The origin and custom of winter solstice

Winter solstice appeared in the Zhou Dynasty, became a festival in the Tang Dynasty, prevailed in the Tang and Song Dynasties, and has continued to this day. According to records, the shadow of the sun is the longest on the solstice in winter. The ancients believed that from the winter solstice, the yang of heaven and earth began to flourish, representing the beginning of the next cycle, which was a good day. Therefore, in the Zhou Dynasty, winter and 1 1 month are the first months, and winter solstice is the first year to celebrate the New Year. This custom remained until the Han Dynasty.

During the Western Han Dynasty, the solstice in winter was called "Winter Festival". The Book of the Later Han Dynasty records that around the solstice in winter, a gentleman lived a quiet life, refused to listen to politics, chose auspicious days, and then saved trouble. It can be seen that during the winter solstice in the Western Han Dynasty, the government not only held a congratulatory ceremony, but also had a holiday. Officials don't go to work, businessmen close down, relatives and friends send meals to each other and visit each other.

Winter solstice custom

People in farming society, while living and working in peace and contentment, choose a day to worship their ancestors. And gradually developed into a festival feast, forming some established ways to celebrate. So is the solstice in winter. Different regions have different winter solstice customs.

offer sacrifices to ancestors

The winter solstice was originally held in the Zhou Dynasty to pray for the gods and ancestors to eliminate disasters and reduce famine and death in the coming year. Up to now, the traditional custom of ancestor worship continues in the southern coastal areas of China. Every family provides ancestors' statues, tablets, etc. At home, put tables, incense burners, tributes, etc.

In some places in the south, gods and land gods will be sacrificed and worshipped to pray for a good weather, a happy home and everything in the coming year.

Eat barbecue and ginger rice

In Chaoshan area, there is a folk proverb "Dongwan Festival, celebrate the New Year as soon as you eat it", which is also called "adding new year". Eating barbecue means coming to lucky strike next year. Eating ginger and rice is the season. Winter solstice needs to keep out the cold and is suitable for tonic. Winter solstice is suitable for cooking bacon and ginger rice. In winter solstice, Cantonese also have the custom of "adding vegetables" to eat meat from winter solstice.

Eat rice cake

In the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, people in Hangzhou had the custom of eating rice cakes from winter to Sunday. Every winter solstice, they make three different flavors of rice cakes, which means getting old and lucky.

Take winter solstice pills

In some areas in the south, the custom of winter solstice season is to eat winter solstice pills. Every winter solstice morning, every household grinds glutinous rice flour and uses sugar, meat, vegetables, fruits and shredded radish as stuffing to make winter solstice pills. Not only eat at home, but also give gifts to relatives and friends to express their blessings. Some will also bring cooked winter solstice pills, prepare fruits, incense, silver paper and other sacrifices, and go up the mountain to sweep the grave to worship their ancestors.