Folk customs in early winter

He Dong, also known as "winter worship", had this custom in the Han Dynasty. Cui Ding's "Four-person Moon Order" in the Eastern Han Dynasty: "On the day of the winter solstice, wine and food are served, respecting the teacher of the old gentleman and welcoming it as a sunny day." On this day in the Song Dynasty, people put on new clothes and celebrated exchanges, just like New Year's Day. In the Qing dynasty, "the solstice is the winter solstice, and the literati pay homage to their elders and pay tribute to each other." Fine people, men and women, also bow to each other with fresher clothes, which is called "worship of winter" (see Ting Anne Lu, Volume XI). Since the Republic of China, the traditional customs of Hedong seem to have been simplified. However, some activities are gradually fixed, stylized and more universal. For example, in winter schools, teacher-worshipping activities are held in winter.

In some places, the way to celebrate beginning of winter is also innovative. In Harbin, Heilongjiang, Shangqiu, Henan, Yichun, Jiangxi, Wuhan, Hubei and other places, winter swimmers welcome the arrival of winter in this way. Winter swimming is people's favorite exercise in winter, whether in the north or the south. Beginning of winter has the custom of eating jiaozi. Beginning of winter, wrapped in jiaozi, tastes different from Chinese cabbage, but also dipped in vinegar and rotten garlic to eat, just don't have a taste. Why does beginning of winter eat jiaozi? Because our country is based on agriculture and attaches great importance to the 24 solar terms, "Festival" is a new growth point of vegetation. Autumn harvest and winter storage, this day, in order to improve our life, we chose "delicious but jiaozi". Therefore, there is a saying in the Book of Rites that "eating melons is also the first sacrifice". On the solstice of winter, there was a custom of "Winter Solstice Festival" in ancient China.