A classic quote for the winter solstice

The winter solstice is one of the twenty-four Chinese solar terms and one of the major traditional festivals in China. On the day of the winter solstice, the sun reaches its lowest point of the year, the day is the shortest and the night is the longest. And after this day, the sunlight gradually increases, the day is longer and the night is shorter, and the yang energy grows longer.

In traditional Chinese culture, the winter solstice is an important festival where people eat dumplings, soup dumplings, and drink wine, as well as some customs and traditional activities, such as ancestor worship, sunbathing, and dragon boat racing. Below, we will learn about the customs and traditional activities of the winter solstice together.

Custom 1: Eating Dumplings

Eating dumplings on the winter solstice is a traditional custom in northern China. It is said that dumplings are eaten because they are shaped like the sun on the winter solstice, and they are filled with a hot filling that makes them warm and delicious. On the winter solstice, families make dumplings, and friends and family gather to eat them and *** spend this cozy holiday.

Custom 2: Eating Soup Dumplings

Eating soup dumplings on the winter solstice is a traditional custom in southern China. Soup dumplings are small balls made of glutinous rice flour with sweet or savory fillings. Eating soup dumplings means reunion because they are shaped like the moon, which symbolizes reunion and peace in traditional Chinese culture. Therefore, on the winter solstice, southerners will eat soup dumplings in the hope of family harmony and reunion.

Custom 3: Sunbathing

On the Winter Solstice, the sunlight is at its shortest and the darkness is at its longest, so people will sunbathe on this day to replenish their body's yang energy. In traditional Chinese medicine, yang qi is the body's positive qi and is very important for good health. Therefore, on the winter solstice, people will choose a sunny place and sunbathe in order to strengthen their body's yang qi.

Traditional Activity: Dragon Boat Racing

In southern China, there is another important traditional activity on the Winter Solstice - dragon boat racing. Dragon boat racing is an ancient folk sports activity that originated in southern China. On the winter solstice, people will hold dragon boat races in rivers, lakes and seas to pray for a good harvest and smooth fisheries.

Besides the above customs and traditional activities, there are some other customs on the winter solstice, such as ancestor worship, cooking wine and burning incense. These customs and traditional activities are not only an important part of traditional Chinese culture, but also people's love for life and their bright future.