Traditional customs of winter solstice in Zhanjiang

The traditional custom of winter solstice in Zhanjiang is to eat glutinous rice balls.

Zhanjiang is located in Leizhou Peninsula at the southernmost tip of Chinese mainland. During the winter solstice of the lunar calendar, Zhanjiang has a unique traditional custom, that is, eating jiaozi. Tangyuan, also known as winter dumplings in Zhanjiang, means round and happiness.

The custom of eating glutinous rice balls from winter solstice in Zhanjiang has a long history. It is said that this custom can be traced back to the Ming Dynasty. At that time, in order to resist the cold winter, Zhanjiang residents made glutinous rice flour into balls and added ingredients such as sugar and honey.

On the solstice of winter, families in Zhanjiang will prepare all kinds of jiaozi. Tangyuan has a variety of fillings, including bean paste, peanuts and sesame seeds. Among them, the most distinctive is the glutinous rice balls with ginger juice, which is filled with ginger juice and brown sugar. There is also jiaozi, which is made of chicken excrement.

The significance of winter solstice:

1. Astronomical significance: The winter solstice is of great significance in astronomy. The northern hemisphere has the shortest days and the longest nights, but the southern hemisphere is just the opposite. On this day, the direct point of the sun reaches the tropic of Capricorn, which indicates that the northern hemisphere enters winter and the southern hemisphere enters summer.

2. Symbol of farming culture: In farming culture, the winter solstice is an important solar term. It marks the beginning of winter, and it is also a crucial period for farmers to sum up their farming activities for one year and plan their planting plans for the coming year. In ancient China, the winter solstice was regarded as the beginning of a new year. There was a saying that the winter solstice was as big as a year.

3. Social and cultural customs: The solstice in winter is rich in social and cultural customs in many cultures. For example, in China, people have the custom of eating jiaozi or glutinous rice balls to celebrate the arrival of the winter solstice, which means reunion. In the west, the winter solstice is a festival to celebrate light and hope. For example, Christmas is closely related to the winter solstice.