In old Suzhou, in addition to winter wine, winter solstice meat, winter solstice meatballs and stew, there is one thing that is essential, and that is "winter solstice board". "Winter solstice plate" is a gift box given to each other by the old Suzhou people before the winter solstice festival. In the past, rich people used boxes made of mahogany, while ordinary people used simple bamboo boards.
In the "winter solstice plate", there are winter wine, cakes and snacks, red beans and glutinous rice and other winter solstice foods. In recent years, the "Winter Solstice Board", which is deeply loved by Suzhou people, combines local customs, including "wine, rice, tea, jiaozi, fruits, pickled products" and other foods.
On the night of winter solstice, the family get together to eat red beans and glutinous rice. According to legend, the family who worked together was incompetent and evil, and died on the winter solstice. Become an epidemic ghost after death and harm the people. This child is most afraid of red beans, so people cook red bean rice on the solstice in winter to ward off evil spirits and get rid of diseases.