The origin of the Beginning of Winter:
In ancient my country, the Beginning of Winter was divided into three periods: "The first period when water begins to freeze; the second period when the ground begins to freeze; the third period when pheasants enter the flood and become mirages." The solar term water has been able to freeze into ice; the land has also begun to freeze; the pheasant in the phrase "pheasants entering the flood water and turning into mirages" in the third season refers to large birds such as pheasants, and the mirages are large clams. After the beginning of winter, large birds such as pheasants will It is rare to see it, but you can see large clams with shells similar to the lines and colors of pheasants on the beach. Therefore, the ancients believed that pheasants turned into giant clams after the beginning of winter.
Our understanding of "Lidong" cannot just stop at the meaning of the beginning of winter. Tracing back to its origins, the ancients’ understanding of “Li” is the same as that of modern people, meaning establishment and beginning. But the word "winter" is not that simple. The explanation of "winter" in the ancient book "The Collection of Seventy-two Hours of the Moon Order" is: "Winter is the end, and everything is collected." It means that all crops in autumn have been harvested. After drying, they are stored in storage, and the animals have been hidden for hibernation. To put it completely, the beginning of winter means the beginning of winter, the collection of all things, and the avoidance of the cold.
Customs of the Beginning of Winter
Eating Dumplings
The Beginning of Winter solar term means autumn harvest and winter storage. Our country used to be a farming society. People who worked for a year, Use the day of Beginning of Winter to take a break and reward your family for their hard work over the past year. There is a proverb, "The beginning of winter makes up for the winter, and makes up for the empty mouth" is the best metaphor. In southern my country, people like to eat chicken, duck and fish at the beginning of winter. On the day of the beginning of winter in Taiwan, winter tonic restaurants such as "Mutton Stove" and "Ginger Duck" are full of customers. Many families also stew sesame oil chicken and Siwu chicken to replenish energy. People in northern my country, especially Beijing and Tianjin, love to eat dumplings. Why do we eat dumplings at the beginning of winter? Because dumplings come from the saying "Jiaozi Shi". New Year's Eve is the turn of the old year and the new year, and Beginning of Winter is the turn of autumn and winter, so dumplings at the time of "Jiao" are indispensable. Nowadays, people have gradually restored this ancient custom. On the day of the Beginning of Winter, all kinds of dumplings are sold very well.
Congratulations on winter, also known as "worshiping winter"
This custom existed in the Han Dynasty. Cui Ding of the Eastern Han Dynasty wrote in the "Four People's Monthly Orders": "On the day of the winter solstice, we have wine and food to pay homage to the king, teachers and elders, just like the official day." On this day in the Song Dynasty, people changed new clothes and celebrated exchanges, just like the New Year. In the Qing Dynasty, "the solstice was the winter solstice, and the families of the scholar-bureaucrats paid homage to their elders and paid homage to each other. Men and women of the lower classes also wore fresh clothes to bow to each other, which was called "paying winter respects." " (See Volume 11 of Gu Lu's "Qing Jia Lu"). Since the Republic of China, the traditional customs of celebrating winter seem to have a tendency to be simplified. However, some activities have gradually become fixed, stylized, and more universal. For example, holding winter schools , apprenticeship activities are all held in winter.
Winter School
Winter has the longest night, and it is also the slack season, so it is the best time to hold "Winter School" in this season. Non-formal education in winter school has various properties: such as "literacy class", which recruits adult men and women, with the purpose of literacy; "training class" recruits people with certain expertise, conducts professional knowledge training and cultivates talents; "general study class" mainly To improve culture and popularize scientific and technological knowledge. Winter schools are mostly located in temples or public buildings. Teachers are mainly hired from the village or outside the village, and they are paid appropriately. p>In winter, many villages hold teacher apprenticeship activities. It is the season for students to visit their teachers. After winter, the school directors (school administrators) of urban and rural schools lead the parents and students and serve them a plate (four dishes on the plate). , a pot of wine, and a wine glass), carrying fruits and snacks to the school to express condolences to the teacher is called "apprenticeship". Some teachers hold a banquet on the Beginning of Winter or the Winter Solstice as if it is a major event to entertain the students who come to apprentice. . Hang a statue of Confucius in the courtyard and write "Great is Confucius, the most holy teacher". Students bow in front of the statue of Confucius and chant: "Confucius, Confucius, great is Confucius!" There was no Confucius before Confucius, but who will be like Confucius after Confucius! "Then the students said hello to the teacher. After the ceremony, the students split up to do some housework at the teacher's home.