The winter solstice, commonly known as the Winter Festival and the Long Solstice Festival, is one of the traditional Chinese folk festivals. On the day of the winter solstice, the country enters the coldest phase, but at the same time it is also a festival full of warmth and peace. On this special day, various celebrations are held to pray for peace and happiness in the coming year.
In the north, the custom of eating dumplings on the winter solstice is very common. Dumplings are an important holiday food. It is believed that dumplings can "cool off" because the shape of dumplings resembles ingots, which means that wealth is abundant. In the cold winter, the family sits around making dumplings, which is happy, implying reunion and harmony.
In the south, there is a custom of eating glutinous rice balls on the winter solstice. Tangyuan is a round food made from glutinous rice, and the bread has various fillings such as sesame seeds, peanuts, walnuts, etc. Tangyuan symbolizes reunion and harmony, and is also one of the important foods for southerners to spend the winter solstice.
In addition to eating dumplings and glutinous rice balls, people also hold various celebrations such as ancestor worship, firecrackers, dragon and lion dances, etc. These events are aimed at praying for peace and happiness in the coming year, but also to promote traditional culture and national spirit.
The winter solstice is also an important solar term, marking the beginning of the coldest phase of the year. At this time, people pay special attention to keeping warm and healthy, wearing thick clothes and drinking hot soup and hot tea to keep their bodies warm.
It is believed that after the winter solstice, the days are getting longer and the yang energy is rising, which is the beginning of a solar term cycle. Therefore, there is a folk saying that "the winter solstice is as big as the year". On this special day, various celebrations are held to pray for peace and happiness in the coming year.
In conclusion, the winter solstice is a festival full of warmth and peace. Whether in the north or south, various celebrations are held to pray for peace and happiness in the coming year. Let's spend this cold winter together and welcome the arrival of spring!Winter solstice