Among the traditional Chinese festivals, the winter solstice is a very important festival. On this day, families come together to spend this special day together. And on the day of the winter solstice, there is a very interesting custom, which is to eat dumplings. So, what is the origin of eating dumplings on the winter solstice?Let's find out.
Legend has it that a long time ago, there was a doctor named Zhang Zhongjing in northern China. He was very concerned about the lives of the people, especially those who lived in poverty. One winter, the weather was unusually cold, and many people were sick. Zhang Zhongjing was very sad when he saw this situation. So, he decided to research a food that could protect against the cold to help these sick people.
After a long period of research and attempts, Zhang Zhongjing finally invented a food, which is now known as dumplings. He named the food "Dispelling the Cold", meaning that it can dispel the cold and allow people to live a warm life. He also distributed this food to those who were sick, hoping that they would be able to ** sooner.
However, due to the limited living conditions at the time, many people did not know how to cook dumplings properly. So, Zhang Zhongjing came up with another solution. He put a small chili pepper wrapped in red paper in each dumpling. When people cook dumplings, the chili peppers will come out with the heat, reminding people that the dumplings are cooked. This way, people can avoid wasting time and energy by cooking dumplings.
Later, Zhang Zhongjing's invention gradually spread and became an important custom in northern China. Whenever the winter solstice comes, families will gather together to make dumplings, cook dumplings, and taste dumplings. This custom has gradually evolved into an important symbol of the Chinese Winter Solstice Festival.
Nowadays, although our living conditions have changed a lot, the custom of eating dumplings on the winter solstice still continues. On the day of the winter solstice, whether in the city or in the countryside, people will wrap a table of delicious dumplings in the traditional way to share this warmth and happiness with family and friends.
In general, the origin of eating dumplings on the winter solstice stems from the wisdom and care of the ancient doctor Zhang Zhongjing. He invented dumplings as a food to help people withstand the cold and survive a warm winter. And this custom has also become an indispensable part of traditional Chinese festivals, inheriting the excellent culture and beautiful vision of the Chinese nation.