春节习俗：大年初四 迎接灶王爷

Today is the 4th day of the 1st month in Lunar Calendar. According to folklore, it is a god-send-off day on the 23rd of the 12th lunar month, and it is also a god welcoming day on the 4th day of the Chinese New Year.

今天是大年初四。遵循习俗，农历12月23日是送神日，而在大年初四，则被认为是一个请神的好日子。

The Kitchen God (灶王爷，zao wang ye, or 灶神 zao shen) is said to report his work to the Jade Emperor (玉皇大帝, yu huang da di) commenting on human good and evil, until the 4th day of New Year to return back to the earth.

据说，灶王爷要将过去一年人类的善与恶汇报给玉皇大帝，直到大年初四才会重返人间。

Chinese folk saying goes: “Send-off early, welcome late” (送神早，接神迟. song shen zao, jie shen chi) so that the Kitchen God need to be sent off in the morning, while to welcome at about four o’clock in the afternoon.

中国俗语说：“送神早，接神迟。”，所以在清晨需要送走灶王爷，而在下午四点左右迎接灶王爷。

In the north area of China a legend also said that, on this day, Kitchen God would be down checking the household, therefore, it should be not away from home, and there is also a similar custom which forbids closing doors in case the god not able to get in.

在中国北方有一个传说，在这一天，灶王爷会降临，检查家家户户，因此在这一天不应离家在外，同样也有一个习俗说，这一天不要关门，以防灶王爷无法进入家宅之中。