Is the winter solstice the beginning of a year?

The solstice in winter is the beginning of a year.

This day is what we often call "winter solstice", so from the Zhou Dynasty, winter solstice became the beginning of a year. Winter solstice is the beginning of winter, and September 9 is counted from winter solstice. The solstice in winter is also the beginning of a year, because it has the shortest sunshine time and is the darkest day of the year. In ancient times, winter solstice, also known as solstice, winter festival and sub-year-old, was one of the main festivals in the 24 solar terms.

On this day, people will make sacrifices and pray for blessings, and the whole family will get together for a reunion dinner. Southerners will eat dumplings, while northerners will eat jiaozi and drink mutton soup. At present, our holiday system generally adopts the solar calendar, and the small holiday is around New Year's Day. In ancient times, the official small festivals were around the winter solstice. From the Zhou Dynasty to the Ming and Qing Dynasties, official holidays are on the solstice in winter, ranging from 7 days to 3 or 5 days.

Important festival

It was not until the Republic of China that China was fully integrated with the West, and the winter solstice was abolished as a feudal festival. The winter solstice is an important festival in ancient times, because it is the day when vitality returns. The ancients said that "the solstice in winter is a sunny day", which is the day. Astronomically speaking, the winter solstice is the shortest day and the longest night in a year in the northern hemisphere, when Yin Qi reaches its peak. After this day, the sun will gradually rise, and the ancient 24 solar terms also began from this day.

The 24 solar terms we use now start from beginning of spring, which is calculated according to the local conditions. Although the spirit of the sun began from the solstice in winter, at this time, the earth's atmosphere has not warmed up or kept up. The ancients compared the change of weather to a horse, so there was a saying that it was unconstrained. Comparing the geogas to a slow old cow, the change of geogas is more solar terms than the weather in slow three. Therefore, the soul of the sun begins to rise during the winter solstice, but spring will not come until beginning of spring.