On the winter solstice, although the sun is low and the day is short, the temperature of the winter solstice is not the lowest in meteorology. In fact, because there is still "accumulated heat" on the surface, it is usually not very cold before the winter solstice, and the real cold is after the winter solstice. Because of the great difference in climate in different parts of China, this kind of winter with climatic significance is obviously late for most parts of China. The winter solstice marks the beginning of the cold season, and the people begin to count nine to calculate the cold weather (folk proverb: "The summer solstice is three Geng, and the winter solstice is nine).
The winter solstice is one of the eight festivals of the year. Since ancient times, our ancestors have had the tradition of offering sacrifices to their ancestors on the winter solstice to show their filial piety and never forget their roots. Due to the different manners and customs in different places, the forms of ancestor worship are also different. While offering sacrifices to ancestors, they also offer sacrifices to the gods of heaven and earth. The offerings mainly include three sacrificial meals, three teas and five wines.
In many parts of northern China, it is a custom to eat jiaozi on the winter solstice every year. According to legend, Zhang Zhongjing, a medical sage, saw the frozen people when he retired from his old age, so he used mutton, some cold-dispelling herbs and dough to wrap them in the shape of ears, made a medicine called "cold-dispelling and ear-correcting soup" and gave it to the people. Later, on the winter solstice, people imitated eating and formed a custom.