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What are the traditional customs of the winter solstice? What's the difference in diet between the n

As the saying goes, 'the winter solstice is like a year'. On December 21 or 22 of each year, when the sun reaches the longitude 270 DEG, the solstice begins. Long ago, the winter solstice has become an ancient and important festival in China. Since the winter solstice continues, there are also some customs to keep, so what are the customs about the winter solstice?

Customs of the winter solstice: ancient traditional customs

1, sacrifice

The winter solstice is also known as winter festival and cross winter. It is not only one of the 24 solar terms, but also a traditional festival in China. There was a saying that "winter solstice is as big as the year". The court and the people have always attached great importance to it. Since the Zhou Dynasty, there have been sacrificial activities.

2. Eating dumplings

On the winter solstice of the lunar calendar every year, no matter rich or poor, dumplings are indispensable Festival meals. There is a saying: 'on October 1st, when the winter solstice comes, every family eats dumplings. This custom was left in memory of Zhang Zhongjing, the doctor of medicine.

Eating dumplings on the winter solstice is not to forget the kindness of "medical saint" Zhang Zhongjing "Quhan Jiaoer soup". Up to now, Nanyang still has the ballad that "the winter solstice is not good for dumpling bowl, no one cares about it when it's frozen.".

3. Jiujiuxiaohan

After entering the ninth year, some literati and literati began to engage in the so-called cold elimination activities. They chose one 'nine' day to meet nine people to drink wine ('wine' and 'nine' are homophonic), nine dishes and nine bowls were used on the seats, and 'nine pieces of flowers' were used for the table, so as to take the meaning of nine nine to eliminate cold.

Nine nine cold song: Nineteen, twenty-nine don't go; three nine, four nine ice walk; five nine to six nine, along the river to see willows; seven nine ice open, eight nine swallows come; nine nine plus one nine, cattle everywhere.

The traditional eating customs in the north and south of the winter solstice

1. Beijing wonton

In the past, there was a saying in old Beijing that "winter solstice wonton and summer solstice noodles". It is said that in the Han Dynasty, the northern Xiongnu often harassed the border areas and the people were not peaceful. At that time, Hun clan and Tun clan were two leaders of Xiongnu tribe, which were very ferocious. The common people hated it so much that they wrapped it with meat stuffing, took the sound of "Hun" and "Tun" and called it "wonton". Hate to eat, and seek to put down the war, to live a peaceful life. Because wonton was first made on the day of the winter solstice, every family eats wonton on the day of the winter solstice.

2. Southern dumplings

On the winter solstice of the lunar calendar every year, no matter rich or poor, dumplings are indispensable Festival meals. There is a saying: 'on October 1st, when the winter solstice comes, every family eats dumplings. This custom was left in memory of Zhang Zhongjing, the doctor of medicine. Northerners eat chaos, southerners make dumplings.

3. Mutton and dog meat

It is said that the custom of eating dog meat in the winter solstice began in the Han Dynasty. According to legend, Liu Bang, the emperor of the Han Dynasty, ate the dog meat cooked by fan Kuai on the winter solstice. He thought it tasted delicious and praised it. Since then, the custom of eating dog meat has been formed in the folk. Now people are eating dog meat, mutton and all kinds of nourishing food on the day of winter solstice in order to have a good omen for the next year.

4. Red bean rice

In the south of the Yangtze River, there is a custom that the whole family gather together to eat red bean and glutinous rice on the night of the winter solstice. It's said that Gonggong family had many misdeeds and died on the day of the winter solstice. After his death, he became a plague ghost and continued to harm the people. However, this epidemic ghost is most afraid of red beans, so people cook red bean rice on the day of the winter solstice to drive away the epidemic ghost and prevent disasters and diseases.

5. Taiwan glutinous cake

In Taiwan, there is also a tradition of offering sacrifices to ancestors with nine layer cakes at the winter solstice. The animals symbolizing auspiciousness, such as chickens, ducks, turtles, pigs, cows and sheep, are made of glutinous rice flour. Then they are steamed in layers with steamers to offer sacrifices to ancestors to show that the ancestors will not forget. People of the same surname and ancestry gathered in ancestral temple to worship their ancestors one by one at the winter solstice or at the early date of the agreement according to the order of the elders and children, commonly known as' ancestor worship '. After the ceremony, there will be a large banquet to entertain the ancestors. We drink and communicate with each other for a long time, which is called "ancestor eater". The ancestors of winter solstice have been handed down from generation to generation in Taiwan to show that they do not forget their roots. Radish, green vegetables, tofu, agaric, etc.

6. Suzhou winter wine

Suzhou attaches great importance to the solar term of the winter solstice. There is a saying in Suzhou: "the winter solstice is like the Spring Festival". The traditional Gusu family will drink winter wine on the winter solstice night. Winter wine is a kind of rice wine, which is brewed by adding osmanthus, with pleasant fragrance. People in Gusu drink wine in winter solstice night, at the same time, they will be served with a variety of marinated vegetables, such as beef, mutton and so on. In the cold winter, wine making in winter can not only dispel the cold, but also express the good wish of Suzhou people for life.

7, Ma CAI

MACI, a specialty of Zhejiang and Jiangxi Province, is also a traditional snack of fujianren and a sacrifice of fujianren. It is suitable for steaming, frying, roasting and sand frying after being dried in the shade. Macci is also a famous snack in South Fujian, which is most famous in the production of Nan'an Yingdu. Its raw materials are superior glutinous rice, lard, sesame, peanut kernel, ice sugar, etc. Ma CI is sweet and delicious. It can endure hunger after eating. It has a sweet and smooth taste, and it is soft and tough with little ice. The finished product is bright white, smooth, tough and transparent.