Winter Solstice (Winter Solstice), is a very important solar term in Chinese lunar calendar, is a traditional festival of the Chinese nation, the Winter Solstice commonly known as the "holiday", "long to festival", "age", etc, as early as two thousand five hundred years ago in the spring and autumn period, China has been formed, the observation of the sun, the determination of the Winter Solstice, it isThe 24 solar termsOne of the earliest developed, the time in a year of the Gregorian calendar on 23 December 21 solstice, this day is the day was shortest in the northern hemisphere, the longest day of the night;In this day and in many parts of the northern ChinaEat dumplings, southern custom of eating dumplings, saying: the winter solstice to eat dumplings, and poetry and film and television works about the solar terms.

A basic understanding

Solar terms defined

The winter solstice is one of the 24 solar terms, and is one of the most important solar term.Is snow before the winter solstice (December 7-9, cross section), after the winter solstice is a slight cold cross section (the following January 4-6), the winter solstice is December 21 solstice December 23, cross section.

The name meaning

The ancients of the winter solstice is: to the cathode, sun be the spirit be valid, south to, short of to, it is to long, so yue "winter solstice".

Solar term timeCommon date

The winter solstice is generally in the Gregorian calendar on December 22, or on December 23, this two days.Because of the winter solstice is not fixed to a particular day, therefore, as the tomb-sweeping day, known as "living day.

Geographical sense extremum day and night

Modern astronomical science, the winter solstice sun tropic of Capricorn (also known as the tropic of Capricorn), sunshine in the northern hemisphere's tilt, the day was shortest in the northern hemisphere, the longest night.After the winter solstice, the sun is slowly to the tropic of cancer metastasis.

The lunar reference

In the traditional Chinese theory of Yin and Yang five elements, the winter solstice is the key to the transformation of Yin and Yang of solar term.In twelve monarch divination for mines after hexagrams, known as the winter solstice sun.Yi yue: first the king that day retreat, not for business.At the same time, the leap month set is on the basis of the winter solstice (because total in during the winter solstice, built during the son, for that week the first month of the lunar calendar).

The winter solstice is the lowest altitude of the sun, sunshine time the shortest, the ground absorbs more heat than the loss of heat, started the "bitter" after the winter solstice, every nine days for a "9".To before, during and after the "san-jiu" ground up the least amount of heat, is also the coldest weather, so "cold in san-jiu", and "jiujiu" has a summer in January and February, China most has the spring, so "jiujiu sunny days".

The winter solstice legend

A, there used to be "the summer solstice winter solstice wonton noodles" in old Beijing.From the han dynasty, the northern xiongnu often harassed the frontier, and the people.At the time the huns tribes have muddy and the chariot's two princes, ferocious.It is anathema to the people, then wrapped meat into corners, "muddy" and "chariot" voice, calling for "wonton".Hate to eat and to quell the war, can live a peaceful life.For initially made wonton is the winter solstice this day, in the winter solstice this day every household to eat wonton.

Second, the winter solstice the custom of eating dog meat is starts from the han dynasty.According to legend, the emperor gaozu liu bang had hurried to cook in the winter solstice this day of dog meat, feel special taste delicious, full of praise.From now on in the folk form the custom of the winter solstice to eat dog meat.Now people are in the winter solstice this day, to eat dog meat, mutton, and all kinds of nourishing food, in order to have a good one million next year.

Third, in the south of the lower reaches of the yangze river, with the winter solstice eve the whole family together, a total of the tradition of eating red bean sticky rice.According to legend, gong gong's have no wit, evil, died in the winter solstice this day, become ghosts, after the death of continue killing people.However, the most afraid of the ghosts of red bean, as a result, the people is cooked on the day of winter solstice eat red bean meal, to ward off evil spirits, disaster prevention illnesses.

The climate characteristics

Astronomy, the winter solstice as the beginning of the winter, that for most areas in China, apparently partial later.Average temperatures during the winter solstice, the northwest plateau is generally under 0 ℃, the south is only about 6 ℃ to 8 ℃.However, southwest low altitude valley area, even in the coldest in early January, the local average temperature above 10 ℃, still can be autumn go flat, throughout the year without winter.

