The sixth day of the first lunar month, also known as the “Send Away the Poor Day”, is one of the traditional Chinese festivals and part of the Spring Festival. It is the sixth day of the first lunar month. Legend has it that Nuwa created the horse on the sixth day of the first lunar month, so it is also called “Horse Day”.
In the Spring and Autumn Period, “The First Month of the Spring King” states: “The first month is the first month. When the monarch ascends the throne, he wants him to stay on the road, so the month is called the first month.” On the sixth day of the first lunar month, there are customs in various parts of China such as sending away the poor, opening the market, traveling, and robbing the God of Wealth. In the Tang Dynasty, the folk custom of sending away the “poor ghost” began to prevail in China, but it was only called “ghost” instead of “god”. After the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the “poor ghost” was revered as the “poor god”. On the sixth day of the first lunar month, the family should throw out the garbage accumulated during the festival, which is called sending away the poor. The hanging paper on the door can also be taken down and thrown out at the same time, which is called sending away the poor. The methods of sending away the poor in different places are different, but the meaning is basically the same, all of which is to send away the poor ghost, reflecting the traditional psychology of the Chinese people who generally hope to bid farewell to the old and usher in the new, and welcome a better life in the new year. For merchants, the sixth day of the first lunar month is the day to open the market. They will do a thorough cleaning, set off firecrackers, and worship the God of Wealth, which means welcoming wealth and prosperity in business. This day also means that farmers in the old days started to go to the fields on this day to prepare for spring ploughing.