Cultural customs of winter solstice

1. Ancestor worship: In some areas, the traditional custom of ancestor worship has continued. Every family provides ancestral statues, memorial tablets, tables, incense burners and offerings at home.

2. Eat the winter solstice ball: Eating the winter solstice ball is very popular in some areas in the south, which means reunion. Every winter solstice morning, every household should grind glutinous rice flour and wrap it into winter solstice balls, which are not only eaten by their own families, but also given to relatives and friends to express their feelings.

3. Eat rice cakes: make rice cakes with different flavors from winter to Sunday every year, eat rice cakes from winter to Sunday, and grow old slowly.

4. Nine-layer cake for ancestor worship: Knead glutinous rice flour into auspicious animals such as chickens, ducks, turtles, pigs, cows and sheep, and steam them in layers in a steamer to show that they don't forget their ancestors.

5. Drink mutton soup: It is said that the custom of eating mutton from Sunday to winter began in the Han Dynasty. Before the festival, the elders will be given mutton and other gifts, and every household in Fujiu will drink mutton soup, which is a good sign for individuals, elders and families. Winter solstice is the earliest of the 24 solar terms, but most people don't know that the origin of winter solstice actually comes from the planning of a national capital. The following is the winter solstice folk custom recommended by Xiaoji. Welcome to read for reference.

Winter solstice custom

offer sacrifices to ancestors

The solstice in winter is a day to worship ancestors. On this day, the emperor will hold a worship ceremony in the suburbs, and the people will worship their parents on this day. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the emperor had a ceremony to worship the sky, which was called "the sky in the suburbs from winter to Japanese". There was a ceremony in the palace where hundreds of officials congratulated the emperor. They also threw thorns at each other and congratulated each other, just like New Year's Day.

hotung

"Etiquette in the Later Han Dynasty": "Around the winter solstice, gentlemen live in peace, and officials do nothing." We also have to choose "capable people", beat gongs and drums, and play the "Yellow Bell Method" to celebrate. Therefore, on this day, the court will have a holiday and rest, and relatives and friends will give each other food, visit each other and have a happy "quiet life" festival.

Pray for blessings

Zhou Li Chun Guan Shen Shi: "With the coming of winter, we are in front of ghosts and gods." The purpose is to pray and eliminate the epidemic in the country and reduce the famine and death of the people.

Eat dumplings

As the saying goes, "On 10/day, when winter solstice comes, every family eats jiaozi." This custom was left in memory of Zhang Zhongjing, a "medical sage", who gave up medicine from the winter solstice.

According to legend, when Zhang Zhongjing, a medical sage, returned to his hometown in seclusion, it was the snowy winter. When he saw that many people's ears in Nanyang were frozen, he was very sad. He asked his disciples to set up a medicine shed in Guandong, Nanyang, and put mutton, pepper and some cold-dispelling medicinal materials in a pot, took them out and chopped them up, imaged their ears in leather bags, and then put them down and cooked them in a pot to make a medicine called "cold-dispelling and ear-correcting soup" for the people to eat. After eating it, the villagers' ears will be fine. Later, on the solstice of winter, people imitated cooking food, thus forming the custom of eating jiaozi.

Eat wonton

There used to be a saying in old Beijing that "winter solstice wonton, summer solstice noodles". According to legend, during the Han Dynasty, the Xiongnu in the north often harassed the frontier, and the people were restless. At that time, there were two leaders, Xiongnu tribe and Tun tribe, which were very cruel. The people hated it, so they wrapped it into a corner with meat stuffing and called it "wonton" with the sound of "muddy" and "swallowing". I hate eating, and I want to quell the war and live a peaceful life. Because wonton was originally made on the winter solstice, every family eats wonton on the winter solstice.

Eat mutton

It is said that the custom of eating mutton from winter solstice began in the Han Dynasty. According to legend, Liu Bang, Emperor Gaozu of Han Dynasty, ate mutton cooked in Fan Kuai on the solstice of winter, which was particularly delicious and full of praise. Since then, the custom of eating mutton from winter solstice has been formed among the people. Nowadays, people eat mutton and all kinds of nourishing foods on the solstice of winter in order to have a good omen for the coming year.