Eating jiaozi on the winter solstice is a custom of the Han nationality.

Popular in most northern areas, it refers to the custom of eating jiaozi or wonton on the winter solstice. Pan Rongbi (Qing Dynasty) Ji Sheng at the age of Emperor Jing: "Tomorrow is a winter night, and besides worshipping ancestors' soup and rice, we offer them with fine meat stuffing. The so-called' Winter Solstice Wonton Summer Solstice Noodles' is also a legacy. "

As the saying goes, "Winter solstice in jiaozi, summer solstice in noodles". Most parts of the northern part of the motherland will eat dumplings or wonton on this day. Some even drink, it is said that drinking is to warm the body, and eating jiaozi is afraid of freezing your ears. So how to eat jiaozi on the winter solstice to keep out the cold and keep healthy? This should start with the different fillings in jiaozi.

the winter solstice, commonly known as the "winter festival", is an important solar term in the China lunar calendar. On this day, because the sun points directly at the tropic of Capricorn, the days in the northern hemisphere are the shortest and the nights are the longest. After the winter solstice, the days in the northern hemisphere will get longer and the nights will get shorter. In ancient times, Chinese people had the saying that "the cathode arrives, the yang begins, the sun goes south, the sun is short, and the sun is long, so it is called the winter solstice". In Qing Jia Lu, there is also the saying that "the winter solstice is as big as a year", which is enough to show that the ancients attached great importance to the winter solstice. On the land of China, it is a colorful winter solstice diet custom handed down.

The winter solstice is a great opportunity for health preservation, mainly because "Qi begins at the winter solstice". Because from the beginning of winter, life activities began to turn from prosperity to decline, from dynamic to static. At this time, scientific health preservation helps to ensure vigorous energy and prevent premature aging, so as to achieve the purpose of prolonging life. ? During the winter solstice, the diet should be diversified, and the grains, fruits, meat and vegetables should be reasonably matched, and high-calcium foods should be appropriately selected. Food should be light, not thick, greasy and salty food. In winter, the yang is declining, and the spleen likes warm and hates cold, so it is appropriate to eat warm products to protect the spleen and kidney. Eating should be small and frequent. We should pay attention to "three more and three less", that is, there are more protein, vitamins and cellulose, and less sugar, fat and salt.

the origin and legend of the winter solstice festival

the winter solstice festival originated in the Han dynasty, flourished in the Tang and song dynasties, and has been in existence ever since. Qing Jia Lu even says 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 it is a blessing given by 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 holiday. There is such a record in the Book of the Later Han Dynasty: "Before and after the Winter Solstice, a gentleman lived in peace, refused to listen to politics, chose auspicious days and then saved trouble." Therefore, on this day, the court will have a holiday and rest, the army will be on standby, the frontier fortress will be closed, business trips will be closed, relatives and friends will give each other food, visit each other, and have a "quiet" festival happily.

In the Tang and Song Dynasties, the winter solstice was a day to worship the ancestors. On this day, the emperor went to the suburbs to hold a ceremony to worship the heavens. On this day, the people had to worship their parents. Now, some places still celebrate the winter solstice.

Carrot mutton stuffing

Carrot has always been known as "small ginseng". Compendium of Materia Medica records that it can regulate and tonify the middle energizer, harmonize the stomach and intestines, and soothe the five internal organs. Modern research has also found that it can provide nutrients to resist heart disease, hypertension and arteriosclerosis, and also help the liver to metabolize alcohol. And mutton tonifies qi and nourishes blood, warming the middle and warming the kidney. This dumpling is suitable for the elderly with insufficient qi and blood, weak waist and knees and frequent urination; It is more suitable for people with spleen and stomach deficiency and cold, as well as girls with dysmenorrhea due to cold. In addition, because carrots can also soften the skin, enhance skin resistance, and have a cosmetic effect, it is also a veritable beauty and anti-aging food.

I think everyone is familiar with the saying "winter depression" in onion and beef stuffing. In addition, in winter, many women often feel cold hands and feet, and there are some small pimples on their faces that are not red or swollen. If you have these situations, you can try the dumplings with onion and beef stuffing. Because onions can strengthen the stomach and digestion, calm the liver, moisten the intestines, induce diuresis and sweat. Beef is warm, nourishing the spleen and stomach, benefiting qi and blood, strengthening bones and muscles, and can make people feel refreshed.

white radish, pork and auricularia auricula stuffing

white radish is good for invigorating spleen, promoting digestion and resolving phlegm. Pork is flat in nature, which can tonify deficiency and increase strength. Compendium of Materia Medica says that it can tonify kidney and qi failure. Auricularia auricula is flat, which can replenish qi and blood, tonify kidney and relieve constipation. Modern research has found that it can reduce cholesterol and blood viscosity. This dumpling is very suitable for people who usually have kidney deficiency; For healthy people, it is in line with the health preservation method of nourishing Tibet and tonifying kidney in winter. In addition, for patients with high cholesterol and high blood pressure, or those who are afraid of gaining weight and dare not eat pork, you can eat dumplings stuffed with white radish, pork and black fungus to relieve your appetite. If there are students or high-intensity mental workers at home, you can also add some black sesame seeds on this basis, which can not only tonify the kidney and strengthen the brain, but also prevent greasy.