The Dongzhi Competition or Winter Solstice Competition (Chinese language: 冬至; pinyin: Dōngzhì; actually, “the top of winter”) is likely one of the most vital Chinese language festivals celebrated by Mainland Chinese language, Hong Kong Chinese language, Taiwanese Chinese language, Japanese, Vietnamese, Korean, and different East Asian peoples through the Dongzhi Solstice (winter solstice), which happens someday between December 21 and 23.
The origins of this pageant could be traced to the Yin and Yang philosophy of steadiness and concord within the cosmos. It is believed that after this pageant, the times are brighter for longer and thus extra optimistic power flows in. The philosophical which means of that is symbolized by the I Ching hexagram fu (Chinese language: 复, “return”).
Conventional Activites
Historically, the Dongzhi Competition is a time for households to get collectively. One exercise that takes place at these gatherings (particularly in southern elements of China and in abroad Chinese language communities) is the making and consuming of tangyuan (汤圆), or balls of glutinous rice, to represent the reunion. Tangyuan are constituted of glutinous rice flour and are generally coloured pink or inexperienced.
Every member of the family receives no less than one giant tangyuan, plus a number of small ones. The flour balls are cooked in a candy soup or savory broth, with each the ball and the soup/broth served in a bowl. They’re additionally typically served with jiuniang, a barely alcoholic, unfiltered rice wine containing entire grains of glutinous rice (and infrequently candy osmanthus flowers).
In northern China, folks usually eat dumplings on Dongzhi. This practice is claimed to have been launched by Zhang Zhongjing within the Han Dynasty. On a chilly winter day, he noticed the poor affected by frostbite on their ears. Out of compassion, he ordered his apprentices to make dumplings from lamb meat and different substances and distribute them to the poor to maintain them heat and forestall them from getting frostbite. Because the dumplings had been formed like ears, Zhang known as the dish “qùhán jiāoěr tāng” (祛寒娇耳汤), or dumpling soup, which drives away the chilly. Since then, it has been a convention to eat dumplings on the day of Dongzhi.
In southern China, folks eat rice cake (Chinese language: 冬至团; pinyin: dōngzhìtuán), which implies reunion. It isn’t solely eaten by household, but additionally shared with mates and kin as a blessing. Mutton soup, rice truffles and glutinous rice with pink beans are additionally widespread in southern China.
Historical traditions additionally require folks with the identical surname or from the identical clan to collect at their ancestral temples on this present day to wish. Following the sacrificial ceremony, there’s at all times a giant reunion dinner.
One other custom is consuming sizzling pot.
The festive meal can be a reminder that these celebrating are actually a yr older and may behave higher within the coming yr. Even at the moment, many Chinese language around the globe, particularly the elders, insist that one is “one yr older” proper after the Dongzhi Competition, quite than ready for the Lunar New Yr.
Conventional Meals of Dongzhi Competition
Dumplings-Northern China Meals
In northern China, the place it could possibly get bitterly chilly, folks lacked ample heat clothes and ample heating, in order that they ate sizzling meals and drank sizzling liquids to maintain heat. Individuals believed that when the times had been quick, there wasn’t sufficient yang power, in order that they tried to eat meals with excessive yang content material in accordance with the rules of Chinese language therapeutic delicacies.
Dumplings have lengthy been essentially the most conventional meals in northern China. On Dongzhi Day, folks cook dinner dumplings with their family and friends.
There’s an previous saying that consuming dumplings on Dongzhi Day can defend the ears from frostbite. A legend says that in historical occasions, a health care provider named Zhang Zhongjing invented dumplings by wrapping mutton and Chinese language drugs in dumpling dough and giving them to folks to treatment frostbite. Since that point, the custom of consuming dumplings on Winter Solstice Day has been handed down from era to era.
Tangyuan-Southern China Meals
Along with dumplings, folks in southern China historically eat glutinous rice balls known as tangyuan. The historical past of tangyuan consuming could be traced again to the Music Dynasty (960-1279).
Some folks in southern China and a few Chinese language in communities in Southeast Asia collect to arrange and eat a meal of tangyuan (汤圆 Tāngyuán /tung-ywen/). Tangyuan symbolizes household cohesion and prosperity.
These are specifically cooked rice balls which may be crammed with bean paste or meat and candy yang herbs. They’re often pink or white in coloration. Tangyuan is usually served in a bowl with a candy soup or broth.
Tangyuan meals is usually accompanied by a light rice wine, which can include cassia oil. Cassia is a yang-rich herb and is likely one of the 10 hottest herbs and spices in China Top 10 Favorite Herbs and Spices.
Wonton Soup-Jap China Meals
Wonton soup is one other must-have meals for the Dongzhi Competition within the jap elements of China, particularly in Zhejiang and Fujian provinces. The filling of wontons is much like that of dumplings.
Nevertheless, the wonton dough is way thinner than that of dumplings. A bowl of wonton soup retains folks heat and cosy within the chilly season.
Mutton Soup-Western and Northern China Meals
Within the northern elements of China, mutton is a well-liked meals within the Dongzhi pageant. In Chinese language meals tradition, mutton is taken into account to be notably blood replenishing and is due to this fact thought of a wholesome meals in winter. Consuming mutton on Dongzhi Day warms folks up and is claimed to stop colds within the coming winter.
Taiwanese Customs and Meals
For a lot of Taiwanese and other people of Taiwanese descent in different nations, the pageant continues to be vital. Households go to ancestral graves to eat tangyuan and supply tangyuan to the spirits on the graves.
There’s additionally the customized of providing nine-layer truffles to the ancestors. The truffles are made from rice flour and are formed like animals reminiscent of chickens, geese, turtles, pigs, cows and sheep.
In line with conventional Chinese language drugs, winter is the season when it is vital to relaxation, chill out and nourish the physique with high-fat yang meals.
Chinese language folks comply with the habits of animals that hibernate in winter to rejuvenate and keep their our bodies. Due to this fact, they relaxation through the day after they can, eat meals containing ginger, and luxuriate in ginseng and related herbs with excessive yang content material, which might regenerate and chill out the nerves and relieve stress.
Dongzhi Competition Greetings
Individuals say ‘Joyful Dongzhi Competition’, i.e. ‘Joyful Winter Solstice’ after they meet on Dongzhi Day. In Mandarin, that is “Dongzhi kuaile” (/dong-jrr kwhy-luh/ 冬至快乐).
If you wish to ship a message to your folks, you may use these widespread Dongzhi Competition messages:
1. “冬至快乐，祝你身体健康!” (Dongzhi kuaile, zhu ni shenti jiankang)
— “Joyful Dongzhi! Wishing you good well being!”
2. “冬至快乐，冬天注意保暖!” (Dongzhi kuaile, zhu ni shenti jiankang)
— “Joyful Winter Solstice, and maintain heat in winter.”
Immediately, the winter solstice is a reminder to honor our connection to nature. It is a solution to have fun the altering of the seasons with out conventional holidays, presents or decorations. As an alternative, we will honor winter by means of ritual and self-care, drawing inspiration from our ancestors and heritage quite than taking it from others (a type of cultural appropriation).
We would prefer to take this chance to want everybody a Joyful Winter Solstice.
