What custom foods do Sichuanese eat on the solstice in winter?

Sichuanese eat mutton, jiaozi and glutinous rice balls on the solstice in winter.

Eat mutton on the solstice in winter. Mutton soup is one of the traditional delicacies from winter solstice, which has the effect of warming and nourishing the body. Mutton itself is rich in protein, calcium, iron and other nutrients, which can enhance physical strength and resistance. Eat jiaozi in the winter of solstice, because jiaozi is shaped like a gold ingot, which means that it is full of houses and wealth. The hot air wrapped in jiaozi can help keep warm.

Eating glutinous rice balls from winter solstice in Sichuan means reunion and perfection, and glutinous rice balls are traditional winter food. They are made of glutinous rice flour, cooked and eaten. The stuffing of glutinous rice balls can be selected according to personal preference. Common fillings are black sesame and red bean paste. The cooked dumplings taste soft and delicious.

Astronomical calendar

As an important node of the 24 solar terms in China, the winter solstice has the shortest day and the longest night in the north of the equator. The solstice in winter is the limit of the sun's southward travel. On this day, the height of the sun in the northern hemisphere is the smallest. On the day of winter solstice, the sun shines directly on the tropic of Capricorn, and the sun is most inclined to the northern hemisphere.

The solstice in winter is the turning point of the sun's southward travel. After this day, it is necessary to "turn back". The direct point of the sun will move northward from the Tropic of Capricorn (23 26' s), and the daytime in the northern hemisphere (China is located in the northern hemisphere) will increase day by day. Because the earth is located near the perihelion from winter to around, and its running speed is slightly faster, the time of direct sunlight in the southern hemisphere in a year is roughly the same as that in the northern hemisphere.