Today is the winter solstice!
Release time:
21 Dec,2024
The Winter Solstice is the 22nd of the Twenty-Four Solar Terms and marks the shortest day and longest night in the Northern Hemisphere.
The winter solstice is also known as the Winter Festival or the Turning of Winter. Traditionally, people say, “The winter solstice is as important as the New Year,” and the arrival of the New Year is drawing ever closer.
// Winter Solstice solar term
The Winter Solstice is one of the four seasonal festivals and is regarded as a major winter holiday; in ancient folk tradition, it was said that “the Winter Solstice is as important as the New Year.” Customs associated with the Winter Solstice vary across regions, with differences in content or details. In southern China, there are traditions of ancestor worship and feasting on this day. In northern China, eating dumplings on the Winter Solstice has been a longstanding custom.
// Climate characteristics
Although the daylight on the winter solstice is short, temperatures are not at their lowest on that day; it does not get very cold before the solstice because the earth’s surface still retains accumulated heat. The true depths of winter arrive after the solstice. With the winter solstice marking the onset of colder weather, traditional folk begin counting “nine-day periods” to calculate the days of winter—each nine-day span is called a “nine,” and after eight such periods, eighty-one days have passed. When the ninth “nine” ends, “peach blossoms bloom,” signaling that the bitter cold has finally abated.
// Winter Solstice Customs
Eat dumplings
In many parts of northern China, eating dumplings on the winter solstice is a traditional custom. People in these regions eat dumplings on this day because the dish is believed to “ward off the cold.” To this day, a popular folk saying goes: “If you don’t eat dumplings on the winter solstice, your ears will freeze off and no one will care.”
“Take advantage”
In traditional Nanjing folk customs, tofu is also eaten on the winter solstice, symbolizing abundant blessings. Every year at this time, families across Nanjing prepare braised tofu with scallions, which is believed to bring good fortune and prosperity. This dish carries the additional meanings of “inviting blessings” and “ensuring lasting prosperity.” Similar to Nanjing, the winter solstice traditions in Taizhou, Yangzhou, Nantong, and other regions are broadly alike.
Eat tangyuan
Eating tangyuan is a traditional custom for the Winter Solstice, especially popular in the Jiangnan region. Tangyuan are an essential food on this day; the word “tangyuan” (sweet rice balls) sounds like “reunion” and “completeness,” so eating them at the Winter Solstice is also called “winter solstice reunion.” There is a folk saying that “eating tangyuan means you’re one year older,” symbolizing that after the solstice, people will welcome the new year and grow another year older.
// Winter Solstice Blessings
In this season of biting winds, we welcome the shortest day and longest night of the year—the Winter Solstice. At this special moment, Jintang Technology extends its warmest wishes to you and your family.
May this winter solstice bring you warmth and joy, and may every day be filled with sunshine and laughter for you and your family. We look forward to facing new challenges and seizing new opportunities together in the year ahead.
Wishing all the Jin Tang family a happy Winter Solstice and much happiness for the whole family! Don’t forget to eat dumplings!
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