The origin of the winter solstice can be traced back to before the Han Dynasty. In ancient times, it was believed that the winter solstice was the natural transformation of yin and yang, and that it was a blessing from God. Therefore, the Han Dynasty took the winter solstice as the "winter festival", and the government held a congratulatory ceremony called "He Dong", and it was a routine holiday.
During the Tang and Song dynasties, the winter solstice was the day of worshipping the heavens and sacrificing the ancestors, and the emperor would go to the suburbs on this day to hold a ceremony to worship the heavens, and the people would worship their parents on this day. There are still some places where the winter solstice is celebrated. Therefore, it can be said that the winter solstice festival originated in the Han Dynasty, flourished in the Tang and Song dynasties, and has been along with it to this day.
The winter solstice is a traditional Chinese festival, and of course people in different regions celebrate it differently.
In the southern region, the winter solstice is usually eaten with tangyuan, which is a round dessert made from glutinous rice flour, which symbolizes reunion and consummation. In addition, there is also the custom of eating red bean sticky rice, which is said to ward off plague spirits and prevent disasters and diseases.
In the northern region, there is a tradition of eating dumplings on the winter solstice, which is said to prevent the ears from being frozen. In addition, there is also the custom of drinking mutton soup, mutton is the first choice for winter nourishment, and a steaming bowl of sheep's head soup can not only ward off the cold but also nourish the body. In the 99 cold activity, people will meet nine people to drink, and use nine plates and nine bowls on the table to take the meaning of 99 to cool off.
Although the way the winter solstice is celebrated in the north and south is different, they all convey people's wishes for a better life and their longing for their loved ones.