The folk custom activities

The ancient memorial

Winter festival also called yesterday, hand in winter.It is one of the 24 solar terms, is a traditional festival of the han nationality, has "the winter solstice as big as a year", the court and the folk has always attached great importance to, since the zhou dynasty ritual activities.

The rites of spring, officer of god, shi ":" in the winter, and to the god ghost."Purpose is to pray for and eliminate the epidemic disease of the land, reduce the years of famine and hunger and death of the people.

"Were" : "before and after the winter solstice, the gentleman place quiet body, baiguan off."Pick out "can", psalteries blowing sheng, play the "law" of huang, to show celebration.

Recorded in the journal of the Book of Jin has "wei-jin winter solstice by all nations and the current ChenHe...The instrument than the discussion."

Tang and song dynasty, with the winter solstice and paying equal attention to the beginning.Southern song dynasty old meng wei menghua "Tokyo recorded", "winter solstice in November.Jingshi heaviest in this section, although to the poor, between one year, under the guise of accumulated, so far, more new clothes, caterers, diet XiangSi ancestors.Officer to put off, celebrate, as festival."

Ming and qing dynasties emperors have to worship, of "winter solstice jiao days".There has to be given to a emperor, table officials ritual, but also to each other for congratulations, likeNew Year's DayThe same.But not for winter solstice festival folk, but some of the relevant activities.

Yang away cold

Into nine later, some literati and scholar-bureaucrat flow, make the so-called cold activity, choose the "nine", meet nine people drinking (" wine "and" nine "homophonic), bench with nine plate nine bowl, into a table with" nine "seat, to take jiujiu away cold.Folk is popular fill jiujiu cold figure for recreation.Yang cold figure is usually a double elimination MiaoHong calligraphy, there are numerous "weeping willow treasure before court for spring breeze" nine words, every word 9, eighty-one, starting from the winter solstice day according to the stroke order fill a stroke, every pieces of filling in a word, nor after until jiujiu, a cold jiujiu disappear figure in order to be home and dry.Add color according to the stroke used every day in the day's weather decision, sunny is red;Yin is blue;The rain is green;The wind is yellow;Then fill in the white.

In addition, there is the picture version of jiujiu cold figure, also known as "elegant", cold plum is drawing pictures on the nine branches, each branch of nine flower, a corresponding matters, a corresponding to a day, according to the actual weather every day with a specific color fill a plum blossom.Yuan dynasty Yang Yunfu recorded in the luanhe river Beijing miscellaneous poems: "try a few window between jiujiu figure, Yu Han as warm back early.Plum blossom point 徧 frank white, see today is apricot trees."

The most elegant jiujiu cold figure for nine body couplet.Nine strokes every nine words, every word, every day in different fill a ShangXiaLian, such as written with "spring waters hanging spring LiuChun dye spring beauty";Bottom allied with "autumn qiu yuan hang fall persimmon chou-heung", called jiujiu away cold Spring Festival couplets.However, no matter what kind of jiujiu cold figure, at the same time of killing time, entertainment body and mind, simple also recorded the climate change.Is said to have experienced the old man, can also according to Yang cold figure, infer how much rain this year and key.

Modern folk

In many regions have the custom of worshiping the winter solstice this day, now there are still some places such as jiangsu and zhejiang in minnan area in winter solstice this day is a holiday to celebrate.

Also have with the weather of the winter solstice and folk to successively, to predict the weather in the future.Proverb says: "the winter solstice in the first, to the end of the cold;In colder winter solstice in each month, in the first month;The winter solstice in months, no snow didn't cream "(which is based on the arrival of the winter solstice, sooner or later speculated that the arrival of cold morning and evening).Proverb says: "the winter solstice black, New Year's day thin;Winter solstice hydrophobic, celebrate the black "(means: the winter solstice this day without the sun, so New Year's day must be a sunny day, on the contrary, if the winter solstice sun, New Year's day will beIt rains)

Traditional diet

Winter solstice is the opportunity of preserve one's health, mainly because of "gas began in winter".Because from the beginning of the winter, start by turning tide life activity, by regulated static.Now science health help ensure exuberant energy and prevent premature aging, prolong life.Winter solstice diet should be diverse, valley, fruit, meat, vegetable &fruit reasonable collocation, appropriate chooses high calcium food.

