In ancient China, there was a custom to celebrate the day of the mouse marrying off his daughter. The celebrations would normally take place on the night of the 25th of the first lunar month, when every household would stay in the dark with no lit candles or lights. The whole family would scatter some rice and salt on the floor before quietly sitting at the warmer end of a kang (a heatable brick bed in North China) and eating some special food made of flour in the dark. The reason that they would eat the meal as quietly as possible was that they wanted to provide convenience to the mouse that was marrying off his daughter on that night. Otherwise, the mouse would get offended and bring harm in the rest of the year.
The "rats marrying off daughter" is one of the most popular. Here goes the story:
When the rats' daughter reaches the age of marriage, they tell her to select the most powerful to be her husband. After careful consideration, the rat daughter decides that the sun is most powerful. She asks the sun to marry her.
The Sun says, "Dark Cloud can block sunrays. He is more powerful. You'll be better off marring Dark Cloud."
The rat daughter proposes to Dark Cloud. Dark Cloud says, "Wind can blow me away. He is more powerful. You'll be better off marring Wind."
The rat daughter proposes to Wind. Wind says, "Wall can stop me. He is more powerful. You'll be better off marring Wall."
The rat daughter proposes to Wall. But Wall says, "If rats dig holes in me, I collapse. I'm afraid of rats."
Wall's words remind the rat daughter of Cat, rats' natural enemy. It appears to her now Cat must be the most powerful. She decides to marry Cat.
Cat agrees right away. They choose a lucky date, the 7th night of the New Year, as their wedding day. The rats carry the bride in a bright red sedan chair, all the way beating gongs and drums.
As soon as the bride goes into the bridal chamber, Cat eats her. "Hiding my bride in my stomach is the best way to protect her from other bullies," Cat says.
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