What other countries and regions are celebrating the winter solstice?

Besides China, South Korea, Viet Nam and Japan also celebrate the Winter Solstice Festival.

The winter solstice festival in Vietnam is closest to us. On the winter solstice, Vietnamese also eat jiaozi. But as a coastal country, jiaozi is dominated by fish, and other aspects are similar to ours. Because agriculture accounts for a large proportion in Vietnam, Vietnamese farmers will pray for a bumper harvest in the coming year on the day of winter solstice.

The situation in South Korea is different from that in Vietnam. In winter solstice, Koreans also eat jiaozi, mainly pork or beef. On this day, Koreans will wear national costumes and go out to pray for each other. In Japan, the situation is very special. Japanese people will put on kimonos and go to temples or ancestral temples.

Winter solstice is the earliest solar term.

Perhaps many people don't know that the winter solstice is the earliest of the 24 solar terms. As early as 2500 years ago, during the Spring and Autumn Period, China observed the sun with the soil return, and determined the winter solstice.

It was called "short day" or "short day" in ancient times. The ancients believed that the winter solstice solar terms were the starting point for calculating the 24 solar terms in China. Because when the solstice of winter comes, the New Year is just around the corner. Therefore, the ancients believed that the solstice in winter was as important as the New Year. There is a saying among the people that the solstice in winter is as big as a year.