Dongzhi

Dongzhi is a significant solar term in the traditional Chinese calendar. It marks the winter solstice, which is the day with the shortest daylight and the longest night of the year.

In the solar calendar, this term begins when the Sun reaches a celestial longitude of 270 degrees. It ends when the Sun reaches 285 degrees. In the Gregorian calendar, this usually occurs between December 21 and December 23. The term "Dongzhi" carries deep meaning regarding the peak of the season. In Chinese, the character "Zhi" means "extreme," signifying the summit of winter. This makes the festival a celebration of the extreme point of the cold season.

The festival is rooted in the ancient philosophy of yin and yang. This system describes the balance and harmony of the cosmos through opposing forces. "Yang" represents positive energy, warmth, and light. During the winter solstice, the world experiences the height of "yin," or darkness and cold. However, the festival symbolizes the victory of light over darkness. After Dongzhi, the days gradually lengthen, meaning "Yang" energy begins to increase again. This transition is represented by the I Ching hexagram "fu," which means "Returning." It signifies the return of positive energy into the world.

Historically, the Dongzhi Festival has deep roots in Chinese civilization. It was first celebrated during the Zhou dynasty, which lasted from 1045 BCE to 256 BCE. Later, it became an official celebration during the Han dynasty from 206 BCE to 220 CE. In ancient times, people called it the "festival of extreme length." This name referred to how the Sun's extreme position caused shadows to lengthen. During the Han dynasty, people would take breaks from their work to celebrate. They performed ceremonies to worship heaven and honored their ancestors by burning joss paper at shrines. This was a major holiday, comparable in importance to the Chinese New Year.

Food plays a central role in how families celebrate Dongzhi. In many Asian communities, people make and eat tangyuan. These are round balls made from glutinous rice flour, sometimes colored pink or green. They are served in a sweet soup or a savory broth. Because of their round shape, tangyuan symbolize family reunion. In northern China, many people prefer to eat shuijiao, or dumplings. This custom is linked to the physician Zhang Zhongjing from the Han dynasty. He created a dumpling soup called "quhan jiaoer tang" to help the poor. These dumplings were filled with lamb and shaped like ears to prevent chilblains.

Different regions across Asia have developed their own unique traditions for this day. In Korea, the winter solstice is sometimes called "Small Seol." People there often prepare patjuk, which is a red bean porridge. They also add round rice cakes called saealsim to the dish. In the past, people even sprayed red bean porridge on doors to ward off bad ghosts. In Japan, the term is called Tōji. It is customary in some places to eat pumpkin or drink hot grapefruit water.

In Taiwan, the festival is a time for making offerings to ancestors. They may offer nine-layer cakes shaped like animals such as ducks or pigs. These animals represent auspiciousness, or good luck, in Chinese tradition.

In Taiwan, the festival is also a time for eating "tonic" foods. These are nutritious foods meant to nourish the body and fight the cold. Because people's metabolic rates slow down in winter, they eat more fatty or meaty foods. This practice mimics how animals hibernate to preserve life and rejuvenate. Popular choices include mutton hot pot or ginger duck hot pot. People may also use herbs like ginseng or deer horn in their meals.

These foods are intended to strengthen the body's resistance during the "extreme of winter."

The solar term is also connected to the natural cycles of the earth. Each solar term is divided into three segments called pentads. These pentads are named after specific seasonal events in nature. The first pentad of Dongzhi is when earthworms form knots during hibernation. The second pentad is when deer shed their antlers. The third pentad is marked by the movement of spring water.

These natural signs remind people of the constant changes in the environment. Even today, many people believe that they become a year older immediately after the Dongzhi celebration.