In 2025, Lunar New Year falls on January 29, marking the start of the Year of the Snake. However, celebrations begin a week earlier with Xiao Nian, or Little New Year, a time for preparing homes, families, and spirits for the arrival of the new year.
Xiao Nian starts on January 22 in northern China and January 23 in southern China, aligning with the 23rd and 24th days of the lunar month, respectively. This period is also known as the Kitchen God Festival, as it involves bidding farewell to the Kitchen God, an important household deity.
Honoring the Kitchen God
According to tradition, the Kitchen God watches over families and reports to the Jade Emperor, the supreme deity, on their behavior. His image, often a paper portrait, is placed near the stove, overseeing daily life. As the year ends, families offer sweet treats like honey, sugar, and tangyuan (glutinous rice dumplings) to ensure he speaks well of them in his celestial report.
Some go a step further, offering sticky maltose confections (zaotang), believed to seal the deity’s lips, ensuring he cannot speak ill of the household. Others burn paper money as an offering for his safe journey back to the heavens.
On the fourth day of Lunar New Year, a new paper image of the Kitchen God is displayed, symbolizing his return to continue watching over the household.
Lunar New Year Preparations
Xiao Nian is also a time for thorough cleaning. Families sweep away dust and negative energy from the past year, making way for good fortune. Haircuts are done before the festival, as cutting hair during the new year period is seen as bad luck since the word for “hair” sounds similar to “fortune” in Chinese.
In rural areas, paper cutting, a traditional folk art, is practiced. Intricate red paper designs are created and pasted on windows to welcome the new year. Additionally, couplets with auspicious messages are displayed to invite prosperity.
Xiao Nian in Vietnam
In Vietnam, where Lunar New Year is called Tet, Xiao Nian is celebrated as Tet Tao Quan. The Kitchen God, Tao Quan (Ong Tao), is believed to return to the heavens on a magical carp, so families release live carp into rivers and ponds, symbolizing his journey.
These preparations and traditions set the stage for a prosperous and harmonious Lunar New Year, ensuring that the coming year begins with positivity and blessings.
READ MORE: