The winter solstice usually falls between December 21st and December 23rd of the Gregorian calendar. Because the winter solstice is not fixed on a specific day, it is called "live festival" like Qingming. The winter solstice in 22 is on December 21st.

As early as the Spring and Autumn Period more than 2,5 years ago, China had observed the sun with Tugui and determined the winter solstice, which was the earliest of the 24 solar terms, and the time was between December 21st and 23rd in the solar calendar, which was the shortest day and the longest night in the northern hemisphere.

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Diet on the winter solstice

1. Mutton soup

Every winter solstice, mutton is eaten everywhere. As the saying goes, "Three-nine supplements one, winter", and warming mutton is regarded as a good tonic in winter. For ordinary people, eating mutton is one of the main ways to make up for the cold in winter. Chinese medicine and medicine pay attention to "four seasons and five supplements", among which "nourishing" in winter is a timely tonic method. Eating mutton on the winter solstice is to keep out the cold and nourish.

2. Tangyuan

Tangyuan on the winter solstice, also known as Winter Festival Pills and Winter Solstice Tuans. Eating glutinous rice balls on the winter solstice is ancient. After making dumplings, you should worship the gods and ancestors, and then eat them around the family, which is called "adding years." The winter solstice group can be used to worship ancestors or to give gifts to relatives and friends.

there is a saying in Chaoshan that "one year after eating the winter festival round", among which "the winter festival round" is the glutinous rice balls. Eating dumplings on the winter solstice is particularly popular in Jiangnan, and there is a saying among the people that "eating dumplings is one year older".