What does Zhejiang eat on the solstice in winter?

Zhejiang eats glutinous rice balls on the solstice in winter.

As the winter solstice memory of most Zhejiang people, sweet dumplings have always been synonymous with "reunion" and "sweetness". Old people at home often say, "Tangyuan means that home is not too far away. Even if they start their own businesses, they will get together in winter and be round and round. "

The most classic Ningbo Tangyuan originated in the Song Dynasty, with soft sugar, black sesame seeds and high-quality pork fat as stuffing. Tangyuan is smooth and white as sheep fat. Bite open the skin, and it is oily but not sticky. Fragrant, sweet, fresh, smooth and waxy, it is delicious on earth.

Winter solstice meaning:

The winter solstice, known as the "southern solstice", is a solar term reflecting the direct sunlight movement. On the winter solstice, the sun goes south to the extreme, and the sun shines directly on the tropic of Capricorn. Since the winter solstice, the direct point of the sun has returned to the north. The solstice in winter is the turning point of "going south to north". Since then, the sun has risen in height and the days in the northern hemisphere have increased day by day.

The solstice in winter marks the rebirth of the sun and the round-trip movement of the sun into a new cycle. The solstice in winter is an auspicious day. For example, "Hanshu" said: "The sun shines on the winter solstice, and the monarch is long, so congratulations." After the winter solstice, the days are getting longer and longer and the sun rises. This is the beginning of a round-trip cycle of direct sunlight, which should be celebrated.