今年的农历腊月二十五是阳历一月三十日。
This year, 25th Dec of the Agricultural calendar falls on 30th Jan of the public calendar.
为什么人们要“推磨做豆腐”呢？
Why do people ‘grind and make tofu’?
虽然豆腐很好吃，但是它是一个很平凡的食物，更是清贫的象征。
Although tofu is delicious, it is indeed a very normal food and can be seen as a symbol of a simple life.
小年的那天，“灶王爷”会上天庭汇报人间景象。如果人们的生活不奢靡浪费，玉皇大帝就会保佑人间来年风调雨顺。
On Minor Spring Festival’s day, the god of Zao will report affairs on earth to the palace in the sky. If people avoid extravagant lifestyle, Emperor Yu would make the weather good for next year (so that the crop can grow well)!
腊月二十五，玉皇大帝会亲自去人间视察。
On 25th Dec, Emperor Yu would personally go to earth and do an inspection.
所以，各家各户就会吃豆腐，来显示他们生活的清苦。
Therefore, many households would eat tofu on this day to show that their lives are simple and austere.
现在，人们的生活条件好了，很多家庭还是会在这一天吃豆腐呢！
Nowadays, the standard of living has improved, but many people still maintain the habit of eating tofu on this day!
Keywords:
磨（mò）millstone
豆腐（dòufu）tofu
清贫（qīngpín）simplicity and poverty usually used to describe a lifestyle
奢靡浪费（shēmílàngfèi）extravagant and wasteful
风调雨顺（fēngtiáoyǔshùn）the wind and rain are both favorable