The Winter Solstice
@changjiangzhibin89 (16533)
China
December 21, 2016 1:42am CST
Today is winter solstice. For people living in the northern hemisphere,this day is the shortest day of the year.Over here we have made much of winter solstice since ancient times and have seen it as a festival in which people hold a memorial ceremony for their forefathers.
According to the Traditional Chinese Medicine,this day YangQi (the opposite is YinQi) begins to rise and flourish and from now on,it gets colder and colder,so today people have to take tonic eating dumpling,mutton and other food that can warm and reinforce our bodies.
21 people like this
26 responses
@changjiangzhibin89 (16533)
• China
22 Dec 16
Here it differs from yours.Only a month to go before spring,but January is the coldest month too.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (458008)
• Switzerland
22 Dec 16
@changjiangzhibin89 Most of the time we have snow in December, this year 2016 has been a weird year. Not too hot in summer and a lot of rain and now there is no snow at all.
1 person likes this
@changjiangzhibin89 (16533)
• China
23 Dec 16
@LadyDuck We haven't had snow either so far and weather stays fine lately.However a 6-9 degree drop in temperature will be expected over next few days.
1 person likes this
@youless (112112)
• Guangzhou, China
22 Dec 16
Even if in our country, the food for winter solstice is different in different places. Southern Chinese like me still pay attention to this and it is regarded as a big festival. We could go off work earlier than usual. Last night my mom made a feast as the tradition. But we didn't have the habits to have dumplings in this day.
2 people like this
@changjiangzhibin89 (16533)
• China
22 Dec 16
Yes,This day's food varies from place to place.It is the custom with some places to eat pumpkin.In parts of our province,people simmer hen together with some Chinese herbal tonic.
1 person likes this
@Shellyann36 (11385)
• United States
16 Nov 17
Winter is right around the corner now. We are supposed to get a good freeze this week. I am not looking forward to getting out and scraping ice off of the windows before taking the kids to school. 
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@Shellyann36 (11385)
• United States
17 Nov 17
@changjiangzhibin89 How cold does it get in your area? Do you ever get snow?
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@Shellyann36 (11385)
• United States
20 Nov 17
@changjiangzhibin89 BRR!!! That is cold.
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@changjiangzhibin89 (16533)
• China
17 Nov 17
Here it is winter time again.It is heavy weather Today with scattered rain.A 8-10 C drop in temperature will be expected over next few days.
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Was it really colder ? What did you do to beat it ?@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
23 Dec 16
@changjiangzhibin89 Wow , really you can withstand such cold . I am already freezing with the aircon at 17 degrees celcius , how much more that cold. ha ha
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@changjiangzhibin89 (16533)
• China
23 Dec 16
Where I live,the coldest month low is -10C or so,we can stand it even without heating.
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@changjiangzhibin89 (16533)
• China
24 Dec 16
@SIMPLYD It is nothing compared to people that live in northern China,over there,the lowest temperature would be somewhere minus 30-40 C in the winter.
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@DeborahDiane (40054)
• Laguna Woods, California
19 Oct 17
It is hard to believe that before long it will be the Winter Solstice again!
1 person likes this
@changjiangzhibin89 (16533)
• China
20 Oct 17
Yes,time flies! Over here winter is only 18 days away.
1 person likes this
@changjiangzhibin89 (16533)
• China
21 Oct 17
@DeborahDiane Yes,here the Beginning of Winter will fall on November 7 according to "the 24 solar terms",though the weather it isn't necessarily that cold by the time.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40054)
• Laguna Woods, California
21 Oct 17
@changjiangzhibin89 - Your calendar is a bit different than our. The official first day of winter here is the Winter Solstice on December 21.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (157552)
• United States
30 Aug 17
I think around the world, whether we have a festival or not, we tend to relish the hearty meals during the winter when the weather is cold.
1 person likes this
@changjiangzhibin89 (16533)
• China
31 Aug 17
Yes,people's eating habits in winter vary from place to place.
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
31 Dec 16
yum love dumplings. thanks for telling us about your celebrations. what kind of tonic?
1 person likes this
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
26 Jan 17
@changjiangzhibin89 do you have marshmallow root there?
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@changjiangzhibin89 (16533)
• China
25 Jan 17
All the tonic are the Chinese herbal medicines.
