DONGZHI FESTIVAL 冬至
白居易: 邯鄲驛裡逢冬至，抱膝燈前影伴身。想得家中夜深坐，還應說著遠行人。
The 24 solar terms 節氣 of the Traditional Chinese Calendar, based on the sun’s position in the zodiac, reveal the changes in climate, natural phenomena and agricultural production, among others. It has been inscribed on the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list. 春雨驚春清谷天, 夏滿芒夏暑相連, 秋處露秋寒霜降, 冬雪雪冬小大寒。
Dongzhi (winter solstice) is the 22nd solar term; referring to the day when the sun is at the celestial longitude of 270°. It is the day when sunshine is weakest, daylight is shortest and night is longest. 陰極之至, 陽氣始生, 日南至, 日短之至, 日影長之至, 故曰 “冬至”。一年冬至夜偏長, 今宵始覺房櫳冷。晝短摒棄煩憂事，夜常相伴歡樂聲。
After Dongzhi, the days become incrementally longer, while the nights become progressively shorter. It signifies the increase of positive flow of energy of lives that will gain vigor, happiness, hopefulness and optimism. 天時人事日相催，冬至陽生春又來。四野便應枯草綠, 九重先覺凍雲開。陰冰莫向河源塞, 陽氣今從地底回。黃鍾應律好風催, 陰伏陽升淑氣回。
On the arrival of winter in ancient Chinese agricultural society, farmers had finished their yearly labor and it was time to celebrate and enjoy their bountiful harvest, and to have a happy family reunion. They merrily enjoyed a feast and other festivities with family, relatives and friends. 把酒豐年慶, 家家谷滿倉。In addition, they gathered to worship and express their utmost gratitude to the deities who bestowed them the bounteous harvests. They prayed to them for another good year of farming.
During the Han Dynasty, the winter solstice evolved as a festival, called the Winter Festival, which was a legal holiday. Government closed its offices 冬至前后，君子安身静体，百官絕事，不聽政，擇吉辰而後省事。 Besides, all other businesses were closed as well. Government officials coordinated various celebrating activities and all the people enjoyed a day of rest and relaxation. During the Qing Dynasty, it was called the Dongzhi Festival, which was regarded as significant as the Spring Festival. 冬至如年
In Northern China, people customarily eat dumpling soup on Dongzhi. 小餃暖盡心頭寒，更勝金銀百十千。The origin of consuming dumpling can be traced to the famous Dr. Zhang Zhongjing 醫聖張仲景 in Han Dynasty. He and his students prepared ear-shaped dumpling with mutton, chili peppers and herbs in broth 祛寒嬌耳湯, which could cure chilblains on the ears of the poor people exposed to extreme cold weather in winter. Eventually, it has evolved as a tradition of eating dumpling soup on Dongzhi. In many regions of Southern China, the whole family will get together to enjoy a delicious meal and eat tangyuan. Tangyuan is pronounced similar to “tuanyuan” 團圓, which means reunion.
An interesting custom of the Dongzhi Festival is the traditional “Cold Dispelling Song” 九九歌謠: 一九二九不出手；三九四九冰上走; 五九六九沿河看柳；七九河開八九雁来; 九九加一九，耕牛遍地走。 This brilliantly composed folk song, with the utilization of merely six sentences, vividly recapitulates the change of weather and phenomena of the nature from winter solstice to the commencement of spring season. 冬至原來是送冬，臨軒數九意從容。春花秋月千般好，卻遜寒梅一抹紅。冬至陽來複, 草木漸滋萌。冬至冰霜俱怨別，春來花鳥若為情。 Robert Frost once said, “You can’t get too much winter in the winter.” And Percy Bysshe Shelley wrote, “If winter comes, can spring be far behind?” 冬天來了，春天還會遠嗎？
The Dongzhi Festival persists as an important cultural holiday. Nowadays, it is, by and large, observed with a family reunion to enjoy a lavish feast including dumpling or tangyuan, and to express filial piety to parents. Many people also offer sacrifices to their ancestors and departed relatives.
Albert Camus: In the depths of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.
蘇軾: 井底微陽回未回, 蕭蕭寒雨濕枯騰。何人更似蘇夫子, 不是花時肯獨來。
About the author:
Dr. Patrick Lau was born in Hong Kong and immigrated to the U.S. after high school. He retired from the VA Northern Indiana Heath Care System where he served as Chief Radiologist and moved to Florida with his wife in 2011. He was an active member & contributor of IACA and ICMA while in Indiana. Dr. Lau is also a scholar of art and literature and a prolific writer, he has been a dedicated columnist for Indy Asian American Times since 2010.