The third day of the first lunar month

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The third day of the first lunar month is called Xiaonian Chao, and it is also known as the Red Dog Day. Legend has it that the red dog is the god of fury; those who encounter it will surely suffer misfortune, which is why the third day of the month is considered an inauspicious day and not suitable for going out. There is also a saying in folk traditions: if you pay New Year visits on the third day of the lunar new year, you are likely to argue with that person, so it is not customary to do so on this day. Additionally, the character for \"deficit\" implies extreme poverty; therefore, it is also not traditional to host guests on this day, as it might offend the Red Dog and bring poverty. 　　There is also a folk belief that the night of the third day of the lunar month is the day when mice get married; therefore, ordinary households turn off their lights early and go to bed so as not to disturb them. (Another theory is that turning off the lights early at night prevents the mice from seeing, thus preventing them from getting married and reducing their breeding rate.) Moreover, some rice grains and pastries are scattered in the corners of the house for the mice to eat, an act known as \"sharing money with the mice,\" symbolizing a sharing of the harvest for the whole year. As for the origin of the story of \"the mouse getting married,\" it may be because the third day of the new year falls on a day associated with the red dog, a time when various activities are considered inauspicious. Thus, this story served as an excuse to go to bed early in order to avoid bad luck. Additionally, there is a period of busy activity from the New Year’s Day through the first and second days of the new year; if one does not rest early enough, they might run out of energy and be unable to complete the other tasks. There is a saying from that period: \"Get up early on the first day, get up early on the second day, but on the third day, sleep till you’re full.\" This means that not only is the third day a day associated with the red dog, but after several days of busyness, it is finally time to slow down, allowing one to wake up later and catch up on the sleep lost in the previous two days, thus maintaining good health.