Around the winter solstice has different customs, in the north, people will eat dumplings, the tradition of eating wonton, southern region in this day to eat rice dumpling and long noodle habits, and people in the south of jiangsu during the winter solstice eat leeks Fried tofu.

Beijing wonton

There used to be "the summer solstice winter solstice wonton noodles in the old Beijing".From the han dynasty, the northern xiongnu often harassed the frontier, and the people.At the time the huns tribes have muddy and the chariot's two princes, ferocious.It is anathema to the people, then wrapped meat into corners, "muddy" and "chariot" voice, calling for "wonton".Hate to eat and to quell the war, can live a peaceful life.For initially made wonton is the winter solstice this day, every family on the winter solstice day to eat wonton.

Dumplings together

Winter solstice this day lunar calendar, rich or poor, rice dumplings is indispensable festival.Proverbs cloud: "October, the winter solstice that every household to eat dumplings."This custom, it is because of the memory of "the medical sage" zhang zhongjing winter solstice medicine left.The eastern han dynasty when he served as changsha satrap, pesticide applying to disease, the lobby to practice medicine.Resolutely resigned after home, for the citizen. Its home, it is winter.Cold and hungry, he saw the white river on both sides of the folks sallow and emaciated, some people's ears were frozen rotten.Let its disciple in nanyang dongguan set up medical tents, pitched cauldron, on the day of the winter solstice "jiao ear" treating chilblain.He put the lamb and some cold medicine on pot boiling, then put the lamb chop, drug out, with a kind of bread into the ear "jiao ear", which has been boiled, give to those who ask medicine each two "jiao ear", a large bowl of soup.People ate "jiao ear" and a "remove cold soup", and warm, fever, two ears frostbite ears were cured.After learning the "jiao ear" appearance, package into food, also called "dumplings" or "dumpling".

Dog meat

The winter solstice the custom of eating dog meat is starts from the han dynasty.According to legend, the emperor gaozu liu bang had hurried to cook in the winter solstice this day of dog meat, feel special taste delicious, full of praise.From now on in the folk form the custom of the winter solstice to eat dog meat.Now people are in the winter solstice this day, to eat dog meat, mutton, and all kinds of nourishing food, in order to have a good one million next year.

Red beans and rice

In the south of the lower reaches of the yangze river, there is the winter solstice eve the whole family together, a total of the tradition of eating red bean sticky rice.According to legend, gong gong's have no wit, evil, died in the winter solstice this day, become ghosts, after the death of continue killing people.However, the most afraid of the ghosts of red bean, as a result, the people is cooked on the day of winter solstice eat red bean meal, to ward off evil spirits, disaster prevention illnesses.

Taiwan's delicious cake

Taiwan in China also keep the tradition of the winter solstice with nine layer cake ancestor worship, glutinous rice powder molded into chickens, ducks, turtles, pigs, cattle, sheep and other symbol propitious like ferro longevity of animals, and then use bamboo steamer layered steamed into, used to worship ancestors, to show does not forget ancestors.Namesake consanguinity agreed on or before and after the winter solstice at an early date, set to the ancestral shrine in sequence according to his birthright, ancestor worship, commonly known as the "ancestor worship".After the festival, will also big banquets, entertain to ancestor worship of the clan.You drink, very unfamiliar feeling, contact each other after referred to as "food."Winter festival ancestors, has been passed from generation to generation in Taiwan, in time for their "roots".Carrots, vegetables, tofu, black fungus, and so on.

