The 24th day of the 12th lunar month is the day the "kitchen" god returns to heaven. Tradition holds that on the 25th the king of heaven, the Yu Huang Ta Ti appoints a group of deities to descend to earth and act as temporary guardians.
每年臘月廿四，諸神歸返天廷，到隔年初四才重臨塵寰。這段日子遂成家家戶戶徹底清掃的好時機，也沿襲成年前大掃除的習俗。