The lunar winter solstice is also called the long solstice, because the sun is extremely south and the shadows are extremely long, so it is also called the long day. My hometown is commonly known as "Great Winter" or "Winter Festival", and there are also sayings that "Great Winter is like a small year" and "Winter Solstice is not outside the New Year". In fact, the arrival of this day means the beginning of the nine-nine days. In ancient times, the winter solstice was considered an important festival. At that time, during the festival, the five emperors and the sun, moon and stars were worshiped at the suburban altar; the emperor led the three princes and nine ministers to welcome the new year. At that time, paying homage and offering sacrifices was no less a ritual than the Spring Festival. In the Wei and Jin Dynasties, it was slightly less than the Yuan Day. It can be seen that the saying that the Winter Solstice is like a small year has ancient origins. Du Fu, a man of the Tang Dynasty, wrote a poem about the winter solstice, "The sun brings forth spring and spring comes again." In the Tang Dynasty, the day before the winter solstice was called "New Year's Eve" and "Winter Residence". In the Song Dynasty, the folk customs of the winter solstice evolved into a lively celebration, with large court gatherings and celebration arrangements, just like the Spring Festival. In the winter, all the carriages and horses are freshly dressed, and the Ninth Street is already crowded in the morning; women and children are dressed in gorgeous clothes, and the crowds are like clouds. Stores are closed for three days to "make a festival"; wealthy people put more than ten colors of wontons on their dining utensils, which can be called "a hundred flavors of wontons", and it is nothing short of a food festival. Later, during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Wu customs observed that the winter solstice was as big as the new year, and the winter solstice was fat and the new year was thin, and festival gifts were given to each other. Relatives and friends carry baskets and carriers among themselves, and every family offers food to their ancestors, and occasionally hangs their ancestors' appearance as a souvenir. The families of scholar-bureaucrats pay homage to their elders; the common people must put on fresh clothes to bow to each other, which is called "paying homage to the winter" among the people. Therefore, there is a saying in Nantong that "the father-in-law with a dog's face comes to pay homage to the winter every year." During the winter, they grind flour to make dumplings with sugar, meat and vegetables. Fruit bean paste, shredded radish and other fillings are used to offer sacrifices to the stove. This reunion wishes everyone a happy life after the arrival of the New Year. In the old days, folk customs in my hometown during the winter included burning scriptures to worship ancestors, attracting profits from the market, and having reunions to honor family gods. The pastry shop sells colorful rice cakes. If there is a suitable woman, give it as a gift. Farmers pay rent and celebrate the winter; merchants drink market-friendly wine at night. Jiang Changqing, a poet from Nantong in the Qing Dynasty, said in his poem about bamboo branches: "At the winter solstice, which is a major festival, it would be disrespectful not to offer congratulations. Things at the east gate are still thrown away, and the old custom is to beat the old man." This custom is quite similar to playing football without protective equipment. It is probably an old custom inherited from tribes fighting each other in ancient times. Because this custom involves some barbaric harm, it was abolished in the early Republic of China. During the winter solstice in Shigang, “After finishing combing hair and cooking, it’s nine days before the winter solstice. We bow to each other at the long solstice, and we bow to the Heel Mansion to wish the New Year.” Gray-white flying butterflies, officials and merchants worship their ancestors alone." The ancients said that the winter solstice has one yang, and the twelfth lunar month has two yangs; the first month has three yangs, and the winter solstice is the first of the three yangs. When they come to the prime minister's house to meet each other and wish each other, they all say "three yangs and heel houses", which means that one yang does not exist. Congratulations. Gu Zhiyan, an eunuch and businessman in the Qing Dynasty, offered sacrifices to ancestors during the winter solstice, apparently following ancient folk customs. ———————————————————————————————————— The Winter Solstice is one of the “Eight Festivals” among Nantong folk people, usually on the tenth day of the lunar calendar. January. People in northern Nantong attach great importance to it. The day before is called "Little Winter", and the winter solstice is called "Big Winter", also called "Winter". There are folk customs such as burning incense, worshiping ancestors, paying homage to festivals, sweeping tombs, eating dumplings, etc. There are also trumpeters to "make winter". At that time, the farming work has been completed, and the farmers have to celebrate. There is a saying that "the big winter is like the small year". The so-called "small year" means, firstly, that the next year is approaching and there are not many days left; secondly, it means that the winter solstice is important. Historically, from the Zhou Dynasty to the Qin Dynasty, November in winter was once the first month and the winter solstice was the beginning of the year.

There are also sayings such as "winter for three years and four years", "winter prompts the new year", "after the winter solstice is the new year". "Winter Year Three and Four" means lighting three sky lanterns on the winter solstice and lighting four sky lanterns during the New Year. In the past, grain households (landowners) pressed for rent, and store checkouts also used the winter solstice as the deadline. The life of the poor was the most difficult at this time. This is the origin of the saying "to urge winter to cut off the new year."

On the morning of the winter solstice, the whole family eats new glutinous rice balls, and at noon or in the evening, they burn scriptures and worship ancestors. The store sells Wan Jin Gao. Rich families in the Yin Dynasty also cooked sugar-pickled lilies. After liberation, the custom of eating glutinous rice dumplings during the winter solstice continued, and there was still the practice of burning scriptures and worshiping ancestors.

There are four festivals a year in Nantong where it is customary to eat rice crumbs. They are the winter solstice, the first day of the first lunar month, the thirteenth day of the first lunar month (lantern lighting) and the Half Yuan Xiao Festival of the first lunar month. Eating dumplings on the winter solstice is a custom in Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas, while in the north people eat wontons, dumplings, etc. This is a difference caused by different products and food customs in different places.

During the winter solstice, Nantong people worship their ancestors, commonly known as "Shao Jing". At noon, they prepare four kinds of dishes including fish, meat, eggs, and tofu to commemorate their deceased relatives.

After the winter solstice, the "suns and days" will grow day by day, which is what the saying goes, "a green onion will grow after a winter"; the winter solstice is also the beginning of "counting nine", and the following minor cold and major cold will It is the coldest season of the year, just as the Nantong folk proverb says, "Heavy snow occurs every year, not in the third nine but in the fourth nine."