What day is the winter solstice

In ancient times, the winter solstice was a very important festival, and people also celebrated it as a holiday. So many people ask what day is the winter solstice? Here's a look at it.

The winter solstice (December 21-23 cross section of the Gregorian calendar), the winter solstice, also known as the winter festival, the year of Asia, the long to the festival, etc., both natural and humanistic two connotations, both the twenty-four seasons in an important festival, but also the traditional Chinese folk festival. Winter solstice, bucket finger son, the sun's yellow longitude reaches 270 °, in the annual calendar December 21-23 cross section.

The winter solstice is one of the eight festivals of the year, in ancient times, the folk have in the "eight festivals" to worship the gods and ancestors of the custom. The winter solstice is regarded as a big winter festival, in the folk "winter solstice is as big as the year", so the ancients called the winter solstice for the "sub year" or "small year". In some areas of China's southern coastal areas still continue the traditional customs of the winter solstice ancestor worship. In some areas in the north of China, every year on the winter solstice, the custom of eating dumplings.

Expanded Information:

Twenty-four Solar Terms is the ancient ancestor in response to the agricultural time, through the observation of celestial body The "24 Solar Terms" is a product of the ancient farming civilization. It not only plays a guiding role in agricultural production, but also influences ancient people's clothing, food, housing and transportation, and even cultural concepts. During the Western Han Dynasty, the names of the 24 solar terms were first mentioned in the document Huainanzi Tianwenxun.

In ancient times, the winter solstice was known as "the year of the year", which is only inferior to "the New Year". The winter solstice is also known as the "small year", is that the year is approaching, the remaining days are not much. Ancient China attached great importance to the winter solstice, the winter solstice was treated as a large festival, there was "winter solstice is as big as the year", and there is the custom of celebrating the winter solstice.

The Book of Han says: "The winter solstice Yang Qi, Jun Dao long, so congratulations." It means that after the winter solstice, the days are longer than one day and the yang qi rises, which is the beginning of a cycle of festivals and an auspicious day that should be celebrated.

The Book of Jin records that "the winter solstice in Wei and Jin by all countries and bureaucrats to congratulate? Its rituals are inferior to the first day of the week." This shows the importance of the winter solstice in ancient times. Before the Han dynasty did not see the winter solstice festival customs written records. The Han Dynasty to the winter solstice for the "Winter Festival", the government to hold a congratulatory ceremony called "congratulations on the winter", the official routine vacation, the official popular congratulate each other on the "worship of the winter" rituals and customs.

The Book of the Later Han Dynasty has this record: "Before and after the winter solstice, the gentleman is quiet and quiet, all officials are not listening to the government, choose the auspicious moment and then save." Meaning that this day the court up and down to take a vacation, business travel stops, friends and relatives with food gifts, visit each other, happy to have a "quiet body" holiday.

Wei-Jin and Six Dynasties, the winter solstice called "sub year", the public to parents and elders to pay tribute to the festival. The winter festival flourished in the Tang and Song dynasties. After the Song Dynasty, the winter solstice festival activities to worship ancestors and gods flourished. The winter solstice in the Ming and Qing dynasties, the emperor to hold a ceremony, said "winter solstice suburb days". Folk in the winter solstice, ancestor worship, feasts and other customs.