The Tang Xianzu Memorial Hall in Fuzhou is a comprehensive cultural venue built to commemorate Tang Xianzu, one of the world’s hundred great cultural figures and a master of Ming‑dynasty drama in China. It is also one of Jiangxi Province’s ten major memorial halls dedicated to historical luminaries.
The Twenty-Four Solar Terms at the Soup House | The Winter Solstice Brings Deepening Chill, Yet Warm Companionship Warms the Cold Winter
Author:
Source:
Tang Xianzu Memorial Hall Official Account
Time:
2023-12-21
01
Winter Solstice solar term
Introduction to the Winter Solstice
The Winter Solstice, also known as the Winter Festival, “Ya Sui,” or the Longest‑Day Festival, embodies both natural and cultural significance. It is the twenty-second of the Twenty-Four Solar Terms and the fourth solar term of winter, as well as a traditional folk festival in China.
The Winter Solstice, when the Big Dipper points toward the North Pole and the Sun reaches a celestial longitude of 270°, falls between December 21 and 23 on the Gregorian calendar. As one of the eight seasonal festivals, it was traditionally marked by folk rituals of worshipping deities and honoring ancestors.
The Winter Solstice is regarded as a major winter festival, and popular tradition holds that “the Winter Solstice is as important as the New Year.” Accordingly, ancient people referred to it as the “Second New Year” or the “Little New Year.”
As early as the Spring and Autumn period, more than 2,500 years ago, China was already using a sundial to observe the sun and had determined the winter solstice.
Because the ancients believed that the winter solstice marked the natural transformation of yin and yang and was a blessing bestowed by Heaven, during the Tang and Song dynasties it became the day for worshipping Heaven and honoring one’s ancestors. The emperor would go to the outskirts of the capital to perform the grand rite of sacrifice to Heaven, while common people paid homage to their parents and elders. After the Song dynasty, the winter solstice gradually evolved into a festival for offering sacrifices to ancestors and deities. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, on the day of the winter solstice, the emperor would hold a grand ceremony of sacrifice to Heaven, known as “Winter Solstice Sacrifice to Heaven.”
During this period, folk traditions include ancestor worship and family gatherings. Consequently, the Winter Solstice is also known as “Little New Year,” with the saying, “The Winter Solstice is as important as the New Year.” Later, customs such as ancestral rites and family meals during the Spring Festival likewise trace their origins to the Winter Solstice.
On this day, most of northern China eats dumplings, while the south enjoys tangyuan. In Putian, the winter solstice is celebrated with particular grandeur; a local proverb in the Puxian dialect goes, “The winter solstice night is grander than New Year’s Eve, and the winter solstice morning surpasses the first day of the lunar new year,” underscoring just how deeply it is cherished. Over generations, this tradition has given rise to Putian’s distinctive winter solstice culture.
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The Three Hou of the Winter Solstice
The ancient Chinese divided the winter solstice into three hou: “First hou, earthworms coil up; second hou, elk antlers shed; third hou, springs begin to flow.”
Earthworm knot
Legend has it that earthworms are creatures of yin that curl up and yang that stretch out; though yang energy has begun to grow, yin remains powerfully strong, and the earthworms in the soil still coil their bodies.
Deer antler shedding
On the winter solstice, elk antlers shed; experts reveal this marvel of nature: velvet antlers grow in, then harden again in May and June of the following year.
The elk and the deer belong to the same family, yet they embody opposite yin and yang. Ancient thinkers held that the elk’s antlers grow backward, thus symbolizing yin; and at the winter solstice, when yang begins to arise, the elk, sensing the gradual waning of yin energy, sheds its antlers.
The spring is flowing.
As yang energy is just beginning to arise, the mountain springs at this time are flowing and pleasantly warm.
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Winter Solstice Customs
The Winter Solstice is a uniquely Chinese traditional festival, and different regions observe it with their own distinct customs. These traditions vary from place to place, often differing in content or specific details.
Custom No. 1: Eating dumplings on the Winter Solstice
As the saying goes: “When the Winter Solstice arrives, it’s time to eat dumplings.” The Winter Solstice marks the official arrival of winter and the onset of the coldest period of the year. In most parts of northern China, people traditionally enjoy dumplings on this day; these dumplings are also called “jiaozi,” symbolizing the transition from the old to the new. Thus, eating dumplings at the Winter Solstice holds special significance.
As the tradition of eating dumplings on the Winter Solstice spread, it gradually came to carry many symbolic meanings. For example, because dumplings resemble ingots, eating them on this day is said to bring wishes for prosperity, along with other auspicious connotations such as harmony, happiness, and family reunion.
Custom No. 2: Eating tangyuan on the Winter Solstice
On the winter solstice, while dumplings are popular in northern China, tangyuan—sweet glutinous rice balls—are more commonly eaten in the south. Eating tangyuan is one of the traditional customs of the winter solstice, especially prevalent in southern regions. Tangyuan is an indispensable food for the occasion: a round dessert made from glutinous rice flour, with the round shape symbolizing reunion and completeness. Eating tangyuan on the winter solstice is also called “dongzhi tuan” (winter-solstice reunion). There is a folk saying: “Eat tangyuan and you’ll be a year older.”
Custom #3: Eating wontons on the Winter Solstice
One of the traditional customs of the Winter Solstice is eating wontons, a practice that first gained popularity during the Southern Song Dynasty. Historical records indicate that, to honor their ancestors, people would make and eat wontons on this day. Over time, the custom spread widely, giving rise to the popular saying, “Wontons at the Winter Solstice, noodles at the Summer Solstice.” Today, enjoying wontons has become a cherished traditional custom across China, beloved by people everywhere.
Custom Four: Drinking Winter Brewed Wine
In some parts of the Jiangnan region, the Winter Solstice is held in high regard; there is a popular saying: “The Winter Solstice is as important as the New Year.” Traditionally, families would drink “winter‑brewed wine” on the evening of the solstice. Originally known as “Winter‑Sun Wine” or “Dongyang Wine,” this beverage was enjoyed to ward off the cold and celebrate the arrival of the solstice, while also embodying people’s hopes for a better life. The spirit behind winter‑brewed wine is that, amid the chill of winter, wine serves to warm the heart, expressing both a love for life and an eager anticipation of what lies ahead.
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Winter Solstice Reunion
In short, the Winter Solstice is one of China’s traditional festivals and a significant occasion, celebrated through feasting, participating in activities, and observing rituals.
Different regions and ethnic groups have their own unique ways of celebrating and customs, yet all convey people’s hopes and blessings for the New Year. The Winter Solstice is not only a traditional festival but also a time to express love and care, as well as an important means of passing down cultural heritage.
Chinese people place great importance on family togetherness, and the spirit at the heart of the Winter Solstice festival is precisely that—reunion. On this day, whether one enjoys tangyuan or sips “winter‑brewed wine,” the festival’s true meaning lies in reminding us to show more care and concern for our loved ones, to cherish our families, to nurture our children and respect our elders, and to love ourselves and the life we lead.
At the time of the winter solstice, on this special occasion, we wish you all good health and happiness, joy and laughter, family togetherness, and a life filled with love and fulfillment!
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