Today, 21st December is an auspicious day in the Chinese calendar. It's the Winter Solstice Festival or Dongzhi Festival.
I had almost forgotten about this festival until a friend reminded me. So this morning I bought some tang yuan for worship. My mum, if she were alive today, would have been very upset, even angry if I had forgotten about this festival! It has been celebrated for around 2,500 years and traditionally it is the time for families to come together to make (or buy if you can't make!) and eat tang yuan (glutimous rice balls), which are symbols of reunion and prosperity.
According to my research, the tradition of eating dumplings on Winter Solstice began when a physician named Zhang Zhongjing noticed that the poor were suffering from chilblains on their ears. He started making dumplings with lamb and other ingredients to distribute to the poor. (Lamb is thought to warm the body and strengthen it against the cold weather).
Incidentally, the elderly still insist that one is a year older right after the Dongzhi celebration instead of waiting for the Chinese New Year.
Well, don't let that spoil your day, enjoy your tang yuan! Whatever will be, will be.
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