The fifth day of the first month is an important day, traditionally the end of the Chinese New Year holiday, because the many taboos from the first to the fourth day of the first month, in this day all broken, so the northern called “broken five”, the southern called “apart”, meaning the separation of the Spring Festival holiday, remove all the offerings, the New Year taboos canceled. What are the customs of the fifth day of the first month?
1、Sacrifice to the God of Wealth
The god of wealth is not only a tradition in the south, there are also many places in the north will be sacrificed to the god of wealth on the fifth day of the first month, folklore says that the god of wealth is also known as the god of five roads, that is, the god of households, the god of the stove, the god of the earth, the god of the door, the god of the line, the so-called five roads, meaning the five roads out, referring to the southeast, northwest, all can get money.
2、Send poor
Sending poor is a very characteristic ancient folk custom of the year, is to send poor ghosts (poor gods), the so-called “poor”, different names around, such as “send five poor”, “send poor soil”, “send poor ash”, “to catch five poor”, etc., folklore believes that the first to the fourth day of the year not to dump the garbage, can gather wealth, to the fifth day to dump out, called “send poor”.
3, sweep the house
The 30th of the lunar month to the fifth day of the first month before, generally is not clean, move the broom is equal to good luck away, so to the day of the fifth, to a formal cleaning, sweep the garbage to a corner, and loud firecrackers, all the poor gas poor ghosts to drive away.
4, eat dumplings
Dumplings on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year is a folk custom, commonly known as “pinch the little man’s mouth”, it is said to be free from the scourge of slander, in addition, the shape of dumplings and gold ingots similar, so eat dumplings is also a way to celebrate the birth of the God of Wealth.
5. Market Opening
During the Chinese New Year, small and large stores close from the first day of the year, the custom to the fifth day of the first month for the birthday of the God of Wealth, choose this day to open the market will attract wealth and treasure, the year’s fortune will be very prosperous.
