The Dōngzhì Festival or Winter Solstice Festival (<a title="Chinese language" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_language"><font color="#0645ad">Chinese</font></a>: 冬至; <a title="Pinyin" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinyin"><font color="#0645ad">pinyin</font></a>: <em>Dōngzhì</em>; literally "the Extreme of Winter") is one of the most important festivals celebrated by the <a title="China" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China"><font color="#0645ad">Chinese</font></a> and other <a title="East Asia" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Asia"><font color="#0645ad">East Asians</font></a> during the <a title="Dongzhi (solar term)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dongzhi_(solar_term)"><font color="#0645ad">Dongzhi solar term</font></a> (<a title="Winter solstice" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_solstice"><font color="#0645ad">winter solstice</font></a>) on or around December 22 when sunshine is weakest and daylight shortest. It will occur on December 22 (East Asia time) in 2010.
<img alt="" src="http://www.chineseword.cn/images/upload/Image/冬至1.jpg" style="width: 372px; height: 349px" />
The origins of this festival can be traced back to the <a title="Yin and yang" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yin_and_yang"><font color="#0645ad">yin and yang</font></a> philosophy of balance and harmony in the cosmos. After this celebration, there will be days with longer daylight hours and therefore an increase in positive energy flowing in.
Traditional activities
Traditionally, the Dongzhi Festival is also a time for the family to get together. One activity that occurs during these get togethers (especially in the southern parts of China and in <a title="Overseas Chinese" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overseas_Chinese"><font color="#0645ad">Chinese communities overseas</font></a>) is the making and eating of <a title="Tangyuan (food)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tangyuan_(food)"><font color="#0645ad">tangyuan</font></a> (湯圓) or balls of glutinuous rice, which symbolize reunion. Tangyuan are made of glutinuous rice flour and sometimes brightly coloured. Each family member receives at least one large tangyuan in addition to several small ones. The flour balls may be plain or stuffed. They are cooked in a sweet soup or savoury broth with both the ball and the soup/broth served in one bowl. It is also often served with a mildly alcoholic unfiltered <a title="Rice wine" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_wine"><font color="#0645ad">rice wine</font></a> containing whole grains of <a title="Glutinous rice" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glutinous_rice"><font color="#0645ad">glutinous rice</font></a> (and often also <a class="mw-redirect" title="Sweet Osmanthus" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_Osmanthus"><font color="#0645ad">Sweet Osmanthus</font></a> flowers), called <a title="Jiuniang" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiuniang"><font color="#0645ad">jiuniang</font></a>.
<img alt="" src="http://www.chineseword.cn/images/upload/Image/冬至%20汤圆.jpg" style="width: 423px; height: 336px" />
In northern China, people typically eat <a class="mw-redirect" title="Dumplings" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dumplings"><font color="#0645ad">dumplings</font></a> on Dongzhi. It is said to have originated from <a title="Zhang Zhongjing" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhang_Zhongjing"><font color="#0645ad">Zhang Zhongjing</font></a> in the <a title="Han Dynasty" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_Dynasty"><font color="#0645ad">Han Dynasty</font></a>. On one cold winter day, he saw the poor suffering from <a title="Chilblains" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilblains"><font color="#0645ad">chilblains</font></a> on their ears. Feeling sympathetic, he ordered his apprentices to make <a class="mw-redirect" title="Dumplings" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dumplings"><font color="#0645ad">dumplings</font></a> with lamb and other ingredients, and distribute them among the poor to keep them warm, to keep their ears from getting <a class="mw-redirect" title="Chilblain" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilblain"><font color="#0645ad">chilblains</font></a>. Since the dumplings were shaped like ears, Zhang named the dish "qùhán jiāoěr tāng" (祛寒嬌耳湯) or dumpling soup that expels the cold. From that time on, it has been a tradition to eat dumplings on the day of Dongzhi.
