What are the origins and customs of the winter solstice festival?

Winter solstice is one of the 24 solar terms and an important traditional festival. This is the shortest day and the longest night in a year. The winter solstice festival contains the richest contents and customs, so there are many aliases, such as winter festival, long solstice festival, short solstice festival, happy winter festival, Yiyang festival, and other titles, such as sub-year-old, fat winter and happy winter.

Today, I will briefly introduce nine customs of the winter solstice festival.

First, ancestor worship

Sacrificing ancestors is a common custom in many festivals in China, and winter solstice is one of them. In the records of national customs in China, there is a saying of "Winter Solstice Festival", also known as "Ghost Festival". In the eyes of China people, the significance of the ancestors' souls to the family can be compared with the strength of the God of heaven and earth to the country, and we should not be careless or neglect it. Sacrifice, whether in the temple at home or in the cemetery, is to offer delicious and delicious things to our ancestors as much as possible.

Second, eat jiaozi.

In most parts of northern China, it is a holiday custom to eat jiaozi on the solstice in winter. Eating jiaozi, also known as "frozen ears", originated from a legend in the Han Dynasty. When Zhang Zhongjing was an official in Changsha, he retired to his hometown, which coincided with the snowy winter and the biting wind, and many people's ears were frozen. He was very sad, so he asked his disciples to set up a shed in Guandong, Nanyang, and cook it in a pot with mutton, peppers and some herbs to drive away the cold. Then he picked it up and chopped it up, made it into ears with flour bags, and then cooked it in a pot and distributed it to the people. After everyone eats it, their ears will be fine. Later, on the winter solstice, people will imitate it and eat it as a "frozen ear". Later, they called it "jiaozi".

Third, eat wonton.

Eating wonton in winter was first popular in the Southern Song Dynasty. According to legend, people in Zhao Gou, Song Gaozong love to eat the wonton cooked by the chef, because once the wonton is not cooked well, someone will send the chef to Dali Temple for punishment, but because only the chef can cook wonton, Zhao Gou pardoned him. Later, the method of making wonton spread to the people, and there were more and more varieties and patterns. During the winter solstice festival, every household eats wonton, which leads to the saying "winter solstice wonton and summer solstice noodles".

Fourth, eliminate the cold.

When the solstice of winter arrives, it will enter cold weather. From the solstice of winter, every nine days is divided into a "nine" * * * divided into nine "nine". When the number reaches 8 1, it is "nine peach blossoms".

Since the Qing Dynasty, old Beijing has had the dietary customs of "Jiujiu Hot Pot" and "Jiujiu Wine and Meat" to keep out the cold. In the middle of the Ninth Five-Year Plan, there are ten hot pots with ten different contents, but they are all hot pots, usually instant-boiled mutton, which are very popular in the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China.

Five, eat mutton

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, people have formed the custom of eating mutton from the winter solstice in order to have a good omen for the coming year.

Sixth, eat jiaozi

The traditional custom of eating glutinous rice balls on the winter solstice festival was formed in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Especially in the south of the Yangtze River, glutinous rice balls are an indispensable food in winter solstice, which means "reunion" and "perfection". Eating glutinous rice balls on the solstice in winter symbolizes family harmony and auspiciousness.

Seven, winter solstice shoes.

On the winter solstice, people have the habit of giving children shoes and hats. Sending shoes and hats is mainly to hope that children can grow up healthily. In the past, it was mainly hand embroidery, but now most of it is bought from the market, and the form is also keeping up with the trend of the times.

Eight, eat red bean glutinous rice

According to legend, * * * Gong had a son who did many evils and finally died in the winter. Become a plague ghost after death and continue to harm the people. However, this epidemic ghost is most afraid of red beans, so people cook red bean rice on the solstice in winter to ward off evil spirits, prevent disasters and get rid of diseases.

Nine, Suzhou winter brewing

Gusu region attaches great importance to the solar terms of the winter solstice, and there is a local proverb: "The winter solstice is like a new year". The traditional Gusu people drink winter wine on the night of winter solstice. In the cold winter, winter brewing can not only drive away the cold, but also place the hope of Gusu people for a better life.