Eating glutinous rice balls is also a traditional custom during the Winter Solstice, especially popular in Jiangnan. "Tangyuan" is a must-have food during the Winter Solstice. It is a round dessert made of glutinous rice flour. "Yuan" means "reunion" and "completeness". Eating glutinous rice balls during the Winter Solstice is also called "Winter Solstice Tuan".

There is a folk saying that "eating glutinous rice balls makes you one year older". The Winter Solstice group can be used to worship ancestors, and can also be used to exchange gifts with relatives and friends. In the old days, Shanghainese were most particular about eating glutinous rice balls. There is a poem from the ancients that goes: "Every family pounding rice to make glutinous rice balls knows that it is the winter solstice in the Ming Dynasty." "Yuan" means "reunion" and "completeness". Eating glutinous rice balls during the Winter Solstice symbolizes family harmony and good luck.

On the day of the winter solstice every year, the night is the longest, and after the winter solstice, it gradually becomes shorter. In the past, in urban and rural areas of Chaoshan, there was a custom of worshiping the "Commander" with sweet glutinous rice balls, preparing three animals to worship ancestors and sweeping the tombs on the Winter Solstice. The tomb sweeping during the Winter Solstice was called "winter paper". If a person dies less than three years ago, descendants should visit their graves during the Qingming Festival to celebrate the spring, and later on during the winter.