The winter solstice, one of the 24 solar terms, is also one of the important festivals in Chinese tradition. The winter solstice means the day when the sun reaches 270° of ecliptic longitude, which is the day when the sun has the shortest rays and the longest shadows. The winter solstice is usually on December 21 or 22 every year, and it may vary by one day in different years.
The winter solstice is a solar term with many nicknames, reflecting the understanding and feelings of people from different regions, different nationalities, and different eras about this festival. Below, we will introduce some other names for the winter solstice, from which we can feel the cultural connotation of the winter solstice.
Winter Festival is one of the earliest nicknames for the winter solstice, which means the festival of winter, that is, the first day of winter. This nickname shows that the ancients believed that the winter solstice was the beginning of winter and the center of winter. The name Winter Festival has been used until the Ming and Qing dynasties and has become the official name of the winter solstice.
Ya Sui is another ancient nickname for the winter solstice. Ya Sui means to be young, that is, the end of the year. This nickname shows that the ancients believed that the winter solstice was the end of the year and the prelude to the new year. The name Ya Sui has become a popular name for the winter solstice.
Yin and Yang Jiao is a special nickname for the winter solstice. Yin and Yang Jiao means that when Yin Qi reaches the extreme, Yang Qi begins to rise, and Yin and Yang transform each other. This nickname shows that the ancients believed that the winter solstice was a key moment in the change of yin and yang, and it was also a miracle in nature.
In addition to the three nicknames introduced above, the winter solstice has many other names, such as:
Yadong: It means Xiaodong, that is, the beginning of winter.
Winter Solstice Festival: It means the winter solstice, which is one of the important festivals in Chinese tradition.
There are many other names for the winter solstice, each of which has its own unique meaning and origin, which reflects the observation and thinking of the ancients on natural phenomena, and also reflects the importance and celebration of this festival by people in different regions, different nationalities and different eras. The nickname of the winter solstice is a microcosm of Chinese culture and a precious cultural heritage of ours.
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