How Did You Celebrate Winter Solstice Festival?
December 21 was the Winter Solstice day . It’s also called Midwinter, But we call it DongZhi in Chinese.
I had never celebrated this festival before I came to GuangDong, Where people believed it’s the most important day of a year. As the tradition, The whole family enjoy this day with some Winter Solstice Food.
Lamb unguis cooked with thirteen- spices
Lamb tendon cooked with with ormer juice
The winter solstice is the shortest day or the longest night of the year.
It’s obviously a specail day. So we know many kinds of festivals or other celebrations are hold worldwide this day.
As Chinese tradition, The origins of Winter Solstice Festival can be traced back to the “yin” and “yang” philosophy of balance and harmony in the cosmos. After this day, Days will become longer and therefore more positive energy will be increased.
Winter Solstice Festival is also a time for the family to get together. The traditional activity in north china is making and eating Jiaozi which symbolizing wealth and hopes for a profitable future, while people in south china love to make and eat Tangyuan which symbolizing family unity and prosperity.
But mutton is the traditional Solstice Festival food for all chinese because it can make you feel warmer. It’s also the kind of food which can increase “positive energy”.
You can find many restaurant promote many kinds of mutton food during this time. One restaurant I love to enjoy Winter Solstice Festival food in Guangzhou is Mr. Zhang’s Mutton Restaurant. You can enjoy the best mutton chaffy dish there, and all kinds of mutton dishes.
Yeah, I waited in line for about 2 hours at Mr. Zhang’s Mutton Restaurant that day. Because there were too many people waiting for Winter Solstice food there!
How did you celebrate Winter Solstice Festival, Dear friends?
About winter solstice
the winter solstice occurs some time between December 20 and December 23 each year in the northern hemisphere, and between June 20 and June 23 in the southern hemisphere, during either the shortest day or the longest night of the year.
You can know more here: winter solstice
Mr. Zhang’s Mutton Restaurant
Address1: No.8 Yunhe North street, Middle Xianlie Road, GuangZhou (Near YunShan Hotel)
Tel: 020-38376822
Address2: No. 270-5, Middile BinJiang West Road, GuangZhou, China
Tel: 020-84446202
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Tags: Chinese Tradition, food, Food Guide, Guangzhou, Travel Culture, Winter SolsticeRelated posts
Interesting to see different dishes across different regions of China to celebrate Dong Zhi, with our roots mainly from Southern China, Tang Yuan is the food for celebrating Dong Zhi.
I didn’t eat Tang Yuan on Dong Zhi, probably my grandmother and grandaunt did.
JH
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iWalk reply on December 24th, 2008 12:06 pm:
I love the feeling of making Tang Yuan ourselves, together with the whole persons of family.
iWalk’s last blog post..How Did You Celebrate Winter Solstice Festival?
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Dear me, I forgot to eat Jiaozi!
But I could still remember that we waited in line for about an hour for JiaoZi last year!
That’a okay, I will eat some tomorrow.
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iWalk reply on December 24th, 2008 12:09 pm:
Haha, Since you are in Beijing, why not enjoy instant-boiled mutton today?
iWalk’s last blog post..How Did You Celebrate Winter Solstice Festival?
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Great looking food. I don’t celebrate Winter Solstice too…my family never did…I don’t know why. Guess, we have become too urbanised
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iWalk reply on December 24th, 2008 12:52 pm:
Yeah, we already changed too much.
But GuangDong is a special place in China, It keeps many traditions quite well.
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iWalk reply on December 25th, 2008 1:08 pm:
Thanks my friend!
Yeah, you are beginning to sharing your experience with the world, Good start!
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I never celebrate Winter Solstice too. Like my bug life, maybe we’re too urban? But I love to eat Tang Yuen – yummy!! : )
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iWalk reply on December 25th, 2008 1:10 pm:
I love to eat Tang Yuan too, Specially my hometown’s meat and vegetable Tang Yuan.
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Mmmmm…that looks yummy! Merry Christmas!
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iWalk reply on December 25th, 2008 1:12 pm:
Merry Christmas to you,Lala.
And a happy happy new year!
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Sounds like another good reason to have a celebration! My family and I have never celebrated this day – we never learned about this while I was growing up. They never even mentioned it in my school.
But maybe I will start to celebrate this next year. I like the concept, and the fact that it is a special day as far as being the shortest night and longest day of the year.
Maybe next year I will have some lamb!
Take care and enjoy your holidays! ;D
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iWalk reply on December 25th, 2008 1:16 pm:
Thanks diva!
I hope you a merry merry christmas and a happy happy new year too!
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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
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Your post reminded me of my Something Savoury
, I love food!! I spent my DongZhi with my gal pals at a restaurant, eating away! Can’t believe it’s new year, and now everyone is busying with the CNY, at the same time worrying about the over-budget occassion, time for some financial planning.
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I have heard many elderly telling me that if it rains on solstice day, then it would certainly rain on the following Chinese New Year’s day.
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