冬至 Winter Solstice

Did you know that there is a festival more important to Chinese people than Chinese New Year? That’s right, you heard me! MORE important than Chinese New Year and it’s not the Mid-Autumn Festival or the Dragonboat festival!

This special day is called 冬至 (dung1 zi3), or the Winter Solstice, and it is one of the twenty four 節氣 (zit3 hei3) in the traditional Chinese calendar, marking the shortest day and longest night of the year. It usually falls around December 21 or 22, depending on the exact timing of the solstice. There is a Cantonese saying “冬大過年” (dung1 daai6 gwo3 nin4), which means Winter Solstice is more important than Chinese New Year! Although Chinese New Year overshadows this important festival due to the amount of celebrations and traditions surrounding it, but the importance of reuniting on this day has been historically important to Chinese people in particular for centuries.

Since ancient times, this festival was very similar to Thanksgiving in the West, where families and loved ones gather to eat a large harvest meal before the winter. The celebration of 冬至 (dung1 zi3) originated in the Han Dynasty (漢代, hon3 doi6) as an official public holiday where the armies would be on standby, the borders all closed off and all commercial trades were on paused. This festival continued to flourish during the Tang and Song Dynasties (唐宋, tong4 sung3), and a Qing dynasty historical text called the 清嘉录 (cing1 gaa1 luk6) even mentions the saying, “冬至大如年” (dung1 zi3 daai6 jyu4 nin4), which means the Winter Solstice is as significant as the New Year. As you can tell, this holiday has been very important to Chinese people for over 2000 years!

Special foods for 冬至

湯圓 Sweet Rice Balls

湯圓 (tong1 jyun4), also known as 湯團(tong1 tyun4), is also referred to as “冬至團” (dung1 zi3 tyun4), symbolizing “family reunion and happiness.” Eating 湯圆 (tong1 jyun4), or sweet rice balls, during 冬至 (dung1 zi3) is a common tradition among many people in southern China. In 廣東 (gwong2 dung1), it is also popular to eat 湯圓 (tong1 jyun4) during the Winter Solstice.

Teacher’s note: I grew up not liking 湯圓 as kid because I hated red bean, peanuts and gritty textures, but when I discovered salty egg yolk flavours (think 奶黃包 nai2 wong4 bao1 but in 湯圓 form), 湯圓 are now my favourite Chinese desserts~

糯米飯 glutinous rice

In this increasingly cold season, a steaming bowl of 糯米饭 (no6 mai5 faan6) not only warms the stomach but also the heart. For many older residents of 廣州 (gwong2 zau1), eating 糯米饭 (no6 mai5 faan6) is essential for a complete Winter Solstice celebration, symbolizing warmth and the idea of being “暖粒粒” (nuen6 laap1 laap1), meaning warm throughout the year. 糯米飯 (no6 mai5 faan6) in Guangdong typically includes ingredients such as 臘肉 (laap3 juk6), 香菇 (hoeng1 gu1), 蝦米 (haa1 mai5), and 花生 (faa1 saang1). Recipes vary, with some being sweet and others savoury.

Teacher’s note: I personally like savoury sticky fried rice a little bit more, so here is one I included a recipe video from the amazing Mr. Lau below!

鬆糕

Next to 廣州 Guangzhou, there is a city called 佛山 (fat6 saan1), and on 冬至 Winter Solstice, it is the custom there to eat 鬆糕 (sung1 gou1), a type of rice flour cake that is steamed and has a very fluffy and airy texture. The 鬆糕 (sung1 gou1) is believed to symbolize good fortune and prosperity, so it is an important part of the celebration.
Teacher’s Note: Sometimes you can find this in old school dimsum spots in older Chinatowns or Guangzhou! It is an absolute delight!

打邊爐/火鍋

Although not a historical tradition, many Chinese people opt for a friendly hotpot with their family and friends on the chilliest evening of the whole year. In Cantonese, we usually refer to it as 打邊爐 (daa2 bin1 lou4）or 火鍋 (fo2 wo1). Hotpot is a very popular food in China and there is always something for everyone!

Teachers’s Note: Contrary to other spicy and savoury hotpots around China, Cantonese home hotpot consists of a very light broth that usually has tofu, white radish, century eggs, cilantro, and a meat stock. We are also known for our chicken hotpots, beef hotpots and seafood hotpots, and true to the soul of Cantonese cooking, we let the freshness of the ingredients shine, and take care to eliminate any distractions.

Word Bank

Chinese	Jyutping	English
冬至	dung1 zi3	Winter Solstice
湯圓	tong1 jyun4	Sweet Rice Balls
廣東	gwong2 dung1	Guangdong
廣州	gwong2 zau1	Guangzhou
糯米飯	no6 mai5 faan6	Glutinous Rice
暖粒粒	no6 lap6 lap6	Warm throughout the year
臘肉	laap3 juk6	Cured Meat
香菇	hoeng1 gu1	Shiitake Mushrooms
蝦米	haa1 mai5	Dried Shrimp
花生	faa1 saang1	Peanuts
湯團	tong1 tyun4	Rice Balls (another term)
冬至團	dung1 zi3 tyun4	Winter Solstice Balls (symbolizing family reunion)
佛山	fat6 saan1	Foshan
鬆糕	sung1 gou1	Steamed Rice Cake
高升大發	gou1 sing1 daai6 faat3	Prosperity and Success
火鍋	fo2 wo1	Hot Pot

What are you favourite foods for 冬至？Let us know in the comment box below! 🙂