What is the winter solstice festival and what are the customs?

Winter solstice, also known as solstice, winter festival, child year, etc. It has both natural and humanistic connotations. It is not only an important solar term among the 24 solar terms, but also a traditional folk ancestor worship 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. The custom of winter solstice varies in content or details due to different regions. In southern China, there are customs of offering sacrifices to ancestors and enjoying 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, and the solar calendar reaches 270? Celebrate every year on 65438+February 2 1-23. The solstice in winter is the extreme point of direct sunlight spreading to the south. On the solstice in winter, the sun shines directly on the Tropic of Capricorn, which is the most inclined to the northern hemisphere and the solar altitude angle is the smallest. In all parts of the northern hemisphere, the days are the shortest and the nights are the longest. The solstice in winter is also a turning point for the sun to return directly to the north. After this day, I went back, and the direct point of the sun started from the tropic of Capricorn (23? 26? S) Moving northward, the northern hemisphere (China is located in the northern hemisphere) will increase day by day.

What are the customs of offering sacrifices to heaven on the solstice in winter?

In the Han Dynasty, it was believed that the sun's spirit of heaven and earth began to flourish and become stronger after the winter from the solstice, which represented the beginning of the next cycle and was an auspicious day. The emperor will sacrifice to heaven on this day, and ministers will also congratulate each other. This custom continued until the Qing Dynasty, and it became a necessary ceremony in winter solstice.

Jiaozi is eaten in the north and glutinous rice balls are eaten in the south.

Solstice in Winter: Solstice noodles in jiaozi in summer. In the past, people celebrated the Solstice in Winter, and most of them ate jiaozi. Every winter and every day, whether rich or poor, jiaozi is an indispensable holiday feast.

Count 99

Folks say that the winter solstice means nine or nine, that is, from the winter solstice, every nine days is a nine, * * * is divided into nine nines, * * * 998 1 day, 8 1 day later, and then spring begins. After the solstice of winter, 99 is very popular all over the country. People all over the country have compiled various proverbs and fluency according to different climatic conditions, geomorphological characteristics, agricultural phenology and customs. The most representative one is the following phrase: 1929 is not unexpected, 3949 is on the ice, 5969 is watching the willows by the river, 79 rivers are open, 89 geese come, 99 plus 19, and cows walk everywhere.

Proverbs and fluency are not only the summary of people's years of climate experience, but also people's expectations for spring in severe winter.

Give shoes and hats

On the solstice of winter, people have the custom of giving away shoes. "China Ancient and Modern" said that there were embroidered mandarin ducks and shoes in the Han Dynasty, and Emperor Zhao ordered his aunt to go to the winter solstice. With the passage of time, the custom of sending shoes to uncles and aunts has gradually evolved into sending shoes and hats to nephews and nieces. In ancient times, hand embroidery was for women. Shoes are embroidered with flowers and birds, and hats are made into phoenix shapes. For men, shoe embroidery is mostly a beast, and hats are also tigers.

Winter ice in Tibet

Ice has a wide range of uses, which can be used for preservation and medicine. In the north, ice storage is usually carried out around the winter solstice. People cut ice from the river with iron solder, which is more than one foot wide and more than two feet long. It is called a square. On the solstice of winter, ice cubes will be stored in the cellar, sealed tightly, and all kinds of fresh fruits will be hidden at the same time. After spring, they will be taken out and sold in the market, and the color is just like that just picked from the tree.

Residents in the southern coastal areas are also used to repairing ice houses in winter and storing ice cubes to keep fish fresh when fishing in the coming year.