Dongzhi falls between the periods of December 21 to December 23. On this day, the day is the shortest and night is the longest in the year.
After this day, many places in China go through the coldest period, which is called in Chinese, “Shu Jiu”. In total, there are nine periods with nine days for each. In the first and second nine days, people keep their hands in pockets; in the third and fourth nine days, people can walk on ice; in the fifth and sixth nine days, people can see willows along the river bank; in the seventh and eighth nine days, the swallow comes back and in the ninth nine days, the yak starts working.
Traditional customs and food
Dongzhi is not only a solar term but an important festival. Here are some traditional foods for “Winter Solstice”. Eg: Wonton noodle, Red bean glutinous rice, Jiaozi
(Note: Some words are selected from Hujiang English and some pictures from internet.)
