How long is the winter solstice in China?

China's astrological culture has a long history and is profound. The twenty-four solar terms were originally formulated on the basis of changing stars. In different seasons and at different times, the Big Dipper will point in different directions, that is, "bucket handle points to the East, and the world is spring; Guide to barrel handle, it's summer in the world; Bucket handle refers to the west, and the world is autumn; Bucket handle refers to the north, and it is winter in the world. " . "Twenty-four solar terms" is the product of ancient farming civilization, which is related to the time of gossip and has a long history. During the period of Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty, the "twenty-four solar terms" were absorbed into the taichu calendar law as a supplement to the calendar to guide the agriculture in the northern Central Plains, and the "twenty-four solar terms" were measured in the Yellow River basin by the method of Tuguiriying. The current "twenty-four solar terms" are determined according to the position of the sun on the ecliptic, that is, on a "ecliptic" with a circumference of 360 degrees (the apparent path of the sun on the celestial sphere for one year), the spring is divided into 0 degrees, and every time the sun runs on the ecliptic, 15 degrees is a "solar term". In the process of inheritance and development, the 24 solar terms have been incorporated into the lunar calendar and become an important part of the lunar calendar.

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 solar term in the "24 solar terms", and the solar calendar reaches 270 degrees. Every year, the festival is held on 65438+February 2 1-23 in the Gregorian calendar. The solstice in winter is the extreme point of direct sunlight spreading to the south. From winter to the sun, the sun shines directly on the Tropic of Capricorn, and the sun is 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, the direct point of the sun will go back. The direct point of the sun will move northward from the Tropic of Capricorn (23 26' s), and the daylight in the northern hemisphere (China is located in the northern hemisphere) will increase day by day.