Dongzhi Festival - Winter Solstice in China (Dongzhi Festival)

The ancestors of modern man lived in unity with nature, its elements and cycles In the calendar of pagan holidays there are many solemn dates dedicated to the change of seasons of the year, the shortest daylight hours and the length of the night In the traditions of many peoples of the world, great importance is attached to the spring equinox and other astronomical phenomena On the second new moon after December 21, the Dongzhi Festival, the winter solstice holiday, is held in Taiwan, China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and other Asian countries Dongzhi Festival has been celebrated in China since ancient times In Chinese, Dongzhi, which usually falls on December 21 or 22, the longest night of the year, is translated as “Peak of Winter” It was believed that on this day the “male power” of nature begins to awaken, and a new cycle of human agricultural activity begins To pay tribute to this sacred action, the symbolic desire for the balance of yin and yang, all citizens of the country, from the Chinese emperor to the commoner, went on vacation According to customs, craft shops were closed in honor of the holiday, trade and other activities were stopped The Chinese visited with gifts, made sacrifices to the gods in the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, and made offerings to their departed ancestors Dongzhi Festival was considered the New Year during the Zhou Dynasty During Han times, December 21 and 22 were official holidays dedicated to this holiday Later, the Chinese, and then residents of other East Asian countries, began to celebrate the New Year according to the lunar calendar - in late January - early February The Dongzhi Festival is widely celebrated not only on the Chinese mainland, but also in Taiwan Residents of the island, like southerners, prepare tangyuan for the celebration - sweet balls of glutinous rice, inside of which they sometimes put sesame seeds and red bean paste In northern China, dumplings are served at the festive table According to legend, this tradition appeared thanks to the Han Dynasty doctor and official Zhang Zhongjing, who lived in the 2nd-3rd centuries AD According to legend, he fed dumplings to the peasants he met along the way on the day of the winter solstice Their ears were frostbitten from the cold Returning home from Hunan Province, Zhongjing developed a recipe for a medicinal soup that helped fight the cold, to which a couple of dumplings were added In Taiwan, tangyuan is considered a sacred dish Traditionally, dough balls are glued to windows, doors, chairs and tables to protect children from evil spirits For the Dongzhi Festival, Thais also prepare a potted treat in the form of nine-layer cakes in the shape of ducks, chickens, sheep, turtles or cows This dish is part of a ceremonial sacrifice to the ancestors In the Land of the Rising Sun, on December 21 or 22, Toji is celebrated, dedicated to the goddess Amaterasu-o-mi-kami According to the customs of Shintoism, festivals with theatrical performances are held at this time, the Japanese take a healing bath with yuzu - Japanese lemon In Korea, the day of the winter solstice is called "Tongjinal", which means "little New Year" In honor of him, in the southern regions of the country they cook a thick red bean soup with the addition of white rice flour balls similar to tangyuan It is believed that the color of the soup can scare away ghosts and protect the family from evil spirits The Dongzhi Festival and its traditions help brighten up the darkest and shortest day of the year It is believed that it is favorable for starting to practice ancient martial arts and practices of spiritual improvement At this time, the Chinese and residents of other Asian countries gather at the family table, and people of the same family or with the same surname come to Buddhist temples to worship the dead Celebrating the winter solstice is a tribute to honoring the traditions and customs of our ancestors Therefore, all carriers of Asian culture celebrate the Dongzhi Festival every year