冬至 Dong Zhi. The Chinese Winter Solstice!

Dec 22nd marks the 冬至 (Winter Solstice) of the Chinese Solar Calender . The Winter Solstice is a festival celebrated by the Chinese people worldwide. This is the day when the sun is at its weakest (shortest day) and Night is at its strongest.

春雨驚春清穀天 chūn yǔ jīng chūn qīng gǔ tiān,

夏滿芒夏暑相連 xià mǎn máng xià shǔ xiāng lián,

秋處露秋寒霜降 qiū chù lù qiū hán shuāng jiàng,

冬雪雪冬小大寒 dōng xuě xuě dōng xiǎo dà hán.

每月兩節不變更 měi yuè liǎng jié bù biàn gēng,

最多相差一兩天 zùi duō xiāng chā yī liǎng tiān

上半年來六、廿一 shàng bàn nián lái liù, niàn yī

下半年是八、廿三 xià bàn nián shì bā, niàn sān

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 Chinese communities overseas) is the making and eating of Tangyuan (湯圓, as pronounced in Cantonese; Mandarin Pinyin: Tāng Yuán) or balls of glutinuous rice, which symbolize reunion. Tangyuan are made of glutinuous rice flour and sometimes brightly coloured. Every one in the family receives at least one large Tang Yuan and 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.

In northern China, people typically eat dumplings on dongzhi. It is said to have originated from Zhang Zhongjing of Han Dynasty. On one cold winter day, he saw the poor suffering from chilblains on their ears. Feeling sympathetic, he ordered his apprentices to make dumplings with lamb and other ingredients, distributed them among the poor to keep them warm. Since the dumplings were shaped like ears, Zhang named it "qǜ hán jiāo ěr tāng" or dumpling soup that expels the cold. From then on it became a tradition passed down to eat dumplings on the day of dongzhi to keep the ears from getting chilblains.