The winter solstice, as a solar term and festival, plays a very important role in people's minds. Every family will celebrate the winter solstice on the winter solstice, and the obvious custom of the winter solstice is to eat. Every family will prepare local food for the winter solstice, such as dumplings in the north and rice dumpling in the south. What are the characteristics of the winter solstice?

Introduction to the Winter Solstice of the 24 Solar Terms
The Winter Solstice is one of the early established 24 solar terms, ranking ahead of the other 24 solar terms. The traditional calendar uses five days as one period, three periods as one section or one qi, and a year is divided into twelve sections and twelve qi, collectively known as the twenty-four solar terms. The "Collection and Interpretation of the Seventy Two Marquis of the Moon Order" states about the Winter Solstice: "The ultimate storage of qi comes from this point. On the day of Winter Solstice, the sun moves southward, the sun is short, and the sun's shadow is long, hence it is called Winter Solstice.
Astronomy also regards the winter solstice as the beginning of winter in the northern hemisphere. The winter solstice marks the peak of yin energy and the arrival of yang energy. However, due to the fact that the amount of heat radiated by the sun to the ground is less than the amount dissipated from the ground into space, the temperature will continue to drop in the short term. So, the winter solstice is also the beginning of the cold. During the Yin and Zhou dynasties, it was stipulated that the day before the winter solstice was the end of the year. Also, because the first month of the Zhou calendar is November in the Xia calendar, there is no difference between worshiping the New Year and celebrating the Winter Solstice. Therefore, the Winter Solstice is also known as' Ya Sui ', which is essentially equivalent to today's Spring Festival.

The ancients believed that the generation of yang energy during the winter solstice and the appointment of a ruler and Taoist priest were the opportunities for chaos and restoration. After the Winter Solstice, another year begins. The Qing Jialu even says that 'the Winter Solstice is as big as the year', which also indicates the ancient people's emphasis on the Winter Solstice. After Emperor Wu of Han adopted the Xia calendar, he separated the first lunar month from the winter solstice. It can be said that the 'Winter Festival' only existed after the Han Dynasty. In order to distinguish it from the later 'farewell' before the Spring Festival, the day before the Winter Solstice is called Xiaozhi or Xiaodong, also known as' Tiansui 'or' Yashou '. The winter solstice is known as the Long or Great Winter. The day after the Winter Solstice is called Zhihou.