1. Worshiping Heaven and Worshiping Ancestors:
Since the Zhou Dynasty, there have been sacrificial activities on the day of the winter solstice. "Zhou Li Chunguan·Shen Shi": "On the winter solstice, worship the gods, humans and ghosts. ”
On this day, ancestor worship will be held in many places. Even the poorest families will use their daily savings to buy new clothes and prepare sacrificial supplies.
2. Traditional food:
Every region has its own special food during the Winter Solstice, such as northern dumplings, Chaoshan glutinous rice balls, southeastern mochi, Taizhou Leiyuan, Hefei pumpkin cakes, and Ningbo sweet potato soup fruit, Tengzhou mutton soup, Jiangnan rice, Suzhou wine, etc.
The custom of eating dumplings in the north was left in memory of the medical sage Zhang Zhongjing who gave up medicine during the winter solstice.
Liujiafan is from Chaoshan. I still remember that when I was a child, in my hometown, on the day of the winter solstice, my parents would stick two winter festival balls on the doors and windows of their homes, and some families would also put them on tables and cupboards. The bow of a fisherman's boat, the horns of a farmer's cattle, the pig house for raising pigs, and the fruit trees planted by fruit farmers are no exception. This is to offer sacrifices to the ghosts and gods of heaven and earth in order to bless the safety of the family.
3. Winter Solstice Health Preservation:
Winter Solstice is one of the most important solar terms in terms of health preservation, mainly because "Winter Solstice is the birth of Yang", so women and the elderly should pay special attention to this day. To prevent coldness and keep warm, you can also soak your feet at night, take appropriate supplements, and eat liver-nourishing and liver-protecting foods such as spinach, celery, and pork liver.
Extended information:
The origin of the winter solstice:
The winter solstice is recorded in literature. People began to celebrate the winter solstice as early as the Spring and Autumn Period more than 2,500 years ago. According to records, in the Zhou and Qin Dynasties, November in winter was the first month and the winter solstice was the first month of the year. In other words, people celebrate the New Year on this day.
"Hanshu" said: "The Yang Qi of the winter solstice rises, so I congratulate you..." There is also another saying: The ancients believed that from the winter solstice, the Yang Qi of the heaven and earth began to rise and strengthen, that is, the next The cycle begins with a "good luck day".
There is also a theory that the winter solstice as a festival originated from the Han Dynasty. The winter solstice is the "winter festival", so it is regarded as a big festival. There is a saying that "the winter solstice is as big as the new year".
Baidu Encyclopedia-Winter Solstice