What are the customs of winter solstice?

On the solstice of winter, this day began to "enter nine" and officially entered the cold. We must eat something good to supplement our health. In addition, the winter solstice is the key node of the transformation of the qi of heaven and earth and the qi of yin and yang. This day's tonic will be three times as effective as usual. As the saying goes, "the solstice in winter is as big as every year." On the day of winter solstice, eating is the most important thing no matter where you are. The winter solstice eating customs in different places have their own characteristics. Let me introduce you to the main customs of winter solstice.

First, the unique customs in the north | Eat jiaozi

Northerners love jiaozi too much. After all, they eat jiaozi all year round, no matter what the solar terms are, there is no jiaozi. Besides, the winter solstice will ruin jiaozi, and nobody cares about freezing their ears. It can be seen that eating jiaozi on the solstice in winter has a high status in their hearts, especially in the northeast, which is called a person who loves jiaozi deeply! ?

I really want to talk about the tradition of eating jiaozi on the winter solstice. According to legend, it is also related to China medical scientist Zhang Zhongjing. Jiaozi was invented by him as Joule. He treated many poor people with ears damaged by hunger and cold at that time with "Quhanjoule Decoction". Later, every winter solstice, everyone imitated eating, and there was the custom of eating jiaozi. Dumpling stuffing is not very particular. Northeast people like sauerkraut stuffing, Shandong people like Spanish mackerel stuffing, Beijing people like fennel stuffing, and some people like leek eggs and mushroom pork cooked at home. Will it taste bad in jiaozi?

On the day of winter solstice, the whole family goes into battle, doing their own jobs, making stuffing, making dough, rolling skin and making jiaozi. When the hot jiaozi was served, the festive atmosphere was really there!

Second, the unique custom of the South | Eating glutinous rice balls

Northerners eat jiaozi with vinegar, while southerners feel the sweet crit of glutinous rice balls with the tip of their tongue.

In Chaoshan, the local people call glutinous rice balls "winter festival pills", but they have no stuffing. It is best to rub the winter festival pill into a bumpy shape, which is called "father and son gongsun pill", symbolizing family reunion at the end of the year. Winter festival pills are usually cooked before dawn, and brown sugar soup is cooked. After the meatballs are made, the ancestors are sacrificed first, and then the whole family, old and young, are called to eat soup pills, commonly known as "soup pills are not delicious."

Tang Yuan went to Taizhou and changed his name to Yuan Lei. Stir-fry soybeans and grind them into soybean yellow powder, add brown sugar and sesame seeds and mix well; Knead glutinous rice flour and water into dough, pick table tennis balls, knead them into balls, gently grind them into boiling water and cook them, and then roll them into bean flour. This action is called "rolling" in Taizhou dialect. Similar to the method of rounding, there are Fuzhou people's dumplings. The difference is that they are mixed with white sugar, cooked black sesame powder, peanuts and cooked soybean powder. They are all solid and very cute. The most surprising thing is the winter solstice in jiaozi. One is as big as half a fist, and the stuffing is mostly fresh shepherd's purse. Two people who eat less can eat enough.

In addition to glutinous rice balls, Jiaxing people who live in Jiangnan water town will also eat red beans and glutinous rice, which is said to ward off evil spirits and prevent diseases.

Third, ancestor worship.

The custom of ancestor worship in winter has a long history, and its significance lies in educating people not to forget their roots and inspiring future generations to respect filial piety.

China people have a tradition of pursuing the future with caution, and they will never forget to worship their ancestors on holidays. Sacrifice food or flowers to ancestors, or sweep graves to show gratitude and memory. In Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai, ancestor worship in winter solstice is highly valued. There is also a folk saying that the solstice in winter is as big as a year.

It is said that the sage Mencius died in the winter of solstice. Because his fellow villagers were very sad, he abolished the previous ceremony of celebrating the winter solstice and gradually changed to the tradition of ancestor worship.

There are two forms of ancestor worship from winter solstice: one is outdoor and the other is indoor. Outdoor memorial service, held in the ancestral grave. The indoor memorial service was held in the ancestral hall.

Fourthly, paste and draw 99-99 cooling elimination diagram.

Eliminating cold in the ninth year of 1999 is an ancient custom in China. It is the ninth day from the winter solstice, and there is a folk custom to put up and draw a map on the ninth day to eliminate the cold. The map to eliminate the cold is a kind of "calendar", which records the sunny weather after the ninth day, and people expect it to predict the abundance and shortage in the coming year. This is a beautiful calendar with traditional characteristics. It * * * has 998 1 unit, so it is called "99 cold relief map". Starting from the winter solstice, nine days are counted as a unit, and nine days are counted continuously. By the 8th1day, winter had passed. There are three patterns in "Cold Map in 1999", namely figures, circles (copper coins) and plum blossoms. What form each family takes is often determined by the owner's hobbies and cultural quality. There is also a folk proverb about "getting rid of the cold in 1999": "It turns cloudy and sunny, and the left wind is foggy and snowy; The picture is dark, and the grass is outside the door. "

Five, eat mutton

On the solstice of winter, people call it Ghost Festival. After jiaozi prepares the noodle soup, he will serve a bowl first, and also a bowl for his neighbor. The custom of eating brains in winter is said to have begun 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 folk custom of eating sheep's brains from winter to Sunday has been formed. On the solstice of winter, people eat mutton and various nourishing foods one after another in order to have a good omen for the coming year.

Although we have been far away from the farming era, which relies on solar terms to judge time, the sense of ceremony left on the dining table is still like cutting a knife on the invisible door edge, marking the traces related to land and time. The solstice of winter has arrived, and the sun is brighter every day. A hearty winter solstice meal warmly opened the first day of winter.