“一碗清汤诗一篇，灶君今日上青天；玉皇若问人间事，乱世文章不值钱。”这是宋代诗人吕蒙正的一首祭灶诗。祭灶当日，又俗称“小年”，它作为农历新年的前奏，标志着除夕即将到来。 在中国，人们相信有一位名叫“灶王爷”的神灵居住在家里的灶台上，而小年这天正是其生日。过小年不仅是一段繁忙准备的开始，也是家庭团聚和祈福的重要时刻。

　　“A bowl of clear soup and a poem, the Kitchen God ascends to the heavens today; if the Jade Emperor asks about the affairs of the world, chaotic times make writings worthless.“ This is a poem by the Song Dynasty poet Lu Mengzheng for the Kitchen God Festival. On the day of the Kitchen God Festival, also commonly known as “Little New Year,“ it marks the prelude to the Lunar New Year, signifying the impending arrival of Chinese New Year's Eve. In China, it is believed that a deity named the “Kitchen God“ resides on the family's stove, and the Kitchen God Festival is his birthday. Celebrating Little New Year is not only the beginning of a busy period of preparation but also an important time for family reunions and blessings.

　　小年与灶王爷的传说

　　The Legend of Little New Year and the Kitchen God

　　传说灶王爷原为平民张生，娶妻之后败尽家业，沦落为乞丐。一天，他乞讨到了前妻郭丁香家，因羞愧一头钻到灶锅底下烧死了。感动于他最后的悔改，玉帝封他为灶王，让其每年腊月二十三或二十四上升天庭汇报这家人的善恶，在大年三十返回人间继续守护家庭。为了确保灶王爷能在天上说好话，人们会在灶王像两边贴上诸如“上天言好事，下界保平安”的对联，以此祈福求顺。