Winter Solstice

Winter solstice is a very important solar term in Chinese Lunar calendar. Being a traditional holiday as well, it is still now celebrated quite often in many regions.

The winter solstice is commonly know as the “winter solstice”, long to the day”,” yage” and so on.

As early as 2,500years ago, about the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), China had determined the point of Winter Solstice by observing movements of the sun with a sundial. It is the earliest of the 24 seasonal division points. The time will be each December 22 or 23 according to the Gregorian calendar.

The Northern hemisphere on this day experience the shortest daytime and longest nighttime. After the Winter Solstice, days will benete longer and longer, and the coldest clime will invade all the places on the Northern part of the globe. We Chinese always call it “jinjiu”, which means once Winter Solstice comes, we will meet the coldest time a head.

As ancient Chinese thought, the yang, or muscular, positive thing will benete stronger and stronger after this day, so it should be celebrated.

Ancient china pay great attention to this holiday, regarding it as a big event. There was the saying that “Winter Solstice holiday is greater than the spring festival”.

In some parts of Northern China, people eat dumpling on this day, saying doing so will keep them from frost in the upneting winter.

While southerners may have dumplings made by rice and long noodles. Some places even have the tradition to offer sacrifices to the heaven and earth.