Why can't we wash clothes on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year? What should we eat on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year?

The Spring Festival is one of the most important traditional folk festivals of the Chinese nation. There are some taboos and customs every day of the Spring Festival, such as not saying unlucky words, not breaking dishes, not washing clothes, etc. So why can’t we wash clothes on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year?

Why can't we wash clothes on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year?

You can wash clothes on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year;
It is said among the people that you should not wash clothes on the first and second days of the Lunar New Year. Some people say that the first and second days of the Lunar New Year are the birthdays of the Water God. Therefore, in order to express respect for the Water God, people say that it is best not to wash clothes on these two days. In addition to this reason, it also involves issues related to Geely. The best time to do laundry is on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year. This is mainly because the fifth day is commonly known as Po Wu, and people usually do housework on this day.

What to eat on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year

1. Pancake rolled with egg <br/>There is a saying in the north: "On the first day, eat dumplings; on the second, eat noodles; on the third, eat steamed buns to go home; on the fourth, eat pancake rolled with egg". On the fourth day of the New Year, pancake is the protagonist. The aroma of wheat, oil, scallion and meat comes out together with the heat of the pancake griddle. The wisp of smoke rising in winter feels like flying in the clouds. On the fourth day, eat pancakes with scrambled eggs. The small pancakes are also very delicious.
2. Noodles <br/>There is a custom of eating noodles on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year. Hainan noodles are a must-eat for people in Ding'an during the Chinese New Year. The thin and long noodles represent longer life and healthier life for the elderly and further career advancement for the young. Walking in the Ding'an market on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, you can hear the shouts of noodle vendors everywhere. This is also the time when Hainan noodles collectively "appear".
3. Zheluo <br/>On this day, the whole family eats Zheluo together. The so-called "zheluo" is a hodgepodge of leftover food from the first to the third day of the Chinese New Year. "Zheluo" is a special term in old Beijing and Hebei region.
The Beijing Dialect Dictionary explains it as: "After the banquet, the leftover dishes, regardless of their types, are all thrown together...also called 'folded vegetables'." In the past, people were not well-off and were reluctant to throw away the previous day's leftovers, so they were "folded" together and cooked the next day. The leftovers had a special flavor and some people liked to eat them. In the suburbs of Beijing, this custom was still preserved until the late 1970s: leftover dishes from weddings and funerals were mixed together and sent to each household in the village by the host family.