Today, I will briefly introduce the nine customs of the Winter Solstice Festival.
First, ancestor worship
Sacrificing ancestors is a common custom activity in many festivals in China, and the winter solstice is one of them. In the Records of Chinese National Customs, there is a saying of "Winter Solstice Festival, which is also called" Ghost Festival ". In our China people's mind, the significance of the ancestors' souls to the family can be compared with the power of the gods of heaven and earth to the country, and we should not be careless or neglect them. Sacrifice, whether in a temple at home or in a graveyard, is to offer delicious and delicious things to ancestors as much as possible.
Second, eat jiaozi
In most parts of northern China, there is a holiday custom of eating jiaozi on the winter solstice. Eating jiaozi, also known as eating "frozen ears", originated from a legend in the Han Dynasty. When Zhang Zhongjing was an official in Changsha, when he retired from his old age and returned to his hometown, it coincided with the snowy winter, and the wind was biting, and many people's ears were frozen. He was very sad, so he asked his disciples to set up a shed in Guandong, Nanyang, cook it in a pot with mutton, peppers and some herbs to drive away the cold, then fish it up and chop it up, make it look like an ear with a flour bag, then cook it in a pot and give it to the people. After everyone ate it, their ears would be all right. Later, on the winter solstice, people would imitate it and eat it as "frozen ears". Later, they called it "jiaozi".
Third, eat wonton
Eating wonton on the winter solstice was first popular in the Southern Song Dynasty. According to legend, Zhao Gou, Song Gaozong, loves wonton cooked by the chef, because once the wonton was not cooked, someone would send the chef to Dali Temple for punishment, but because only the chef could cook wonton, Zhao Gou pardoned him. Later, the method of making wonton spread to the people, and there were more and more varieties and patterns. Every household ate wonton during the Winter Solstice Festival, which led to the saying "Winter Solstice Wonton Summer Solstice Noodles".
Fourth, 99 to eliminate cold
As soon as the winter solstice arrives, it will enter the cold weather. From the winter solstice, every nine days is divided into a "nine" * * * divided into nine "nine", and when it is 8 1 day, it is "nine peach blossoms".
Since the Qing Dynasty, old Beijing has had the eating customs of "Jiujiu Hot Pot" and "Jiujiu Wine and Meat" to cool the cold. In the middle of Jiujiu, you have to eat ten hot pots, and there are ten different contents in ten hot pots, but all of them are hot pots, usually instant-boiled mutton, which is very popular in the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China.
Five, eat mutton
According to legend, Liu Bang, Emperor Gaozu, ate mutton cooked by Fan Kuai on the winter solstice, which was particularly delicious and full of praise. Since then, the custom of eating mutton on the winter solstice has been formed among the people in order to have a good omen in the coming year.
Six, eat dumplings
The traditional custom of eating glutinous rice balls on the Winter Solstice Festival has been established in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Especially in the south of the Yangtze River, glutinous rice balls are an essential food in the winter solstice, which means "reunion" and "perfection". Eating glutinous rice balls in the winter solstice symbolizes family harmony and auspiciousness.
Seven, winter solstice shoes.
In the winter solstice festival, people have the habit of giving children shoes and hats. Giving shoes and hats is mainly in the hope that children can grow up healthily. In the past, it was mainly hand embroidery, but now most of them are bought from the market, and the form is also keeping up with the trend of the times.
Eight, eat red bean glutinous rice
According to legend, * * * Gong had a son who did many evils and finally died on the winter solstice. After his death, he became an epidemic ghost and continued to harm the people. But this epidemic ghost is most afraid of red beans, so people cook red bean rice on the winter solstice to ward off evil spirits, prevent disasters and get rid of diseases.
Nine, Suzhou winter brewing
Gusu area attaches great importance to the solar term of the winter solstice, and there is a saying in the local area: "The winter solstice is like a New Year". Traditional people in Gusu drink winter wine on the night of the winter solstice. In the cold winter, winter wine-making can not only drive away the cold, but also place the hope of Gusu people for a better life.