When I was young, almost every family would make dumplings to cook dumplings and eat them. A bowl of hot dumplings made me feel satisfied. So why do I eat dumplings in my childhood? What's the origin of Xiaonian eating dumplings?
Why does Xiaonian eat dumplings
The 23rd of December in most northern areas, known as the 'little year', means the end of the year. In the south, it is usually the 24th lunar month. Xiaonian is a festival to sacrifice the kitchen god. During the festival, people pay attention to eating dumplings, and take the idea of 'sending dumplings off to face the wind'.
Xiaonian is regarded as the beginning of the Chinese New Year. The ceremonious degree is similar to that of the Spring Festival. On Xiaonian's day, people in the north will surely have dumplings as the main food at their table. People who don't know will think that this is one of the expressions of respect for the small Year Festival. In fact, this is also inseparable from the kitchen god, because the people pay attention to eating dumplings and take the meaning of "sending off dumplings to face the wind". Eating dumplings is to send off the Kitchen God. When offering, the dumplings should be put on the altar properly. In addition, there is a folk saying that "delicious but dumplings". Every Spring Festival, dumplings become an indispensable food.
The origin of Xiaonian eating dumplings
Jiaoer, the original name of dumpling, is said to be the first invention of Zhang Zhongjing, the doctor of our country. His story of "Quhan Jiaoer Decoction" has been spread among the people.
According to legend, when Zhang Zhongjing was appointed as the chief of Changsha, he often treated diseases for the common people. One year, local plague prevailed. He built a big pot at yamen's entrance and gave up medicine to save people, which was deeply loved by Changsha people. Zhang Zhongjing returned home from Changsha just in time for the winter solstice. When he came to the Bank of Baihe River in his hometown, he saw many poor people suffer from hunger and cold, and their ears were frozen. At that time, typhoid fever was prevalent and many people died. He was very distressed and determined to save them. When Zhang Zhongjing came back home, there were many people asking for medical treatment. He was busy, but he always remembered the poor surnames with rotten ears. He imitated the method in Changsha, and asked his disciples to set up a medical shed and a big pot on a vacant lot in Dongguan, Nanyang, and open it on the day of the winter solstice to give medicine to the poor for treatment.
Zhang Zhongjing's medicine is called "Quhan Jiaoer Decoction", which is a summary of more than 300 years of clinical practice in the Han Dynasty. The method is to boil it in a pot with mutton, pepper and some Quhan herbs. After cooking, they are taken out and chopped, and then wrapped into ear shaped 'Jiaoer' with dough. After cooking in the pot, they are distributed to the patients begging for medicine. Each of them has two ears and a bowl of soup. After people eat Quhan soup, they get fever all over their body, their blood is smooth and their ears are warm. From the winter solstice to new year's Eve, the common people have resisted typhoid fever and cured the frozen ears.