Today at 0:28, we usher in the winter solstice.
Ancient China attached great importance to the winter solstice. There is an old saying among Ningbo people, which is that "the winter solstice is as big as the new year, and the emperor and his servants have to thank the new year." Many families still have the custom of celebrating the winter solstice. The winter solstice is the longest night of the year, and after that, the days gradually become longer.
The winter solstice brings the sun and spring comes again. A new beginning, I wish you all peace and happiness!
Twenty-four solar terms in winter to
So, what do people in Ningbo eat on the winter solstice?
Xiaobu found that in Ningbo, there are no more than three foods commonly eaten on the Winter Solstice - sweet potato soup, roasted rice cakes with kohlrabi, and glutinous rice balls. Among them, sweet potato soup has the highest “appearance rate” and will become the breakfast of many Ningbo people on the Winter Solstice.
Sweet Potato Soup
In Ningbo’s traditional customs, sweet potato soup is one of the must-eat delicacies during the Winter Solstice. Among them, "fan" and "fan" for sweet potato have the same pronunciation, which means turning over all the bad luck in the past year; while Tangguo is also called "yuanzi", which means reunion and perfection.
When some people make sweet potato soup, they also add some fermented rice wine. In Ningbo dialect, the wine is called "jiujiangban", and "jiujiang" has the same pronunciation as the dialect's "rising", which means good luck in wealth and good fortune.
Ningbo glutinous rice dumplings
There is a saying in Ningbo that "you will be one year older after eating glutinous rice dumplings". Tangyuan symbolizes reunion, perfection, harmony and good fortune.
Kohlrabi Roasted rice cake
The day before the winter solstice, Ningbo people generally don’t go out. During the Winter Solstice Festival it is customary for the whole family to eat kohlrabi and bake rice cakes early in the morning. The aroma of kohlrabi has become a unique country delicacy during the Winter Solstice Festival in Ningbo, making it unforgettable. On the eve of the Winter Solstice Festival, every family roasts kohlrabi. The fire in the big stove is bright. Wash the kohlrabi, peel it and cut it into pieces. Do not waste the leaves.
After talking about food, let’s talk about the weather.
If someone asks you, is the "Winter Solstice" the coldest day in the whole year? How do you answer that?
Is the winter solstice the coldest day in the whole year?
video tells us that the winter solstice is not the coldest time of the year. Following the old custom, with the arrival of the winter solstice, we will usher in the coldest "nine days" of the year. After counting ninety-nine and eighty-one days on one's fingers, winter is over.
However, the temperature in our city today and tomorrow does not quite resemble the meaning of "winter solstice".
According to the Municipal Meteorological Observatory, the highest temperature in our city is expected to reach around 17℃ tomorrow; as for the lowest temperature, action will be slow. Today, the lowest temperature in our city is still hovering between minus 1℃ and 1℃, and tomorrow it is expected to rise sharply to around 5℃.
Weather Forecast
Everyone should remain cautious regarding the temperature rise today and tomorrow. Although the warming is obvious, this is just a short "calm" before the next wave of cold air arrives. By Sunday, we will usher in a new round of cooling.
Source: China Meteorological Administration Meteorological Publicity and Science Popularization Center, Ningbo Meteorological Bureau, Comprehensive
