What are the customs of the beginning of winter? The most unique folk customs of the beginning of winter

What customs are there during the Beginning of Winter? Beginning of Winter, the first solar term in winter, is also one of the solar terms that the people attach great importance to. Next, let’s take stock of the customs and activities in various places during the Beginning of Winter solar term.

What are the customs of Lidong?

He Dong

In ancient times, people attached great importance to the Winter Solstice and regarded it as a very festive occasion. Therefore, there is a custom of "celebrating winter" on the day of the Beginning of Winter. Every Beginning of Winter, people wear new clothes, visit relatives and friends and celebrate the festival just like they do on New Year's Day.

Winter worship

Since the Han Dynasty, there has been a custom of "worshiping winter" on the day of the Beginning of Winter. According to "Monthly Orders for Four People", "On the day of the winter solstice, people prepare wine and food, and pay respects to their elders, teachers and friends, just like on other important festivals." This means that on the day of the winter solstice, every household prepares a banquet and pays respects to their elders, teachers and friends, just like on other important festivals.

Qing Dong

There are many traditional customs and activities for "celebrating winter", but with the changes of time, many places have also innovated the way of celebrating the beginning of winter. In northern regions, such as Harbin, Shangqiu, Wuhan and other places, people welcome the arrival of winter by winter swimming on the day of the Beginning of Winter.

Welcome Winter

In ancient times, on the day of the Beginning of Winter, the emperor would hold a ceremony to welcome the winter solstice. Welcoming the winter solstice was the most authoritative and grand ceremony for the emperor. According to the records at that time: three days before the beginning of winter, the historian ordered preparations for the specific details of the beginning of winter. The emperor fasted and bathed on the day of the Beginning of Winter, and then led the princes and ministers to the northern suburbs to welcome winter. After Yingdong returns, the emperor will commend and provide pensions to the soldiers who died for the country, and also encourage the people to resist foreign invasion.

Sacrifice

In many small cities, the custom of worshiping ancestors and heaven at the beginning of winter is still preserved. On the day of the Beginning of Winter, farmers would rest at home for a day, slaughter chickens and sheep, and prepare seasonal delicacies for sacrifice. On the one hand, it is to commemorate the ancestors and not forget their roots; on the other hand, it is to offer sacrifices to the heaven, thank God for the good harvest and pray to God for good weather in the coming year.

Food Customs

In terms of food customs, people in the northern region eat dumplings on the day of Beginning of Winter, because the Beginning of Winter is the transition between autumn and winter, so dumplings must be eaten at the time of "transition". In the southern regions, people eat chicken, duck, fish and meat on the day of the Beginning of Winter, such as stewed sesame oil chicken, four-ingredient chicken, mutton hotpot, ginger duck and so on.