Little New Year, or xiaonian in Chinese, is held usually a week before the Lunar New Year. It 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 23rd day of the 12th lunar month, and people in southern China celebrating it on the 24th.

The God of the Kitchen (Zaoshen), was a god in charge of eating according to Chinese legend. Most people in China regard the God of the Kitchen as being appointed by the Emperor of Heaven to supervise virtues, vices, contributions, and debts made or had by the members of every family, and report them to the Heaven Government.

For the Zhuang ethnic group in Liujia town, Hechi, Little New Year falls on Feb 21 this year. The town has a long history of worshipping and making sacrifices to the Kitchen God on this day, to pray for blessings and good harvests in the New Year.

A sacrifice ceremony to the Kitchen God is held in Liujia town, Jinchengjiang district, Hechi, on Feb 21. [Photo by Gao Dongfeng/hcwang.cn]

People set off fireworks to welcome the coming of the Kitchen God as part of the ceremony. [Photo by Gao Dongfeng/hcwang.cn]

The Zhuang people in Liujia town dance to celebrate Little New Year. [Photo by Gao Dongfeng/hcwang.cn]