February 10th marks Little New Year ( 小年). The celebration of Little New Year takes place a about a week before the Lunar New Year. In northern China the Little New Year is celebrated on the 23rd day of the 12 lunar month for 4723, Year of the Green Snake. In southern China it is celebrated on the 24th day instead. Perhaps this is meant to account for travel time.
On this day the God of Kitchens – Zao Jun (灶君) reports in on every family to the Jade Emperor. The Emperor of the cosmos uses this report to decide how lucky each family can be in the following year! Fortunately Zao Jun is amicable to good cooking and partial to sweets. So it’s not uncommon to bring home or make some sweet treats to leave out, if they happen to inextricably disappear – that could end up being a lucky thing.
To honor Zao Jun’s visit to the Jade Emperors Court it was traditional to burn a paper image of the god so as to dispatch him. Afterwards a new image will be placed beside the stove to welcome him back. It’s during this time offerings of spirit money, sweet cakes, dried fruit, tea, and straw for the Kitchen God’s horse, are made. People sometimes throw beans on the roof to represent the sound of the Kitchen God’s horse’s hooves.