mostly honoured the Kitchen God on the 23rd, while southern communities did so on the 24th. Even today, many overseas Chinese communities in Southeast Asia honour the Kitchen God on the 24th, illustrating some differences in the dates of this tradition in China and abroad.

So, who exactly is the Kitchen God? This deity originates from ancient folk customs, which revered natural elements closely tied to human life. The Kitchen God embodies the kitchen itself; only when the kitchen is developed do we have the Kitchen God. Before kitchens existed, fire was used, and the earliest Kitchen God was associated with fire. The natural phenomena of thunder and lightning could cause forest fires, and ancient peoples held a deep reverence for fire. They later discovered that they could use fire to drive away wild animals and intruders and eventually learned to create fire by drilling wood, making cooking easier. Alongside this reverence, they began to worship and utilise fire. In religious culture, the fire god preceded the Kitchen God. As people settled down, built homes, and improved cooking techniques, kitchens emerged. Early kitchens were constructed in a semi-circular shape around a fire pit, with a cooking space for pots. There were also portable clay stoves that could be moved and used for cooking. These primitive stove designs and utensils can be traced back to the Hemudu (河姆渡文化) and Yangshao cultures (仰韶文化) around 7,000 years ago. The early inhabitants believed that all things have a spiritual essence. Since kitchens and cooking tools were closely related to food preparation, they were revered as deities, hoping for protection and blessing from the Kitchen God.

According to the Tang Dynasty writer Duan Chengshi (段成式, 803-863) in Miscellaneous Morsels from Youyang (《酉陽雜俎》), the Kitchen God is named Wei (隗), described as resembling a beautiful woman with the surname Zhang (張) and the name Dan (單). This deity was responsible for monitoring human affairs on behalf of the Jade Emperor. Households revered this deity and offered sacrifices to ensure that the Kitchen God would speak favourably to the Jade Emperor. Originally, offerings were made in summer, but this practice shifted to winter after the Eastern Han Dynasty, possibly due to the agricultural cycle ending, giving farmers more time to express gratitude for the year’s harvest and engage in religious activities.

Scholars also note that agricultural societies associate the Kitchen God with sericulture. In rural areas of Zhejiang, there were customs of sending off the Kitchen God as a prayer for a bountiful silkworm harvest.

Before the Kitchen God is sent off, it is customary to remove the old image of the Kitchen God, clean it, and dry it to ensure a smooth burning during the ritual. Offerings vary by region; some families use cooked pig heads, fresh fish, red bean paste, and glutinous rice, and some even offer plain water. Nowadays, candies are commonly used, meant to "sweeten the mouth" of the deity, symbolising "sweet words to say good things," hoping the Kitchen God will speak positively to the Jade Emperor. Additionally, the Kitchen God is seldom found in temples; in ancient times, households would worship the Kitchen God alongside the door god and well god, primarily to protect the stability of family life. After sending the Kitchen God to heaven, families welcome him back home on New Year's Eve. Many homes will burn incense to invite the Kitchen God back after the reunion dinner, sometimes placing a wooden print of the Kitchen God's image at home.

In modern society, while local officials may not frequently hold celebrations for sending off the Kitchen God, many households still practice this custom, which embodies contemporary universal values. It removes the religious aspects while serving as a reminder for people to act cautiously and within the law, as there is divine oversight of their actions.

References
 

1. 王世禎：《中國節令習俗》（台北：星光出版社，1981）。

2. 林素英：《歲時禮俗文化論語》（台北：台灣師大出版社，2020）。

3. 宋兆麟、李露露：《中國古代節日文化》（北京：文物出版社，1991）。