What are the customs of the winter solstice solar terms?

Winter solstice, also known as "Winter Festival", "Dragon solstice Festival" and "Child Year", is also one of the 24 solar terms. Many places attach great importance to the winter solstice, and there is even a saying that the winter solstice is as big as a year. There are many customs of winter solstice, which can be traced back to the Han Dynasty, and more recently in the Tang and Song Dynasties, mainly in the diet, such as eating dog meat, wonton, jiaozi, glutinous rice balls, red bean porridge, millet cakes, wine making and so on.

Eat jiaozi, wonton or glutinous rice balls. On the solstice of winter, wonton is popular in the north, jiaozi is popular in the northwest, and glutinous rice balls and hemp pine are popular in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Jiaozi is also called "Winter solstice jiaozi". There are two kinds of glutinous rice balls: glutinous rice balls and glutinous rice balls, including lean meat, apples, bean paste and shredded radish. "Jia Qinglu" records: "Those who have stuffing are glutinous rice balls, and the winter solstice is the first day and night sacrifice; The small ones without stuffing are pink, and the solstice in winter is also for the gods. " There is also a folk saying that "the glutinous rice balls I ate are one year older". The winter solstice group can be used to worship ancestors or give gifts to relatives and friends. Shanghai used to be very particular about eating glutinous rice balls. An ancient poem said, "Every family makes dumplings, knowing that it is the winter solstice of the Ming Dynasty."

There is a story about "winter solstice wonton and summer solstice noodles" in Beijing. According to legend, during the Han Dynasty, the Xiongnu in the north often harassed the frontier, and the people were restless. There are two tribal leaders named Hunhetun who are very cruel. The people hated it, wrapped them into horns with meat stuffing, called them "wonton" with the voice of "muddy" and "swallowing", and then ate them all ruthlessly. To express my hatred for them and hope to destroy them as soon as possible. Because wonton was originally made on the solstice in winter, it is very popular to eat wonton on the solstice in winter. I wonder if this story is reliable. In the Song Dynasty, Hangzhou, the capital at that time, also had the custom of eating wonton from the winter solstice. A man named Zhou Mi said that people in Hangzhou eat wonton to worship their ancestors on the winter solstice.

When it comes to ancestor worship, we have to talk about some places in Guangdong, where the custom of ancestor worship is very popular in winter solstice, and there is even a saying that "no one goes home in winter solstice". Therefore, those who go out should go home to worship their ancestors as much as possible on winter solstice. The general custom is to cook sweet pill soup in the morning of winter solstice to pay homage to ancestors, and then the whole family will make sweet pill soup for breakfast together. Sweet balls (rice balls) are "small balls without stuffing" mentioned in Lu, which are similar to those sold in shopping malls now. Some people will leave a few rice balls after dinner and stick them on the door, commonly known as "respecting the door god." For example, the whole state calls Yuanxiao Pill "head pill (round)" and Winter Solstice Pill "tail pill (round)", so that the head and tail are round, which means that the whole family is happy all year round. At noon, you should also worship your ancestors, and the offerings need five flavors of meat and vegetables; Sacrifice your ancestors at night, and there must be tender cakes and vegetarian dishes in the offerings.

Jiaozi, according to legend, originated from the medical sage Zhang Zhongjing. (See "12". Why do you want to eat jiaozi in the New Year? " Nowadays, it is a custom in the north to eat jiaozi during the solstice in winter and the Spring Festival. Some people even call jiaozi "flat food" or "instant noodle jiaozi", and say that jiaozi, which has eaten winter solstice, is not afraid of freezing.

There is also the custom of family reunion and eating red beans and glutinous rice on the night of winter solstice. There is another story. According to legend, there was a man named * * *, whose son Gong died in the winter and became an epidemic ghost, which continued to harm the people. However, this epidemic ghost is most afraid of red beans, so people cook red bean rice on the solstice in winter, which can drive away epidemic ghosts and prevent diseases. In addition, some places also eat rice cakes, buckwheat noodles, nine-layer cakes and so on. "Cake" and "Gao" are homophonic, which means that you will be promoted step by step and have a good year.

Eating dog meat on the solstice in winter is very popular in many places. It is said that this started from the Han Dynasty. According to legend, Liu Bang, Emperor Gaozu, ate dog meat cooked by Fan Wei on the solstice of winter, which was particularly delicious and full of praise. Therefore, the folk formed the custom of eating dog meat in winter solstice. Whether this legend is reliable or not, eating a little dog meat in winter can really drive away the cold and keep warm.

On the other hand, Hakka people like to make wine in winter solstice, and think that the water tastes the most mellow in winter solstice, and the wine brewed with it can last for a long time, which is soft, refreshing and sweet.