The Kitchen God reports a family’s conduct to the Jade Emperor before Chinese New Year.
Known in Chinese as Zao Jun or Zao Shen, the Kitchen God is a household deity associated with the stove, hearth, and moral supervision of the family. In traditional belief, he observes what happens in the home throughout the year, including the family’s behavior and relationships.
Near the end of the twelfth lunar month, he travels to Heaven to present his report to the Jade Emperor, the ruler of the celestial realm. The Jade Emperor may then reward or punish the household. This journey is associated with Little New Year, usually observed on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month in northern China and the 24th in many southern regions.
Families traditionally offer food, incense, and sweet substances such as maltose candy. The sweetness is meant to encourage a favorable report—or symbolically seal the deity’s lips. After the effigy is burned or removed for the journey, a new image is installed for the coming year. The Kitchen God is therefore not simply a cooking deity; his central role is moral oversight.