Eating dumplings is a traditional custom from winter solstice, especially in the south of the Yangtze River. Shanghai belongs to the south. It eats jiaozi on the solstice in winter. In the past, Shanghainese paid the most attention to eating glutinous rice balls. At the family dinner, everyone tasted the newly brewed sweet white wine, flower cakes and glutinous rice balls, and then sacrificed their ancestors with meat.

What kind of custom food do you eat on the solstice of winter in Shanghai?

Eating jiaozi on the solstice in winter is a traditional custom in China, especially in the south of the Yangtze River. There is a folk proverb that eating jiaozi is one year older, which means eating jiaozi is one year older on the solstice in winter. "Tangyuan" is an indispensable food in winter. Tangyuan is also called tangtuan, and eating tangtuan on the solstice in winter is also called "the solstice reunion in winter", because "round" means "reunion" and "perfection" and is a blessing for family reunion in the coming year. According to the records of Qing Dynasty, Jiangnan people made dough with glutinous rice flour covered with lean meat, bean paste and shredded radish. The winter solstice group can be used to worship ancestors or give gifts to relatives and friends. In the past, Shanghainese paid the most attention to eating jiaozi. In winter solstice family banquets, jiaozi is an essential seasonal food besides newly brewed sweet white wine and steamed flower cakes. An ancient poem said, "Every family beats rice to make glutinous rice balls, knowing that it is the winter solstice of the Ming Dynasty."

Shanghainese still have the habit of eating eight-treasure porridge on the solstice in winter. I've heard of this. I don't know if it's accurate or not. There is a custom of eating red bean glutinous rice, but eight-treasure rice is different from red bean glutinous rice. Legend has it that in ancient times there was a son who worked together, ignorant and evil. Later, he died on the winter solstice. After his death, he became a plague ghost to harm the people. However, this ghost is most afraid of red beans, so people cook red bean rice one after another on the solstice in winter to ward off ghosts and evil spirits and prevent disasters.

Shanghainese worship their ancestors and sweep graves on the winter solstice;

Shanghainese also have the custom of worshipping ancestors and sweeping graves from winter solstice. In the past, before drinking sweet rice wine and eating flower cakes and glutinous rice dumplings on the red winter solstice, Shanghainese had to put meat pieces on the table to pay homage to their ancestors. It's almost the same as Tomb-Sweeping Day, except that we will have a reunion dinner in Shanghai when we are in Tomb-Sweeping Day. It may be related to ghosts when worshipping ancestors, so people are required to go home early.

Some netizens said that it is said that all chickens, ducks, hooves, tofu, vegetables, fish and eggs will go to the grave on the solstice in winter. All chickens and ducks say that they should leave their heads and tails, and their ancestors must sacrifice. Without sacrifice, they will not make a fortune.