Suzhou winter wine

Gusu region of winter solstice attach great importance to the throttle gusu areas they cloud: "the winter solstice, such as annual".Traditional gusu somebody else, you will be in the winter night to drink wine, winter winter wine is a kind of rice wine, add osmanthus brewing, pleasant aroma.Gusu people in winter solstice winter night drinking wine at the same time, still can match with spiced beef, stewed mutton, etc all kinds of keeping.In the cold winter, winter wine to drive not only cold, but also for gusu people to the life of a good wish.

The poetry

Often accompanied by night and day, short abandon CARES, HuanLeSheng, small dumpling to warm my heart cold, more 0.1 million wins gold and silver.

- Qiao Jinlong "winter solstice to"

Days of personnel, urging, the winter solstice YangShengChun again.Five lines add weak line embroidery, dynamic Jia six tubes of fly ash.Shore to la will ShuLiu, mountain cold rushed to put the plum.Cloud township not different countries different, teach the son cup, palm.

- du fu "from"

Year after year to day long for the guest, huhu turn mudkill!Jiang described on my old alone, customs since the skyA blind date.Quinoa rod of Dan, after a jade ring his zichen.Heart at this time there is no inch, road where fans at integrating ecology?

- du fu "winter solstice"

Hall handan yi on the winter solstice, tuck before the lamp shadow body.To night to sit in the home, should also be said that the travel.

- bai juyi "handan winter night think home"

Eight fruit incense flower paper money silver, eight and eight Jane.The family held a memorial service to honor heroes sacrifice to ancestors.

- Zhang Zhizhen "winter solstice offering"

Care regimen

Acupuncture on point

Winter solstice is the Yin and Yang two gas natural transformation, the transition of Yin and Yang of moxibustion god que acupuncture point is the best time to stimulate the body rising sun be the spirit.

Four days before, during, and after the winter solstice, coupled with the winter solstice this day, a total of nine days, the article can use moxa moxibustion CV 8 point method of preserve one's health.The article ai points after the navel as the center, smoked burning around the navel.Be careful not to hot into the skin, have warm feeling.Once a day, 15-20 minutes at a time.

CV 8 point is the insides, ren meridian, strong pulse cycle line land on its feet, the root of facts, for the attachment of human nature and nurture.Moxibustion CV 8 point can be yiqi Yang, warming the kidney and spleen, functions of dehumidification, explored the inverse, WenTong meridians, to reconcile blood, very good to the body, may even make people are sick less often in the second year.

Avoid living appropriate

The winter solstice is one of the most important solar term in zhang, mainly because of "winter sun".Winter solstice to the slight cold, severe cold, it is the coldest season, the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure tends to increase, contracts "stroke" is increased, the day is cold also prone to frostbite.

During the winter season, therefore, for patients with high blood pressure, arteriosclerosis, coronary heart disease, be especially vigilant, beware of attack, the following precautions should be taken:

1. Pay attention to cold warm.When the temperature dropped below 0 ℃, timely to add clothes, pajamas to heat preservation performance is good, soft and loose, should not wear too tight, the blood flow.

2. Reasonable diet daily life, don't drink, don't smoke, don't overwork.

3. Keep a good state of mind, emotional stability, happy, don't angry, irritable, and depression.

4. Proper exercise from the cold, wait like stick with cold water washs a face at ordinary times, improve the ability of the body's adaptability to cold and cold.

5. Observe and note any changes at any time, go to a hospital checking regularly, the necessary drugs, control the development of the illness, nip in the bud.

Winter season also notice the old man's low temperature.Low temperature is 35 ℃, for too low a temperature below 35 ℃.Due to the old man there after low temperature, may do not have any discomfort and pain, so often overlooked.The onset of hypothermia in elderly patients, more slowly, or even life-threatening also has no obvious symptoms.These patients generally do not appear chills, but can not get timely treatment will appear fuzzy consciousness.Language is not clear, then coma, body temperature and immediately dropped to below 30 ℃.At this point, the little patient's pulse and respiration, blood pressure drop, facial swelling, muscle stiffness, skin appears cool feeling.Therefore, in the cold winter, the old man's bedroom cold heat preservation measures should be taken.