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Winter Solstice in Chinese Culture

Updated: 4 days ago




Winter solstice in 2024 is on Saturday, Dec. 21st.


The winter solstice or Dōngzhì 冬至 holds great importance in both Chinese culture and Chinese Medicine. Dongzhi literally means 'Winter's Arrival'. It is usually celebrated on December 20th or 21st, when the day is the shortest and the night the longest in the northern hemisphere, a fact known since 2500 BCE when the first sundials were used in China. The winter solstice is commonly known as the "Winter Festival" and “Festival of Extreme length” (as the sun’s extreme position lengthens shadows), and since ancient times was regarded as a major festival on par with the lunar New Year.

The ancients believed that the winter solstice was part of the natural cycle of Yin and Yang: the day when Yin reaches its peak, and the Yang begins to ascend from its lowest point. It was observed that the winter solstice occurred when the climate in all places entered the coldest stage, often called "entering the Nines", which was used as a way to measure the lengthening days until spring. During the winter solstice, people focused on being in harmony with the cycle of nature--a time of extreme Yin when animals hibernate, and plants die or die back to conserve energy. For people, it was the time to eat warming, Yang foods such as mutton and gingerroot, and to get more rest to conserve energy and build Yang Qi in anticipation of the eventual spring.

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