Beijing, December 21 (Reporter Shangguan Yun Wang Shibo) In the twenty-four solar terms, the "winter solstice" is a relatively special existence: it is the auspicious day in the hearts of the ancients, and there is even a saying that "the winter solstice is as big as the year".
After many years of evolution, what do people eat today for the winter solstice? How did it go? In this regard, the reporter received a variety of different answers in random interviews: dumplings, tangyuan, pots... Behind the diet, there is no lack of longing for loved ones.
Infographic: The tangyuan made is very colorful. Photo by Yang Bo
What do you eat for the winter solstice?
Dumplings or rice balls?
Now when it comes to some festivals, "eat something" is often the simplest and most direct way to celebrate the festival, and the winter solstice is no exception. However, depending on the region, there may be some slight differences in diet.
For many northerners, "eating dumplings" is an iconic symbol of the winter solstice. Ms. Cui from Liaoning remembers that the old man said that eating dumplings during the winter solstice will not freeze the ears of children.
But for Ms. Lin of Fujian, the food memory of the winter solstice may be related to the tangyuan, which is wrapped in peanuts, sesame seeds and other fillings, which means peace, "It is a holiday blessing, as if eating tangyuan is one year older." ”
Mr. Huang said that he is an Anhui native, and there are more pots and pans eaten in his hometown during the winter solstice, "This is warmer, especially when the winter solstice is relatively cold, when eating, everyone sits together and eats pots and pans is still quite atmospheric." ”
Not only that, Ms. Liu of Tianjin said that in addition to eating dumplings, the family may also eat rice cakes, which means "picking up the little people"; in addition, some people say that in some places in Shandong, it is popular to drink mutton soup on this day, warm and cold.
No matter what you eat, what is more memorable is probably the scene of family reunion and harmony when you were a child: now that you are older, everyone is busy with their own work, and they rarely get together, so they will miss the winter solstice more.
Data chart: The picture shows the five blessing dumpling feast for the winter solstice. Photo by Han Zhangyun
Folklore expert Wang Juan explained that some important festivals or festivals, diet is particularly marked. Many festivals in China, everyone eats together, there is more of a channel of mutual communication, enhance family affection and mutual relations.
"The winter solstice is as big as the year"
Not just food, the winter solstice has a long history.
The winter solstice is one of the twenty-four solar terms, and the time is set very early. Its characteristics are also obvious," mid-November. When the cathode reaches, the yang qi is born. The solstice of the sun is short, the solstice of the sun is long, so it is called the winter solstice. ”
If according to the traditional theory of the five elements of yin and yang, the winter solstice is an important solar term for the "transformation of yin and yang", so there is also a saying that "the winter solstice is a yang birth", and the setting of the leap month is based on the winter solstice. The ancients believed that this was a lucky day.
According to records, the first month of the Zhou calendar is November of the Summer Calendar, that is, the first month of the Zhou Dynasty is equivalent to the current November. At that time, the Zhou Dynasty celebrated the New Year with the winter solstice as the first year. Therefore, there is not much difference between Bai Nian and He Dong.
In the Han Dynasty, the winter solstice was still an important time node. In the Book of the Later Han Dynasty, it is said: "Around the winter solstice, a gentleman settles down and meditates, a hundred officials do not do anything, do not listen to the government, choose auspicious chen and then save things." "At this time, the whole court should take a holiday to rest.
On the winter solstice, people prepare rich diets and worship their ancestors. Elder Meng of the Southern Song Dynasty wrote in the Tokyo Dream Record:
"November winter solstice. Although the poorest people accumulate false loans within a year, they are more likely to wear new clothes, prepare food, and enjoy the ancestors. Officials let go of the gate and celebrate the exchanges, just like the New Year's Festival. ”
"Sometimes, therefore, people think that it is right." At the time of the winter solstice, in these ceremonies held by people, there is precisely filial piety to the ancestors, not forgetting the original, and wishing for a better life.
Hope and warmth
The winter solstice is located in the season of the replacement of the old and the new, and in the concept of the ancients, it naturally has a more special cultural meaning.
Infographic: People hanging winter solstice wind chicken and wind meat. Photo by Xiao Yahui
For example, on the cold day of "counting nine", it is popular to fill in the nine-nine cold map for entertainment, it is usually a double hook red calligraphy, from the winter solstice to fill a stroke in the order of strokes every day, until the spring after the ninety-nine returns to the earth, a nine-nine cold map is completed.
Or buy a painting with eighty-one plum blossoms on it, and when you start counting nine, you will order one after a day, and all the plum petals will be dyed red, and spring will arrive. Its meaning is the same, I hope to be safe and complete, and I can get through the winter smoothly.
With the passage of time, the world is changing rapidly, and today's winter solstice, many customs may have gradually faded. But when it comes to the winter solstice, people may not care about how to satisfy the taste buds and kill time, but its own meaning.
This is because the winter solstice is near the end of the year, the Spring Festival to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new is coming soon, and the footsteps of spring are slowly approaching. Although the weather is cold, it always contains a strong sense of hope and warmth. (End)