Why is the winter solstice a traditional festival in China?

Winter solstice, also known as short solstice, winter festival, year-ending, winter worship, etc., has both natural and humanistic connotations. It is not only an important solar term among the 24 solar terms, but also a traditional folk festival in China. The solstice in winter is one of the eight festivals in four seasons, and it is considered as a big holiday in winter. In ancient times, there was a saying that the winter solstice was as big as a year.

Therefore, the ancients called the winter solstice "off-year" or "off-year". The custom of winter solstice varies in content or details due to different regions. In some areas along the southern coast of China, there are customs of offering sacrifices to ancestors and feasting on the winter solstice. In northern China, it is a custom to eat jiaozi from winter to Sunday every year.

The winter solstice is the 22nd of the 24 solar terms. "Twenty-four solar terms" and "December architecture" are the basic contents of the official calendar. The "twenty-four solar terms" were originally determined by the bucket handle rotation direction of the Big Dipper, which rotates circularly and is closely related to the twenty-four solar terms.

In the ancient farming society, people lived and worked in peace and contentment. They chose a day to worship the gods and ancestors, and they had various regular festivals. Abundant offerings to gods and ancestors developed into festival feasts, and gradually formed some established ways of celebration, that is, the so-called festival folk customs.

Extended data:

In many parts of northern China, it is a custom to eat jiaozi every winter solstice. According to legend, Zhang Zhongjing, a medical sage, saw the frozen people when he retired in his later years, so he wrapped mutton, some cold-dispelling herbs and dough in his ears and made the medicine of "Joule Decoction for Eliminating Cold" for the people to eat.

Later, on the solstice of winter, people imitated eating and formed a custom. Most parts of northern China want to eat jiaozi on this day, because jiaozi means "driving away the cold". Up to now, there has been a saying among the people that "jiaozi bowls are not delicious in winter, and nobody cares about frozen ears".

Many places in southern China will celebrate the winter solstice. Many areas along the southern coast have the traditional custom of offering sacrifices to ancestors during the winter solstice. Every household is dedicated to ancestor statues, memorial tablets, etc. Go to the hall at home, place an altar, set up incense burners, offerings, etc. In some places, while offering sacrifices to ancestors, they also offer sacrifices to gods, land gods and deities, so as to make the next year's weather favorable and the family prosperous.