「小年」送灶神

福山自古有「男不拜月，女不送神」的习俗，唯有腊月二十三「小年」这天，全家一起来送灶神。

灶神像前，要摆上大枣、核桃、柿饼、糖瓜、杂面汤、水饺等吃食。烧旧灶神像的时候，把家里的马鞍马鞭放在旁边，好叫灶神骑着神马上天。

这马鞍和马鞭可要好好放着，等到二月二或是清明，骡马第一次行春耕的时候拿出来亮相，期盼自家的牲口耕地也有灶神坐骑的神力。

灶神像能贴高不贴低，福山有俗语说：「灶神看着锅，家里欠债多」、「灶神看着锅台边，家里饥荒添一千」。

小年过后，家家要蒸饽饽、烀猪下货、打冻，厨房里烟熏火燎的，所以，人们要等到年三十傍晚才贴新灶神像。以前老房子的锅台都设有「婆婆眼」，「婆婆眼」上方可以贴灶神像，锅灶靠正间门处也可以。

福山大部分地方是先贴灶神像，再到院子里迎天地神，把街门敞开，迎福禄寿喜财众神。过了小年，若家里没有天地窝，有的人家就用四根木头搭座天地棚祭祀天地神。

小年过后，主妇们就要选日子蒸枣饽饽、蒸糕、磕莲子、蒸包子了。烀猪头和下货称之为「烀锅」，炸鱼和炸丸子称之为「炸锅（炸花鱼）」。每种吃食都有美好寓意，如蒸糕是日子「日日好」，炸丸子祈求来年生活完美。

过去，小年过后，还有一些不成文的老规矩，如，乞讨大都不会空手，都会得到施舍；借人家的东西要抓紧送还；往来账目要清理；商家开始给伙计「换饭」，掌柜的开始发工钱发红包等等。老福山人还讲究进了腊月门直到腊八以前不理发，这叫「靠茬」，过了小年才理发，寓意新的一年从头开始。

小年前后开始扫灰、贴炕围子、贴虚棚，除旧迎新。

过了小年以后，街面上开始出现卖小孩玩具的了，有「泥叫叫」（一种泥做的哨）、十二生肖、双鱼等。小贩背着筐篓沿街叫卖，一般卖泥叫叫的和卖饽饽粉的，会搭伴兜售，同时也卖饽饽印、莲子模和红靛。

Since ancient times Fushan boasts a long-standing custom that the male does not worship the moon and the female does not send off gods except that the whole family will send off the Kitchen God on the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month， which is celebrated as the Minor Spring Festival.

Such food as dates， walnuts， iced persimmons， sweet malt， dried bean flour noodle soup and dumplings are placed before the Kitchen God. When the old picture of the Kitchen God is burned， the horse saddle and whip at home are placed by the side for him to go to the heaven on a celestial horse.

The horse saddle and whip are well reserved to be taken out for display when the mule first starts farming in spring by the 2nd day of the 2nd lunar month or the Qingming Festival in hopes that one’s own cattle can also have the magical power of the horse of the Kitchen God for farming.

It is the best for the picture of the Kitchen God to be posted in a higher position and in the lower place. As a saying in Fushan goes， “If the cauldron is in the view of the Kitchen God， a family will be in a heavy debt；” “If the kitchen is in the view of the Kitchen God， the debt at home will be mounted.”

作者 韩月湖 杨晓奕