In ancient China, beginning of winter was divided into three stages: the beginning of still water and ice; The second waiting place began to freeze; Waiting for the flood is a cockroach. "This kind of solar water can already form ice; The land also began to freeze; In the third stage, pheasant refers to a big bird similar to pheasant, and pheasant is a big clam. After beginning of winter, big birds like pheasants were rare, but you can see big clams with similar lines and colors at the seaside. Therefore, the ancients thought that pheasants would become big clams in early winter.

Understanding "beginning of winter" can't just stay in the sense of beginning of winter. Tracing back to the source, the ancient people's understanding of "establishment" is the same as that of modern people, both of which mean establishment and beginning. But the word "winter" is not so simple. In the ancient book "Twenty-four solar terms", the explanation of "winter" is: "Winter is the end, everything is harvested", which means that all crops in autumn are harvested, collected and put into storage, and animals have been hiding and hibernating. In a word, beginning of winter is to put everything away and avoid the cold in early winter.

The custom of beginning of winter

Eat dumplings

Beginning of winter solar terms mean autumn harvest and winter storage. China used to be a farming society. People who have worked for a year should take advantage of beginning of winter to have a rest and reward their families for their hard work over the past year. There is a proverb that "beginning of winter fills the winter and the mouth" is the best metaphor. In southern China, people like to eat some chicken, duck and fish in early winter. On this day in early winter in Taiwan Province Province, street restaurants such as "Mutton Stove" and "Ginger Duck" complement winter weddings. Many families will also stew sesame oil chicken and siwu chicken to supplement energy. People in northern China, especially those in Beijing and Tianjin, like to eat jiaozi. Why does beginning of winter eat jiaozi? Because intercourse comes from the saying of "sexual intercourse time". New Year's Eve is to say goodbye to the old and welcome the new, and beginning of winter is the turn of autumn and winter. When jiaozi is in love, he can't help eating. Nowadays, people have gradually restored this ancient custom. At the beginning of winter, all kinds of jiaozi are very popular.

He Dong is also called "Winter Worship"

This custom dates back to the Han Dynasty. Cui Ding's "Four-person Moon Order" in the Eastern Han Dynasty: "On the day of the winter solstice, wine and food are served, respecting the teacher of the old gentleman and welcoming it as a sunny day." On this day in the Song Dynasty, people put on new clothes and celebrated exchanges, just like New Year's Day. In the Qing dynasty, "the solstice is the winter solstice, and the literati pay homage to their elders and pay tribute to each other." Fine people, men and women, also bow to each other with fresher clothes, which is called "worship of winter" (see Ting Anne Lu, Volume XI). Since the Republic of China, the traditional customs of Hedong seem to have been simplified. However, some activities are gradually fixed, stylized and more universal. For example, in winter schools, teacher-worshipping activities are held in winter.

Winter school

Winter night is the longest and it is also the slack season, so it is the best time to hold a "winter school" in this season. Informal education in winter schools has various properties: for example, "literacy classes" recruit adult men and women with the aim of literacy; The "training class" recruits people with certain expertise, conducts professional knowledge training and cultivates talents; "Ordinary classes" are mainly to improve culture and popularize scientific and technological knowledge. The school site of winter school is mostly located in temples or public houses. Teachers mainly employ people from their own village or other villages to undertake it, and give them appropriate remuneration.

Take (sb.) as a teacher/teacher

In winter, many villages hold teacher worship activities, which is the season for students to visit their teachers. After winter, the school directors (school administrators) of urban and rural schools, with their parents and students, put four dishes, a pot of wine and a glass on the top of the plate and take fruits and snacks to the school to express their condolences to the teachers, which is called "learning from the teacher". Some teachers' families hold banquets for students who come to visit their teachers at the beginning of winter or winter solstice, as if it were an important thing. Hang a statue of Confucius in the court and write "Great Confucius, the most sacred teacher". The students prostrated themselves before the statue of Confucius and said, "Confucius, Confucius, Confucius! Confucius did not have Confucius before, and Confucius will be like Confucius in the future! " Then the students say hello to the teacher. After the ceremony, the students did housework at the teacher's house.