What is the custom of winter solstice?

As the saying goes, "Winter solstice is coming, eat jiaozi." In the north of China, there is a custom of eating jiaozi on the solstice in winter, while in the south, most people eat glutinous rice balls. Of course there are exceptions. For example, in Tengzhou and other places in Shandong, people drink mutton soup on the solstice in winter, which means driving away the cold.

Besides, my hometown is south of the Yangtze River, and I pay attention to reuniting with my family and eating red beans and glutinous rice on the night of winter solstice. According to legend, * * * Gong's son had an evil son who died in the winter of the solstice and became a plague after his death, killing the people. However, epidemic ghosts are particularly afraid of red beans, so people cook red bean rice on the solstice in winter, hoping to prevent disasters and get rid of diseases.

Interestingly, Suzhou also has the custom of drinking "winter wine". Winter brewing is a kind of rice wine, which is brewed by adding osmanthus. On the night of winter solstice, people drink delicious winter wine and taste all kinds of stewed beef, and their homes are full of laughter.

After the "Nine Counties" began, it was popular among the people to fill out the "Nine Nine" cold map for recreation. 99-99' s cold-eliminating pictures are generally double-hook red calligraphy. From the solstice of winter, make up a stroke every day in the order of strokes, and after the spring of 99-99, a picture of 99-99' s dispelling cold was completed.

Winter is the season of winter storage, with the north wind whistling and the earth frozen. Folk expert Xiao Fang mentioned in "Twenty-four solar terms and folk customs" that the winter solstice is an important seasonal node, and people hold a series of seasonal ceremonies around the winter solstice.

"The solstice in winter is the time when the old and the new alternate. Nature has extraordinary cultural significance in the concept of the ancients. Many beliefs and ceremonies of the winter solstice festival come from people's feelings about this season. " Xiaofang explained.