Sǎo Shè (Sweeping the Dwelling)
Sweeping and cleaning a dwelling, especially one that has been unused for a long time or is being prepared for use. Full name: 'Sǎo Shè Yǔ' (Sweeping the Dwelling House).
It refers to cleaning a house, especially one that has been vacant for a long time or is being prepared for reuse, or the major cleaning done before the New Year. The full name is 'Sǎo Shè Yǔ'. In traditional customs, sweeping the dwelling is not just a cleaning act but also carries symbolic meaning of 'discarding the old to welcome the new' and 'removing unclean qi'. Therefore, in the past, people would consult the almanac to choose an auspicious day 'suitable for sweeping the dwelling' to carry out the task, believing that cleaning on the right day can better clear away old misfortune and bring new good fortune to the household. This custom shares the same spiritual essence with the modern pre-New Year cleaning.