Traditional Customs of Winter Solstice

The winter solstice is not only a very important festival in China's lunar calendar, but also a traditional festival, whose festive customs have been passed down for nearly 3,000 years, and the rich connotation of the festival has endured to this day. Below I have carefully organized 5 winter solstice traditional customs, let's take a look.

1, sweep the tomb?

Ancient sacrifices have evolved into tomb sweeping today. Especially in the southern region, such as Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou and such areas have the custom of sweeping the tomb on the winter solstice. Especially within the third anniversary of the deceased, basically will be in the first Qingming, winter solstice each year to sweep the tomb twice a year; three years after the first day is not bound to the first day, but can be three days before and after to pay homage.

2, North dumplings & South wontons

Northern regions such as Beijing, Tianjin, winter solstice night have the custom of eating dumplings, especially lamb-filled dumplings. Legend has it that it is in honor of commemorating the memory of Zhang Zhongjing, a famous doctor in Henan Province. He opened a medicine shed on the winter solstice and wrapped mutton and medicines in dough to make ear-shaped "Jiao Er" to drive away the cold and treat frostbitten ears. There is a proverb that says, "If you don't take the dumpling bowl at the winter solstice, you'll freeze your ears off and no one will take care of it.

Relative to the northern dumplings, the southern region is more to eat wontons, from the same dumplings to drive away the cold, soup soup hot hot bowl down, implying that the new year smooth and successful. Another theory, the winter solstice to eat wontons should be traced back to the ancient sacrificial food, the North and South Dynasties, such as laying down the moon shaped wontons.

Speaking of which, do you know the origin of the name "wonton"? According to legend, Wu Yue Spring and Autumn Banquet, tired of eating the king of Wu has no appetite, Xi Shi to please, specially to the Royal Kitchen package a clock in a crescent-shaped snacks offered to the king of Wu. The king of Wu tasted a mouthful, called "fresh and beautiful", and then ate a big bowl, after eating a big bowl, asked Xi Shi "what kind of dim sum?". After eating, she asked Xi Shi, "What kind of dim sum is this? Xi Shi thought inwardly: this king is muddled and chaotic, then casually replied "Chaos". The name "Chaos" was then passed down from mouth to mouth and evolved into "Hundun".

3, winter solstice round, eat dumplings

Winter solstice to eat dumplings, also known as the "winter solstice round", the folk have "eaten dumplings a year old" said. This custom is particularly strong in Fujian, Taiwan and Guangdong. Glutinous rice flour mixed with water and kneaded into a ball, rolled into a solid or stuffed rounds, boiled in water, to worship ancestors, and the same as the Lantern, meaning that there is a prayer for family reunion, the meaning of all things perfect.

Legend has it that the winter solstice round was originally an old mother in southern Fujian misses her son who is making a living in his hometown, tears dripped into the bowl and rolled into, and then people followed the custom. Some people, such as relatives outside, to get together on the banquet table before the empty seat on the winter solstice round, to show that the reunion. Or sun-dried rounds, reserved for the day to go home to make up for eating.

4, winter wine

Traditional Gusu family, winter wine must be an essential part of the winter solstice. Winter wine is made from glutinous rice or yellow rice, with osmanthus flowers added to the brewing, a light osmanthus aroma comes to the face when you open it, the taste is sweet, and the general alcohol content is only about 2 degrees, which is suitable for young and old alike.

In previous years, I went to Suzhou to play, looking for osmanthus rice wine all over the street, bought the night lying in bed at the hotel while watching the show sip sip sip sip drink, an eye drink off the two big bottles of the thing is still vivid in my mind.

5, nine nine cold map

Also known as "painting nine", is the winter solstice to calculate the date of spring warming map. The Ming dynasty "imperial capital scenery" contained: "winter solstice, painting a branch of plum, for the petal eighty one. Day dyeing a petal, petal end and nine out, the spring is deep, said nine nine to eliminate cold map. "nine nine cold map" has three patterns, respectively, for the text, circle, plum blossom three.

"The winter solstice resides in the change of the old and new seasons, in the concept of the ancients it naturally has an extraordinary cultural significance, the winter solstice festivals many beliefs, rituals, content comes from the people's feelings about this time of the year."