What are the customs of winter solstice?

The winter solstice is one of the traditional Chinese festivals with rich and diverse customs. Here are some of the winter solstice customs:

1. Eating soup dumplings: On the winter solstice, people will eat soup dumplings, which is a round food made of glutinous rice. Soup dumplings symbolize reunion and wholeness, so on the winter solstice, family members will get together and ****taste soup dumplings together to express their expectation of family reunion.

2. Longevity Noodles: In some places, people also eat longevity noodles on the winter solstice. Longevity noodles are long noodles that symbolize longevity and health. The custom of eating longevity noodles means wishing for a long and healthy life for yourself and your family.

3. Ancestor Worship: The Winter Solstice is also an important day for ancestor worship. Many people will go to their ancestral tombs or temples and burn incense to pay respect to their ancestors and express their respect and longing for them.

4. Worshiping the God of Zao: On the Winter Solstice, people also worship the God of Zao. Zaoshen is the guardian of the kitchen, and people will make offerings to Zaoshen on this day to show their gratitude and pray for good luck in the coming year.

5. Sunbathing: The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year, so people try to get as much sunlight as possible on this day to get the warmth and energy of the sun.

6. Winter Solstice Prayer: On the winter solstice, people will pray for good luck and a good harvest in the coming year. Temple fairs and lion dances are also held in some places to celebrate the winter solstice.

Overall, the winter solstice is an important traditional festival in which people express their expectations for family reunion, good health and longevity, and pray for good luck in the coming year by eating soup dumplings and longevity noodles, and by making offerings to ancestors and the god of the stove. At the same time, the winter solstice is also a celebration of sunshine and warmth, and people try to get as much sunshine as possible to capture the energy of the sun.