Category: Traditional Chinese Festivals

During the Spring Festival, every household usually sticks posters of various sizes bearing the Chinese character "Fu"(meaning "good fortune") on

During the Spring Festival of every year, all families in both urban and rural areas traditionally handpick a pair of

Introduction
“Winter Solstice” falls between the periods of December 21 to December 23. One thisday, the day is the shortest and night is the longest in the year. After this day, manyplaces in China go through the coldest period, which is called in Chinese, “Shu Jiu”,meaning counting nine. In total, there are nine periods with nine days for each. In thefirst and second nine days, people keep their hands in pockets; in the third and fourthnine days, people can walk on ice; in the fifth and sixth nice days, people can seewillows along the river bank; in the seventh and eighth nine days, the swallow comesback and in the ninth nine days, the yak starts working. “Winter Solstice” is not only asolar term but an imp0rtant festival. People eat Jiaozi in north China and eat TangYuan, rice dumpling in south China.

Recommended Dumplings
Every Winter Solstice, dumpling restaurants are crowed with people like a pot crowded with dumplings. As the saying goes, “laying down is the most comfortable, and the dumpling is the most delicious.” The dumpling is very popular on the Winter Solstice, when the custom in Beijing is to “have dumplings on the Winter Solstice and noodles on the Summer Solstice.” In addition, it is said that with the dynamic integration of meat and vegetables, dumplings are suitable for the elderly, and very nutritious.

According to Chinese custom, the time between the beginning of the winter to the winter solstice is the best period of time for nourishing the human body. People call it “winter nourishment”. The correct tonic methods can strengthen body and keep people slim.

Expressing My Feelings after Reading My Old Poems on the Winter SolsticeBy the Qianlong Emperor (Qing Dynasty)

In the northern areas of China:There is an old saying in Beijing that goes, “have wontons (hun tun) on the Winter Solstice and noodles on Summer Solstice.” It is said that during the Han Dynasty, the northern tribes often harassed the northern border of China, and the people there suffered from the invasion. At that time, the two leaders of the tribes with the surnames “Hun” and “Tun” were the cruelest. People hated them so much that they made dumplings filled with spiced minced pork, and named them “huntun” (wonton). By eating them, people released their hatred of the brutal leaders, and prayed for peace. Because they happened to make the dumplings on the day of the Winter Solstice, people decided to have wontons on that day.