The winter solstice is an important solar term among the 24 solar terms, and it is also a festival for people to worship their ancestors. Generally, it is on1February 2 1 day or 22/23, and on the lunar calendar 1 1 month. The winter solstice is the longest night and the shortest day. The winter solstice means that the coldest weather pattern begins, and nine cold winters are this period.

According to the records of the Zhou Dynasty, people used the winter solstice to worship the sky in the suburbs, and because the first month of the Zhou calendar was November in the summer calendar, the first month in the Zhou Dynasty was equal to our present November, so there was no difference between worshipping the New Year and celebrating the winter. It was not until the adoption of the summer calendar by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty that the first month and the winter solstice were separated. Therefore, it can be said that the "Winter Festival" was only celebrated after the Han Dynasty, flourished in the Tang and Song Dynasties, and has been in existence ever since.

The winter solstice is as big as a year

The winter solstice, with both natural and humanistic connotations, is not only an important solar term among the 24 solar terms, but also a traditional folk festival in China, which is known as "the winter solstice is as big as a year". Winter solstice, the winter solstice is the starting point of the sun's return. Since the winter solstice, the height of the sun has risen and the daytime has increased day by day. The winter solstice marks the rebirth of the sun and the movement of the sun back and forth into a new cycle.

Therefore, the ancients regarded the winter solstice as a "lucky day". Among the eight festivals of the year, the winter solstice was as important as beginning of spring's New Year's Day. In southern China, there is the custom of offering sacrifices to ancestors and feasting on the winter solstice. In the northern part of China, it is a custom to eat jiaozi every winter solstice.