Eating glutinous rice balls on the solstice in winter is a traditional custom in China, especially in the south of the Yangtze River. There is a folk saying that "eating glutinous rice balls is one year older". Tangyuan is also called jiaozi, and eating jiaozi on the solstice in winter is also called "jiaozi on the solstice in winter". There are many famous jiaozi in the north and south, such as jiaozi in Ningbo, which is thin and sticky; Changsha sister jiaozi is white and crystal clear, sweet and delicious; Now, jiaozi can be eaten all year round, not only in winter solstice.

2. jiaozi

There is a saying in the north of China that "jiaozi faces the summer solstice on the winter solstice". jiaozi's original name is Joule, which is said to have been invented by Zhang Zhongjing, a doctor in China, with a history of 1800 years.

At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Zhang Zhongjing, a famous doctor, saw that many poor people were hungry and cold, and their ears were frozen and rotten, so he invented the soup for removing cold pepper ears, which was cooked in a pot with mutton, pepper and some herbs for removing cold, and then these things were taken out and boiled, chopped up, and the noodles were wrapped into ear-shaped "pepper ears". After cooking, give it to the patients, 20 cents each and a bowl of soup.

After eating Quhan decoction, people feel feverish all over, their qi and blood flow smoothly, and their ears get warmer. The patient's rotten ears will be cured in a short time. Zhang Zhongjing didn't give up taking medicine until New Year's Eve. On the first day of the new year, people celebrate the new year and the recovery of rotten ears. The food they make is like burnt ears, which are called "Jiao Er" and "jiaozi".

Since then, the story of "Quhan Joule Decoction" has been widely circulated among the people. On the solstice of winter and the first day of New Year's Day, people eat jiaozi, and they still remember Zhang Zhongjing's kindness in their hearts. Therefore, there is a saying that eating jiaozi on the solstice in winter won't freeze your ears.

3. In the winter solstice festival, there is a folk custom of giving shoes, which has a very old origin. Later, the custom of sending shoes to uncles and aunts gradually became that uncles and aunts sent shoes and hats to nephews, mainly reflected in children. It used to be mainly hand embroidery. As a gift for men, hats are mostly made in the shape of tigers and dogs, and embroidered shoes are also beasts.

For girls, hats are mostly made in the shape of phoenix, and embroidery on shoes is mostly flowers and birds. Now most of them are bought from the market, and the styles keep up with the trend of the times. Every winter solstice, adults in some places always like to visit with their children in their arms and brag about the shoes and hats given by their uncles and aunts.

In the winter solstice, the old custom is that teachers are entertained by respected people in the village. Teacher Wang will lead the students to worship Confucius memorial tablet. Then the students will be led by respected people, Miss Bai. Now, Shaanxi still has the custom of inviting teachers to dinner on the winter solstice. Northwest Shanxi is used to entertaining teachers with stewed mutton, which is very affectionate.

Extended data:

There used to be a saying in old Beijing that "winter solstice wonton, summer solstice noodles". According to legend, during the Han Dynasty, the Xiongnu in the north often harassed the frontier, and the people were restless. At that time, there were two leaders, Xiongnu tribe and Tun tribe, which were very cruel.

The people hated it, so they wrapped it into a corner with meat stuffing and called it "wonton" with the sound of "muddy" and "swallowing". I hate eating, and I want to quell the war and live a peaceful life. Because wonton was originally made on the winter solstice, every family eats wonton on the winter solstice.

Eating "frozen ears" is a common name for Henan people to eat jiaozi from the winter solstice. According to legend, Zhang Zhongjing, a doctor from Nanyang, was an official in Changsha. When he retired in his later years, it was a snowy winter and the wind was biting.

He was very sad to see that the clothes of the villagers on both sides of the Baihe River in Nanyang were uncovered, and many people's ears were frozen. He asked his disciples to set up a medicine shed in Guandong, Nanyang. They cooked mutton, peppers and some cold-dispelling herbs in a pot, fished them out and chopped them up, imaged their ears in leather bags, and then put them down in the pot to make a medicine called "Quhan Jiaoer Decoction" for the people to eat.

After eating it, the villagers' ears will be fine. Later, on the solstice of winter, people imitated and cooked, thus forming the custom of "pinching ears". Later, people called it jiaozi, while others called it "flat food" and "instant noodle jiaozi". It is also said that people will not be frozen in jiaozi after eating the winter solstice.

People's Daily Online-Winter solstice custom: Go to the grave to worship ancestors and entertain teachers.

People's Network-Origin and Legend of Winter Solstice