WinterSolstice Asearlyas2,500yearsago,abouttheSpringandAutumnPeriod(770476BC),ChinahaddeterminedthepointofWinterSolsticebyobservingmovementsofthesunwithasundial。Itistheearliestofthe24seasonalpisionpoints。ThetimewillbeeachDecember22or23accordingtotheGregoriancalendar。 TheNorthernhemisphereonthisdayexperiencestheshortestdaytimeandlongestnighttime。AftertheWinterSolstice,dayswillbecomelongerandlonger。AsancientChinesethought,theyang,ormuscular,positivethingswillbecomestrongerandstrongerafterthisday,soitshouldbecelebrated。 TheWinterSolsticebecameafestivalduringtheHanDynasty(206BC220AD)andthrivedintheTangandSongdynasties(6181279)。TheHanpeopleregardedWinterSolsticeasaWinterFestival,soofficialswouldorganizecelebratingactivities。Onthisday,bothofficialsandcommonpeoplewouldhavearest。Thearmywasstationedin,frontierfortressesclosedandbusinessandtravelingstopped。Relativesandfriendspresentedtoeachotherdeliciousfood。IntheTangandSongdynasties,theWinterSolsticewasadaytoofferscarifiestoHeavenandancestors。EmperorswouldgotosuburbstoworshiptheHeaven;whilecommonpeopleofferedsacrificestotheirdeceasedparentsorotherrelatives。TheQingDynasty(16441911)evenhadtherecordthatWinterSolsticeisasformalastheSpringFestival,showingthegreatimportanceattachedtothisday。 InsomepartsofNorthernChina,peopleeatdumplingsouponthisday;whileresidentsofsomeotherplaceseatdumplings,sayingdoingsowillkeepthemfromfrostintheupcomingwinter。ButinpartsofSouthChina,thewholefamilywillgettogethertohaveamealmadeofredbeanandglutinousricetodriveawayghostsandotherevilthings。Inotherplaces,peoplealsoeattangyuan,akindofstuffedsmalldumplingballmadeofglutinousriceflour。TheWinterSolsticericedumplingscouldbeusedassacrificestoancestors,orgiftsforfriendsandrelatives。TheTaiwanpeopleevenkeepthecustomofofferingninelayercakestotheirancestors。Theymakecakesintheshapeofchicken,duck,tortoise,pig,coworsheepwithglutinousriceflourandsteamthemondifferentlayersofapot。TheseanimalsallsignifyauspiciousnessinChinesetradition。Peopleofthesamesurnameorfamilyclangatherattheirancestraltemplestoworshiptheirancestorsinageorder。Afterthesacrificialceremony,thereisalwaysagrandbanquet。 冬至,是我国农历中一个非常重要的节气,也是一个传统节日,至今仍有不少地方有过冬至节的习俗。冬至俗称ldquo;冬节rdquo;、ldquo;长至节rdquo;、ldquo;亚岁rdquo;等。早在二千五百多年前的春秋时代,我国已经用土圭观测太阳测定出冬至来了,它是二十四节气中最早制订出的一个。时间在每年的阳历12月22日或者23日之间。 冬至是北半球全年中白天最短、黑夜最长的一天,过了冬至,白天就会一天天变长。古人对冬至的说法是:阴极之至,阳气始生,日南至,日短之至,日影长之至,故曰ldquo;冬至rdquo;。冬至过后,各地气候都进入一个最寒冷的阶段,也就是人们常说的ldquo;进九rdquo;,我国民间有ldquo;冷在三九,热在三伏rdquo;的说法。现代天文科学测定,冬至日太阳直射南回归线,阳光对北半球最倾斜,北半球白天最短,黑夜最长,这天之后,太阳又逐渐北移。 在我国古代对冬至很重视,冬至被当作一个较大节日,曾有ldquo;冬至大如年rdquo;的说法,而且有庆贺冬至的习俗。《汉书》中说:ldquo;冬至阳气起,君道长,故贺。rdquo;人们认为:过了冬至,白昼一天比一天长,阳气回升,是一个节气循环的开始,也是一个吉日,应该庆贺。《晋书》上记载有ldquo;魏晋冬至日受万国及百僚称贺hellip;hellip;其仪亚于正旦。rdquo;说明古代对冬至日的重视。现在,一些地方还把冬至作为一个节日来过。北方地区有冬至宰羊,吃饺子、吃馄饨的习俗,南方地区在这一天则有吃冬至米团、冬至长线面的习惯。各个地区在冬至这一天还有祭天祭祖的习俗。