Zaojun

Kitchen God

Domestic god who reports each family’s deeds to heaven before Lunar New Year, honored with sweets.

Zaojun, the Kitchen God, is the domestic deity who watches every household from beside the stove. Derived from the ancient cult of the five household sacrifices, he records each family’s deeds throughout the year and reports them to heaven before the New Year. Families offer sticky sweets on his departure day, hoping for sweet words and a safe return.