Winter Solstice: shortest day, cold season begins
Winter Solstice, also called "Winter Festival" or "Celebrating Winter," is the 22nd solar term among the 24 solar terms, and the fourth solar term of winter. It occurs annually between December 21-23 on the Gregorian calendar, when the sun reaches 270° ecliptic longitude. Winter Solstice day is when the Northern Hemisphere experiences its shortest daylight and longest night of the entire year. After Winter Solstice, daylight gradually lengthens.
Ancient people believed that Winter Solstice is the turning point where yin reaches its extreme and yang qi begins to emerge, called "the birth of one yang." From this point forward, yang qi rises and all things begin to revive. Folk saying goes "Winter Solstice is as important as New Year," and many places treat Winter Solstice as a major festival, with customs including ancestor worship, eating dumplings, and eating tangyuan (glutinous rice balls).
First Pentad - Earthworms Curl Up: Earthworms curl into balls underground to resist the cold.
Second Pentad - Elk Shed Their Antlers: Elk sense yang qi beginning to sprout, and their antlers begin to shed.
Third Pentad - Springs Begin to Move: Underground water begins to flow as yang qi subtly stirs.
Daily Routine: Sleep early and rise late, begin activities after daylight appears. Emphasize warmth, especially for head, neck, back, and feet. Maintain appropriate indoor temperature and humidity, avoid excessive dryness.
Diet: Warm tonification to nourish yang, eat more warm foods like lamb, beef, walnuts, and longan. The south has customs of eating tangyuan on Winter Solstice, while the north has traditions of eating dumplings. Avoid raw, cold, and chilling foods.
Exercise: Moderate exercise, avoid profuse sweating to prevent damaging yang qi. Recommend gentle exercises like tai chi and baduanjin qigong.
Mental Well-being: Maintain peaceful mind, avoid excessive anxiety. Winter is suitable for quiet nourishment, reduce expenditure, and accumulate energy for the coming year.
Counting Nine Cold Days: Winter Solstice is the starting point for counting nine, with folk "Counting Nine Song": "First nine, second nine, hands stay in pockets; third nine, fourth nine, walk on ice..." used to calculate cold days.
Ancestor and Heaven Worship: Winter Solstice was an important sacrifice day in ancient times. The emperor would worship heaven at the Temple of Heaven on Winter Solstice, while common people worshipped ancestors and prayed for blessings.
Food Customs: The north eats dumplings (with saying "If you don't eat dumplings on Winter Solstice, your ears will freeze off and no one will care"), the south eats tangyuan (symbolizing reunion and perfection), and Jiangnan region eats red bean glutinous rice.
Winter Celebration Rituals: Relatives and friends exchange gifts, called "paying winter respects" or "celebrating winter," embodying human care and concern.
Winter Solstice is one of the earliest determined solar terms among the 24 solar terms. As early as over 2500 years ago during the Spring and Autumn period, China was already observing the sun using earth gauges and had determined Winter Solstice.
Astronomical Significance: On Winter Solstice day, the sun directly illuminates the Tropic of Capricorn (23°26′ south latitude), solar altitude angles throughout the Northern Hemisphere reach their annual minimum, and daylight hours are shortest. Afterward, the point of direct sunlight gradually moves north, and daylight in the Northern Hemisphere gradually increases.
Calendrical Status: Ancient times treated Winter Solstice as the beginning of the year, with saying "Winter Solstice is as important as New Year." The Zhou Dynasty considered Winter Solstice as the year's beginning, and the Han Dynasty formally established Winter Solstice as a festival.