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@changjiangzhibin89 (16533)
• China
27 Jan 17
@bunnybon7 marshmallow root is a sort of Chinese herbal medicine.
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@Shellyann36 (11385)
• United States
12 Apr 17
Spring is upon us now. How about where you are!
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@Shellyann36 (11385)
• United States
3 Sep 17
@changjiangzhibin89 That is ok, it's autumn here too, well almost autumn.
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@changjiangzhibin89 (16533)
• China
30 Aug 17
Sorry! I should have responded to yours earlier.Now it is autumn now.
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@much2say (53959)
• Los Angeles, California
23 Dec 16
Oh how wonderful you have a festival for winter solstice! I guess here we do not do much for it . . . only that the first day is noted on the calendar. What kind of a tonic is taken? I know some cultures have certain foods that are deemed better for hot or cold days. Do you feel the tonic or the foods are most effective?
(I'm so glad you made a post 
!)
!)1 person likes this
@much2say (53959)
• Los Angeles, California
24 Dec 16
@changjiangzhibin89 Interesting! Here they say carrots are good for the sight . . . perhaps there is something to orange/yellow vegetables? Here they also say chicken soup - something about making the broth from the bones - is good for healing colds. I can agree that the reaction would depend on the person - and how the tonic was made, etc.
1 person likes this
@much2say (53959)
• Los Angeles, California
30 Dec 16
@changjiangzhibin89 That makes sense. I do prefer these natural tonics rather than those chemical medicines with side effects!
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@changjiangzhibin89 (16533)
• China
24 Dec 16
Thank you !This day ,many people believe in eating pumpkins and think it is good for sight.There are also many people who braise old hens with some tonic such as root of Chinese angelica,rhizome of largehead atractylodes,etc.I think It does it work in a way ,however what tonic one takes depends on one's physical condition.
1 person likes this
@TiarasOceanView (70035)
• United States
7 May 17
Winter is now far away here Chang.
I had missed this one.
I love the cold lol
1 person likes this
@changjiangzhibin89 (16533)
• China
8 May 17
Now it is summertime here.However I like spring and autumn better.
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@changjiangzhibin89 (16533)
• China
9 May 17
@TiarasOceanView Thank you !All the best !
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@TiarasOceanView (70035)
• United States
8 May 17
@changjiangzhibin89 Regards to you dear friend.
1 person likes this
@Carmelanirel2 (8084)
• United States
31 Dec 16
I agree, eating warmer food is wonderful this time of year. My favorite hot food is chili, though chicken and dumplings sounds good too.
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@changjiangzhibin89 (16533)
• China
1 Jan 17
I like both thick chili sauce and chili.Here at this time of the year,many people simmer hen together with some Chinese herbal medicines of warm nature.
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@Carmelanirel2 (8084)
• United States
1 Jan 17
@changjiangzhibin89 Oh, that sounds delicious!
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@changjiangzhibin89 (16533)
• China
29 Apr 17
I am fine ,thank you !Here it is late spring.Recently the weather stays fine.
@changjiangzhibin89 (16533)
• China
11 Mar 17
We use both solar calendar and lunar calendar in which there are the 24 solar terms.Winter solstice is the 22nd one in a year.
1 person likes this
. I would like to learn more about Chinese Medicine.@changjiangzhibin89 (16533)
• China
24 Jan 17
I am a pharmacist of Chinese medicine by profession and love it very much.
@Shellyann36 (11385)
• United States
4 Feb 17
Winter is a wonderful time for those warming soups, stews, chilli's and comfort foods.
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@changjiangzhibin89 (16533)
• China
5 Feb 17
So right ! In addition,over here we make much of food therapy.
@changjiangzhibin89 (16533)
• China
7 Feb 17
Over here,several days are into spring,but there is no hint of spring now and a drop in temperature will be expected over next few days.
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@changjiangzhibin89 (16533)
• China
14 Jan 17
Never mind! You know I don't start post regularly and to be honest,I have no intention of posting that many here.As for the festival for the winter solstice ,it has to do with our culture.
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@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
16 Apr 17
Warming and reinforcing our bodies are a necessity in winter. Do you get snow where you live?
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@changjiangzhibin89 (16533)
• China
17 Apr 17
Yes, most of us believe in taking nourishing food in winter.We have a little snow recent years.
