What are the customs on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year? What gods are welcomed on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year?

The fourth day of the Lunar New Year is the fourth day of the New Year. In folk culture, every day of the Spring Festival has some special customs and considerations. People pay more attention to traditional customs and culture during the Spring Festival than usual. So what are the customs on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year? Which god should we welcome on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year?

What are the customs on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year?

The fourth day of the Lunar New Year is when the gods return to the world from heaven. There is a saying that "send off the gods early in the morning, and welcome them late". It means that sending off the gods should start early in the morning, while welcoming them in the afternoon is not too late. As for offerings, three kinds of meat, fruits, wine and food must be complete, and incense, candles and gold clothes must be burned. If the boss wants to fire someone, he will not invite him to worship the gods on this day. From the first to the fourth day of the New Year, shops are closed and women do not use needles or thread.
2. Eat Zheluo and get rid of poverty <br/>On the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, the whole family eats Zheluo together. The so-called Zheluo is a hodgepodge of leftover food from the past few days, to clean up the New Year's goods. Dust the room, sweep the floor, and pile the garbage in the yard ready to "throw away poverty".
3. Jie Wu Lu <br/>Jie Wu Lu, originally meant to welcome five traveling gods, and later evolved into welcoming five wealth gods. In the old days, after the Spring Festival holiday, merchants would usually invite the Five Gods of Wealth on the fourth night of the New Year and open for business on the fifth day for good luck.
4. Tie up the God of Fire and offer sacrifice to the Kitchen God <br/>In some rural areas in the north, there is a custom of tying up the God of Fire. Corn stalks or wheat stalks are tied to a stick, which is then lit and sent from one's home to the river, representing a fire-free home for the year.

Which god do we welcome on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year?

1. Welcoming the gods

——Welcoming the Kitchen God <br/>On the afternoon of the fourth day of the first lunar month, people prepare offerings and burn incense to welcome the Kitchen God back home to continue performing his duties and bless people with peace and safety. Welcoming the Kitchen God is a way to bring good luck to the lower world. It embodies the ancient working people's beautiful wishes that the Kitchen God would bless their families with peace, safety, good fortune and happiness.
——Welcome the God of Land <br/>In ancient Chinese legends, the God of Land is in charge of a piece of land, ensuring the fertility of the land and a good harvest of crops. He is the patron saint of the place. On this day, in many places in the north, the land god is welcomed back and worshipped. It is the hope for a good harvest of grains in the new year.
——Welcome the God of Wealth <br/>During the Chinese New Year, people like to welcome the God of Wealth, hoping that he will come to their home and bless them so that they can get rich and make lots of money. For this reason, people pray to the God of Wealth during the Chinese New Year, and ordinary people like to pray to the God of Wealth. Merchants in particular like to invite the God of Wealth, and some even worship the God of Wealth every day. When people go shopping, they often find that it means they will make a fortune every day. Welcoming the God of Wealth is a way to pray for good luck, wealth and prosperity in the new year.
——City God <br/>During the Spring Festival, especially on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, people welcome all the gods. People are accustomed to going to the local City God Temple to worship and pray for happiness, health and good luck in the new year.