Zao-jun

In Chinese folk religion and Chinese mythology, the Kitchen God, named Zao Jun (; literally "stove master") or Zao Shen (; literally "stove god"), is the most important of a plethora of Chinese domestic gods (gods of courtyards, wells, doorways, etc.). It is believed that on the twenty third day of the twelfth lunar month, just before Chinese New Year he returns to Heaven to report the activities of every household over the past year to the Jade Emperor (Yu Huang) who rewards or punishes each household accordingly.
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This article is about kitchen gods in European mythology. For the Chinese Kitchen God, see Kitchen God. Kitchen gods are mythical beings that represent abstract concepts such as luck or just propel the minor changes of everyday life. Little things that cannot be explained, such as losing small objects like socks in the laundry are often attributed to these creatures because the explanation eludes the believer.
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[Chinese] The "Lord of the Hearth", an immensely popular hearth and kitchen deity in Chinese folk religion. He is also the protector of the family. An image or picture of him is fixed above the hearth and from this position he notes everything that happens in the house. This he reports to Yu-huang on each New Year's Day. In order to make him submit a favorable to the Jade Emperor, people smear honey around his mouth on New Year's Eve. He is usually shown surrounded by a host of children, and is venerated by the whole family. His veneration dates back from before the 2nd century BCE and, according to popular legend, this is how it began:Once there was a man called Zhang Lang, who was married to a very virtuous woman. She brought good fortune and blessing upon his house. The man, however, fell in love with a young woman and left his wife. Rejected, she returned home to her ancestral house. From that day on, Zhang Lang was plagued with bad luck. The girl turned from him, he became blind...
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