The Winter Solstice has a deep cultural heritage and rich customs in China. The most important custom is eating glutinous rice balls. In China, glutinous rice balls symbolize reunion and completeness. In this festive atmosphere, we welcome the new year
Winter solstice is as big as New Year
Eating dumplings
In many areas in northern China, there is a custom of eating dumplings on the Winter Solstice every year. The shape is like a gold ingot, which means wealth and good luck. Eating dumplings also symbolizes good luck and reunion for the year. Dumplings mean "get rid of the cold", and there is still a folk proverb that "if you don't eat dumplings on the Winter Solstice, your ears will freeze off and no one will care."
Eating glutinous rice balls
Eating glutinous rice balls is a traditional custom of the Winter Solstice, especially in the south of the Yangtze River. "Glutinous rice balls" are a must-have food on the Winter Solstice, and "round" means "reunion" and "perfection". Eating glutinous rice balls on the Winter Solstice is also called "Winter Solstice dumplings". There is a saying among the people that "eating glutinous rice balls makes you older."
The cold season has officially arrived
The winter solstice is one of the traditional Chinese festivals, marking the official arrival of the cold season. It usually falls on December 21 or 22 every year. On this day, the sun will directly hit the Tropic of Capricorn. The daytime in the northern hemisphere is the shortest and the night is the longest.
The winter solstice is commonly known as the "winter festival", "longest solstice festival" or "sub-year". The winter solstice is an important solar term in the 24 solar terms of the lunar calendar and is also a traditional festival of the Chinese nation. The winter solstice is the "winter festival", so it is regarded as a major festival in winter. In ancient times, there was a saying among the people that "the winter solstice is as big as the New Year". In ancient times, people who drifted away from home would go home to celebrate the winter festival at this time, so-called "a place to return home at the end of the year". In ancient times, there was a saying that "the yang energy is born on the winter solstice", which means that from the day of the winter solstice, the yang energy slowly began to rise.