The custom of eating jiaozi during the Spring Festival.

The custom of eating jiaozi during the Spring Festival.

When it comes to China New Year, many people think of getting together as a family to pack jiaozi. Jiaozi is a must at the dinner table. Especially in the north of China, eating jiaozi in jiaozi has become an important activity for most families to celebrate New Year's Eve. As the saying goes: "It's freezing in the cold, so eat jiaozi in the New Year." China New Year is the biggest festival in China. In order to have a good year, the old farmers began to get busy as soon as they entered the threshold of the twelfth lunar month. Starting from the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, commonly known as "off-year", the countdown to the New Year begins, lanterns are decorated, couplets are put up, and the courtyard is cleaned to prepare for a reunion year for distant relatives. On New Year's Eve, the most important activity is to package jiaozi with the whole family.

According to documents, the custom of eating jiaozi in the Spring Festival appeared at the latest in the Ming Dynasty. Then it is particularly noteworthy that by the Qing Dynasty, this custom had become very common and had been fixed. This custom is related to the ancient timing method in China. In ancient China, the twelve earthly branches were used to record the time of day. We divide every day into twelve time periods, so the beginning of every day is noon, which is equivalent to the time from 23: 00 to midnight 1: 00 today. Then at the end of each year, at the age of 30, this is not just the replacement of the old and new days, but the replacement of the old and new years. People in China call it "jiaozi". People in China pay great attention to boundaries, especially the boundaries of saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new. At this time, we should do some ceremonies and pray for good luck in the coming year. Therefore, eating jiaozi, jiaozi and this "jiaozi" at this time is just a homonym, and jiaozi has such a rich cultural meaning, which was gradually formed by China people. During the Spring Festival, on the first day of the New Year, when eating jiaozi, it is a custom for us to eat jiaozi. For China people who respect their families, on New Year's Eve, the snow outside the window is silent, the lights inside are warm and the pot is steaming. All my thoughts and blessings are wrapped in that thin dumpling skin! The red flame boiled the water, and the more it was cooked, the more delicious it became. Accompanied by firecrackers to bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new year, jiaozi is full of beautiful expectations for the coming year.