<img alt="" src="http://www.chineseword.cn/images/upload/Image/饺子(2).jpg" style="width: 418px; height: 264px" /> <img alt="" src="http://www.chineseword.cn/images/upload/Image/张仲景(1).jpg" width="140" height="187" />
Old traditions also require people with the same <a title="Chinese surname" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_surname"><font color="#0645ad">surname</font></a> or from the same <a title="Chinese clan" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_clan"><font color="#0645ad">clan</font></a> to gather at their ancestral temples to worship on this day. There is always a grand reunion dinner following the sacrificial ceremony.
The festive food is also a reminder that we are now a year older and should behave better in the coming year. Even today, many Chinese around the world, especially the elderly, still insist that one is "a year older" right after the Dongzhi celebration instead of waiting for the <a title="Chinese New Year" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_New_Year"><font color="#0645ad">Chinese New Year</font></a>.
In Taiwan
To <a title="Taiwanese people" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiwanese_people"><font color="#0645ad">Taiwanese people</font></a>, the festival in winter also plays a very important role. It is also a tradition for Taiwanese to eat tangyuan on this day. They also use the festive food as an offering dish to <a class="mw-redirect" title="Ancestor worship" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancestor_worship"><font color="#0645ad">worship the ancestors</font></a>.
In an interesting twist, in accordance with ancient <a class="mw-redirect" title="Taiwanese history" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiwanese_history"><font color="#0645ad">Taiwanese history</font></a>, many people take some of the tangyuan that have been used as offerings and stick them on the back of the door or on windows and tables and chairs. These "empowered" tangyuan supposedly serve as protective <a title="Amulet" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amulet"><font color="#0645ad">talismans</font></a> to keep evil spirits from coming close to children.
In addition to following some of the customs practiced in <a title="China" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China"><font color="#0645ad">China</font></a>, the people of <a title="Taiwan" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiwan"><font color="#0645ad">Taiwan</font></a> have their own unique custom of offering nine-layer cakes as a ceremonial sacrifice to worship their ancestors. These cakes are made using glutinous rice flour in the shape of a chicken, duck, tortoise, pig, cow or sheep, and then steamed in different layers of a pot. These animals all signify auspiciousness in <a class="mw-redirect" title="Chinese tradition" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_tradition"><font color="#0645ad">Chinese tradition</font></a>.
Another interesting custom in Taiwan is that many people take invigorating <a title="Pharmaceutical drug" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pharmaceutical_drug#For_nutrition"><font color="#0645ad">tonic</font></a> foods during this particular winter festival. To the Taiwanese, winter is a time when most physical activities should be limited and you should eat well to nourish your body. This practice follows the habits shown by many animals which follow the law of nature and <a title="Hibernation" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hibernation"><font color="#0645ad">hibernate</font></a> throughout winter months to rejuvenate and to preserve life. In order to fight cold temperatures, it is necessary to eat more fatty and meaty foods during winter when your body can better absorb the rich and nutritional foods at this time due to a slower <a class="mw-redirect" title="Metabolic rate" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metabolic_rate"><font color="#0645ad">metabolic rate</font></a>.
Since Dongzhi is the "Extreme of Winter", Taiwanese regard it as the best time of the year to take tonic foods. Some of the most widely popular winter tonic foods enjoyed by Taiwanese to fight cold and strengthen the body's resistance are <a class="mw-redirect" title="Mutton" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutton"><font color="#0645ad">mutton</font></a> <a title="Hot pot" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_pot"><font color="#0645ad">hot pot</font></a> and <a title="Ginger" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginger"><font color="#0645ad">ginger</font></a> <a title="Duck" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duck"><font color="#0645ad">duck</font></a> hot pot. Other foods like chicken, pork and <a title="Abalone" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abalone"><font color="#0645ad">abalone</font></a> are also common materials used in making tonic foods with nurturing herbs such as <a title="Ginseng" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginseng"><font color="#0645ad">ginseng</font></a>, <a title="Deer" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deer"><font color="#0645ad">deer</font></a> <a title="Horn" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horn"><font color="#0645ad">horn</font></a> and the fungus <a title="Cordyceps" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordyceps"><font color="#0645ad">cordyceps</font></a>.
Resource:
<a href="http://www.chineseword.cn/article.php?id=143">http://www.chineseword.cn/article.php?id=143</a>;
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dongzhi_Festival">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dongzhi_Festival</a>;
