WinterSolstice

　　Asearlyas2,500yearsago,abouttheSpringandAutumnPeriod(770-476BC),ChinahaddeterminedthepointofWinterSolsticebyobservingmovementsofthesunwithasundial.Itistheearliestofthe24seasonaldivisionpoints.ThetimewillbeeachDecember22or23accordingtotheGregoriancalendar.

　　TheNorthernhemisphereonthisdayexperiencestheshortestdaytimeandlongestnighttime.AftertheWinterSolstice,dayswillbecomelongerandlonger.AsancientChinesethought,theyang,ormuscular,positivethingswillbecomestrongerandstrongerafterthisday,soitshouldbecelebrated.

　　TheWinterSolsticebecameafestivalduringtheHanDynastyandthrivedintheTangandSongdynasties.TheHanpeopleregardedWinterSolsticeasa"WinterFestival",soofficialswouldorganizecelebratingactivities.Onthisday,bothofficialsandcommonpeoplewouldhavearest.Thearmywasstationedin,frontierfortressesclosedandbusinessandtravelingstopped.Relativesandfriendspresentedtoeachotherdeliciousfood.IntheTangandSongdynasties,theWinterSolsticewasadaytoofferscarifiestoHeavenandancestors.EmperorswouldgotosuburbstoworshiptheHeaven;whilecommonpeopleofferedsacrificestotheirdeceasedparentsorotherrelatives.TheQingDynasty(1644-1911)evenhadtherecordthat"WinterSolsticeisasformalastheSpringFestival,"showingthegreatimportanceattachedtothisday.

　　InsomepartsofNorthernChina,peopleeatdumplingsouponthisday;whileresidentsofsomeotherplaceseatdumplings,sayingdoingsowillkeepthemfromfrostintheupcomingwinter.ButinpartsofSouthChina,thewholefamilywillgettogethertohaveamealmadeofred-beanandglutinousricetodriveawayghostsandotherevilthings.Inotherplaces,peoplealsoeattangyuan,akindofstuffedsmalldumplingballmadeofglutinousriceflour.TheWinterSolsticericedumplingscouldbeusedassacrificestoancestors,orgiftsforfriendsandrelatives.TheTaiwanpeopleevenkeepthecustomofofferingnine-layercakestotheirancestors.Theymakecakesintheshapeofchicken,duck,tortoise,pig,coworsheepwithglutinousriceflourandsteamthemondifferentlayersofapot.TheseanimalsallsignifyauspiciousnessinChinesetradition.Peopleofthesamesurnameorfamilyclangatherattheirancestraltemplestoworshiptheirancestorsinageorder.Afterthesacrificialceremony,thereisalwaysagrandbanquet.

　　来写一点短的吧；冬至,顾名思义是“冬天到来”的意思.这是中国农历中一个非常重要的节气,也是中华民族的一个传统节日,也称“冬节”、“长至节”、“亚岁”等.冬至一般是在公历十二月二十一日至二十三日之间.依照中国传统的历法,五日为一候,三候为一气,一年又分为十二节和十二气,合称为二十四节气,而冬至就是二十四节气之一.这一天是北半球全年中白天最短、夜晚最长的一天.中国北方大部分地区在这一天有吃饺子的习俗.Wintersolstice,asthenameimplies,meansthecomingofwinter.AsanimportantsolarterminthetraditionalChinesecalendar,itisalsoatraditionalholidayforChinese,whichisalsocalled“冬节”,“长至节”,“亚岁”,etc.Generally,wintersolsticeoccursbetweenDecember21stand23rd.AccordingtothetraditionalChinesecalendar,fivedaysconstitutesapentadandthreepentadsconstitutesasolarterm.Oneyearisdividedintotwelveperiodsandtwelveclimateswhichareregardedastwenty-foursolarterms.TheWinterSolsticeisoneoftwenty-foursolarterms.Onthisday,intheNorthernHemispheretheperiodofdaytimeistheshortestoftheyearandtheperiodofnightislongest..InNorthernChinaduringwintersolsticethereisacustomofeatingdu