The Winter solstice, commonly known as the “Winter Festival”, has a special meaning in China. According to historical records, the ancients believed that since the winter solstice, the heaven and earth Yang began to become stronger and stronger, representing the beginning of the next cycle, is a good day. On this day, the northern Hemisphere has the shortest day and the longest night. After the winter solstice, the days get longer and the nights get shorter.
After thousands of years of development, the winter Solstice has formed a unique seasonal food culture, and on this day, there are different customs and habits.
In the north, people eat dumplings on the winter solstice. According to legend, if they don’t eat dumplings on that day, they will freeze their ears off in this winter.
The south will eat rice balls and long noodles on this day. As the saying goes, “If you eat winter solstice noodles, you will last a long time.”
What to eat in the North during Winter Solstice: Winter Solstice customs in the North [Eating dumplings]
There is a tradition of eating dumplings in the north of China. The choice of stuffing for Winter solstice dumplings has a direct relationship with the meaning, and the most common filling of leek indicates the meaning of long money. The most common cabbage mince means a hundred treasures.
What to eat in the South during Winter Solstice: Winter Solstice customs in the South [eating dumplings]
Eating tangyuan was a custom in the Ming and Qing dynasties. On the day of Winter Solstice, it is necessary to “make a powder circle” or “powder glutinous rice for a ball”. These also have official records in historical materials, said “Winter solstice, glutinous rice powder for balls, named ‘Tangyuan'”. After doing dumplings to worship God ancestor, and then the family around to eat dumplings, called “add year”. Therefore, the winter solstice to eat dumplings, there are ancient.
On custom
In the north, the folk call the winter solstice as “Jiao Jiu” or “Shu Jiu”, that is, from the winter solstice this day, every nine days as a “Jiu”, a total of nine “jiu”, a total of nine ninety-eight days, and then into the spring, Shu Jiu proverbs and rhyming, not only people over the years of climate experience summary, but also people in the winter season of a kind of hope for spring.
SUGERE wishes you a happy winter solstice!
