The winter solstice, also known as "Winter Festival" and "Happy Winter", is one of the twenty-four solar terms in China and one of the eight astronomical solar terms, which is opposite to the summer solstice. The winter solstice begins when the sun reaches 270 degrees of the yellow meridian, which is about 65438+February 22 of the Gregorian calendar every year. According to legend, the solstice in winter is the New Year's Day of the Zhou Dynasty in history, and it was once a very lively day. On the winter solstice, the direct position of the sun on the ground reaches the southernmost point of the year and almost directly reaches the Tropic of Capricorn (23 26' south latitude).
On this day, the northern hemisphere gets the least sunshine, 50% less than the southern hemisphere. The days in the northern hemisphere are the shortest, and the farther north they are, the shorter they are. Winter solstice is an important solar term in the China lunar calendar, and it is also a traditional festival of the Chinese nation. The winter solstice is usually called "Winter Festival", "Dragon solstice Festival" and "Asian New Year". The legend of eating mutton from the solstice to the winter solstice comes from this: the custom of eating mutton from the solstice to the winter solstice is said to have begun in the Han Dynasty.
traditional custom
According to legend, Liu Bang, Emperor Gaozu of Han Dynasty, ate mutton cooked in Fan Kuai on the solstice of winter, which was particularly delicious and full of praise. Since then, the custom of eating mutton from winter solstice has been formed among the people. On the solstice of winter, people eat mutton and various nourishing foods one after another in order to have a good omen for the coming year. Now Tengzhou, Shandong Province, this day is called Fujiu, and gifts such as mutton will be given to elders before the festival.
Every family in Fujiu should drink mutton soup, which is a good sign for individuals, elders and families. With the arrival of the winter solstice, it indicates that the winter of the new year will come again. So from this day on, people who are physically weak and afraid of the cold can start to take supplements in winter. As a warm food, mutton is most suitable for winter tonic.