The Winter Solstice Festival originated in the Han Dynasty, flourished in the Tang and Song Dynasties, and has been passed down to this day. Lu even said that the winter solstice is as big as a year. This shows that the ancients attached great importance to the winter solstice.
People think that the winter solstice is a natural transformation of Yin and Yang and a blessing from heaven. In the Han Dynasty, the winter solstice was the "Winter Festival", and the government held a congratulatory ceremony called "He Dong", which was a routine festival. There is such a record in the Book of the Later Han Dynasty: "Before and after the winter solstice, a gentleman was prepared for danger in times of peace, refused to listen to politics, and chose an auspicious day to save trouble."
So on this day, the imperial court had a holiday, the army was on standby, the frontier fortress was closed, the business trip was closed, relatives and friends sent meals to each other, visited each other, and had a "quiet" holiday happily.
In the Tang and Song Dynasties, the solstice in winter was the day of ancestor worship. On this day, the emperor went to the suburbs to hold a ceremony to worship heaven. On this day, people must worship their parents. There are still some places to celebrate the winter solstice.
Winter solstice legend
1. There used to be a saying in old Beijing that "winter solstice wonton, summer solstice noodles". According to legend, during the Han Dynasty, the Xiongnu in the north often harassed the frontier, and the people were restless. At that time, there were two leaders, Xiongnu tribe and Tun tribe, which were very cruel. The people hated it, so they wrapped it into a corner with meat stuffing and called it "wonton" with the sound of "muddy" and "swallowing". I hate eating, and I want to quell the war and live a peaceful life. Because wonton was originally made on the winter solstice, every family eats wonton on the winter solstice.
Secondly, it is said that the custom of eating dog meat in winter began in the Han Dynasty. According to legend, Liu Bang, Emperor Gaozu of Han Dynasty, ate dog meat cooked by Fan Kuai on the solstice in winter, which was particularly delicious and full of praise. Since then, the custom of eating dog meat from winter solstice has been formed among the people. Nowadays, people eat dog meat, mutton and all kinds of nutritious food on the solstice of winter, which is a good sign for the coming year.
Thirdly, there is a custom in Jiangnan water town that the whole family get together to eat red beans and glutinous rice on the night of winter solstice. According to legend, * * * Gong was a troubled wit who died in the winter. Become a plague ghost after death and continue to harm the people. However, this epidemic ghost is most afraid of red beans, so people cook red bean rice from winter solstice to drive away the epidemic ghost and prevent diseases.
Fourth, why eat jiaozi on the winter solstice!
Every year, during the winter solstice of the Lunar New Year, jiaozi is an indispensable holiday feast for both the rich and the poor. As the saying goes: "On October 1st, when the solstice of winter comes, every family eats jiaozi." This custom was left in memory of Zhang Zhongjing, a "medical sage", who gave up medicine from the winter solstice.
Zhang Zhongjing is from Gedong, Nanyang. He wrote Treatise on Febrile Diseases, which is a masterpiece of doctors. Quhanjoule decoction has been regarded as a classic by doctors in past dynasties. Zhang Zhongjing has a famous saying: "if you advance, you will survive;" If you retreat, you will save the people; " You can't be a good doctor and you can't be a good doctor. "When the Eastern Han Dynasty was the magistrate of Changsha, he visited the sick and took medicine and practiced medicine in the lobby. Later, he resolutely resigned and went back to his hometown to treat his neighbors. When he got home, it was already winter.
He saw that the villagers on both sides of the Baihe River were sallow and emaciated, hungry and cold, and many people's ears were frozen. He asked his disciples to build a medical shed and a cauldron in Dongguan, Nanyang, and give up their homes in winter solstice to treat frostbite. He cooked mutton and some herbs to dispel the cold in a pot, then took out the mutton and chopped the medicine to make ear-shaped Joules and bread. After cooking, he distributed two Joules and a big bowl of broth to everyone who came to ask for medicine.
People ate "Joule" and drank "Quhan Decoction", and they were all hot, their ears were hot, and their frostbitten ears were cured. Later generations learned the appearance of Joule and packaged it into food, also called "jiaozi" or "flat food".
When you eat jiaozi on the solstice in winter, you will never forget the kindness of Zhang Zhongjing, a "medical sage", in "Quhan Joule Decoction". Up to now, there is still a folk song in Nanyang, which is called "jiaozi Bowl, and nobody cares about frozen ears." .
Winter solstice custom
In the Qing Dynasty, some flag-bearers prayed for disaster relief. At five o'clock on the solstice in winter, we invite our cousins and close friends to gather in the yard and sit on the floor, providing a low table with a "heaven and earth yard" or memorial tablet to kill pigs and sacrifice to heaven. By the way, an "ancestor pole" (a flagpole two or three feet high, with a gourd-shaped top and a "Diao Dou" at the bottom, with a flag hanging under the bucket to represent ancestors) was offered.
After the sacrifice, relatives and friends sit around and eat "white meat", which is called "Shenyu".
Southerners visit Beijing, and some people hold banquets to worship their ancestors. At the same time, colleagues or close friends are invited to have dinner together. Yan customs are not important for winter festivals. Old Beijingers don't want this.
On the day of winter solstice, a grand ceremony was held in all the streets of the capital.
At the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty, the Taoist took a kiss and went to the table to celebrate the Buddha's birthday. According to Taoism, the Buddha in the early Yuan Dynasty symbolizes the first century when chaos and Taoism were not divided. Therefore, people have the custom of eating dolphin. "Yanjing Years Old" says: "The shape of husband's wonton is like a chicken egg, which is quite similar to the chaos of heaven and earth, so it is eaten from winter to the sun." In fact, "wet wonton" and "chaos" are homophonic, so people extend eating wonton to break the chaos and create the world.
Later generations no longer explain its original meaning, but spread the proverb "Wonton from winter to the sun, and from summer to the sun", treating it simply as a seasonal diet.
After the emergence of the "Nine-Nine Cold Fighting" in September, some scholars and scholars flocked to engage in so-called cold fighting activities. They chose a "nine days" to welcome nine people to drink ("wine" and "nine" are homophonic), and there are nine dishes and nine bowls on the table. Those who finished the table used "nine flowers" to mean "nine years' plan to cool the cold".
The food of winter solstice festival varies from place to place, with wonton in the north, jiaozi in the northwest, glutinous rice balls and horse history in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Suzhou people eat jiaozi on the solstice in winter, also known as "jiaozi on the solstice in winter", which is divided into two types: Zongzi and Zongzi. "Jia Qinglu" says: "Those who have stuffing are zongzi, and the winter solstice is the first day and night sacrifice; The small ones without stuffing are pink, and the solstice in winter is also for the gods. "