A brief history and customs of winter solstice

The winter solstice, also known as the winter festival, is a very important solar term among the 24 solar terms. In ancient China, there was a saying that "the winter solstice is as big as a year", which proves that people attach importance to the winter solstice. After the winter solstice, the temperature becomes lower, so people should pay more attention to keep warm.

As early as the Spring and Autumn Period, China determined the solar terms of the winter solstice. During the Yin and Zhou Dynasties, it was stipulated that the day before the winter solstice was the end of the year, which was equivalent to the Spring Festival. The earliest people celebrated the winter solstice to celebrate the arrival of the New Year. They think this is a very auspicious day, because the next cycle will come from the winter solstice, and celebrating the winter solstice, as a festival, originated in the Han Dynasty and was very popular in the Tang and Song Dynasties, and continues to this day.

In ancient times, there was a tradition of offering sacrifices to ancestors during the winter solstice, and at the same time, people would worship the god of heaven and earth, which showed people's expectations for a better life. On the day of winter solstice, people wandering outside will also go home for the winter festival as a sign of "having a home all year round". In the north of China, there is a custom of eating jiaozi in winter solstice, while in the south, there is a custom of eating jiaozi, which represents reunion.